Interviews Khadija Abdalla Bajaber’s astonishing debut novel, The House of Rust, winner of the inaugural Graywolf Press Africa Prize, arrived in October as if on a magical wave, imbued with an assortment of creatures—human and animal, real and imagined—that populate the city of Mombasa and its surrounding waters. Aisha, fierce and adventurous, sets off on a boat made of bones in hopes of rescuing her fisherman father who has disappeared at sea. What she encounters on her search—and return home—will enthrall and amaze. “On the surface this is a limpid tale,” writes author A. Igoni Barrett, the prize’s judge, “but it is eddied and enriched by what lurks beneath the surface of both the sea and the prose. Everything in this story sparkles.” I spoke with Bajaber about Mombasa, sea monsters, and Aisha’s journey of self-discovery, among other things. Anderson Tepper: Congratulations, Khadija. I’m curious about the story of your book’s path to publication. Did it change much since being awarded Graywolf’s Africa Prize in 2018? Khadija Abdalla Bajaber: Thank you very much. Well, it definitely changed and grew. When I’d first finished working on the book, it ended at what is now actually the midpoint. I was quite happy with that ending at the time but was already beginning to rethink things. There were subplots I’d set up at the beginning that needed resolving. So then I started developing everything more; and toward the end, when... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'
[ World Literature Today | 2021-11-15 21:42:08 UTC ]
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'Deep Cuts,' written by Kyle Higgins and Joe Clark and featuring a diverse group of artists, is a richly imagined and illustrated anthology that uses fictional vignettes to recreate the history of Jazz. An 11-page excerpt. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-08-27 04:00:00 UTC ]
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More Than One Life: A Conversation with Lyn Coffin, by Alaaeldin Mahmoud Interviews [email protected] Mon, 08/19/2024 - 14:53 Lyn Coffin / Photo by Irmaguru / WikimediaDescribed by Iron Twine Press as “the most accomplished writer most Americans... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2024-08-19 19:53:51 UTC ]
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Water exists on Mars, according to a team of geophysicists, and not just as ice on its poles or as vapor in its atmosphere. The scientists have found evidence of liquid water deep in its outer crust, based on their analysis of data provided by NASA's Mars Insight Lander. Specifically, they... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-08-13 12:00:54 UTC ]
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PW talks with Manny Arango who sees the wreckage of chaos—and the promise of a savior—in scripture. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-08-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Blue Dot Kids Press publisher Heidi Hill shares an update from her year-long scientific voyage with her family. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-08-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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A Dallas preacher sees the wreckage of chaos—the dragons of anxiety, deceit, selfishness and worse—in scripture and the promise of a savior. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-08-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Queer-Feminist Writing from 1970s Turkey: A Conversation with Maureen Freely on Sevgi Soysal, by Ipek Sahinler Interviews [email protected] Tue, 08/06/2024 - 16:31 Maureen Freely (left) & Funda Soysal (right)Maureen Freely is an author,... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2024-08-06 21:31:04 UTC ]
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War, Trauma, and Human Courage: A Conversation with Zhang Ling, by Yan Lu Interviews [email protected] Mon, 07/22/2024 - 16:20 Zhang Ling is the author of ten novels, including A Single Swallow (trans. Shelly Bryant) and Where Waters Meet, the... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2024-07-22 21:20:19 UTC ]
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“All Art Is History”: A Conversation with Parul Kapur, by Sangamithra Iyer Interviews [email protected] Tue, 07/16/2024 - 15:20 On March 26, 2024, the Asian American Writers’ Workshop co-sponsored an event at Yu and Me Books to celebrate the New... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2024-07-16 20:20:51 UTC ]
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Painter Julie Heffernan’s lush, surrealism-infused graphic memoir debut, Babe in the Woods: The Art of Getting Lost (Algonquin, Sept.), follows her winding path through fear and memory after taking the wrong turn on a hike with her infant son. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-07-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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A Conversation with Translators Charlotte Collins and Ruth Martin, by Aitana Bellido Interviews [email protected] Mon, 07/08/2024 - 15:14 Charlotte Collins (left) and Ruth Martin (photo courtesy of Michael Jershov)With the Open University of... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2024-07-08 20:14:29 UTC ]
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Music artists say the bundle is ‘cheating’ the royalties system while authors have concerns about how streaming will affect how they’re paid and rights over their workAudio streaming giant Spotify, one of the world’s largest audio platforms, entered the audiobook market last October, offering... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-07-02 03:23:25 UTC ]
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Launching Books into the World: A Conversation with Carolina Orloff, by Aitana Bellido Interviews [email protected] Mon, 07/01/2024 - 15:54 Carolina Orloff is a translator, author, and researcher of Latin American literature. In 2016, after... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2024-07-01 20:54:02 UTC ]
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Promoting New and Unexpected Crossings: A Conversation with Leonora Djament, by Aitana Bellido Interviews [email protected] Mon, 07/01/2024 - 15:34 Leonora Djament has been editorial director of the Argentine publishing house Eterna Cadencia... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2024-07-01 20:34:20 UTC ]
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I love it when a text centers the dynamics of conversation. In my own life, talking to others gets me out of my head, and introduces me to possibilities I would never have dreamed of alone. I think of a quote by the activist Valerie Kaur, which my local bookshop has printed on some of […] The... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2024-06-12 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Emil Ferris’s ‘My Favorite Thing is Monsters, Book 2’, the eagerly-awaited sequel to her 2017 debut graphic novel, returns to her irresistibly curious queer protagonist, 10-year-old Karen Reyes, and her working-class life in 1960s Chicago. A six-page excerpt. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-06-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Can We Truly Be Free of Our Past? A Conversation with Wendy Chen, by Xixuan Collins Interviews [email protected] Mon, 04/29/2024 - 15:10 An epic family saga that spans over one hundred years and two countries, Wendy Chen’s powerful, lyrical debut,... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2024-04-29 20:10:46 UTC ]
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