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 ]
12 Books for Tolerance and Understanding (2023), by The Editors of WLT Lit Lists [email protected] Tue, 11/14/2023 - 14:07 For years, a prognostication by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe appeared on the masthead page of World Literature Today: “These... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2023-11-14 20:07:42 UTC ]
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I had begun to conceive this essay after rereading a magazine interview I’d done months prior. The interview was about my then new book of short stories A Dream of a Woman, and the interviewer had asked me about community. I’m a trans woman, and specifically the interviewer asked about community... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-11-07 09:30:36 UTC ]
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By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) ‘Motel Architecture’ is not one of the best-known short stories of the British author J. G. Ballard (1930-2009), but it’s one of his most prescient. And this is an author who anticipated everything from Ronald Reagan becoming US President (in the... Continue reading at Interesting Literature
[ Interesting Literature | 2023-11-03 15:00:16 UTC ]
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A Quiet Author’s Written Rebellion: An Interview with Ananda Devi, by Dinah Assouline Stillman Interviews [email protected] Wed, 10/25/2023 - 09:46 Photo by Harrikrisna AnendenAnanda Devi is a noted francophone poet, writer, ethnologist,... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2023-10-25 14:46:00 UTC ]
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The leaves are amassing, the skeletons are out, and enormous bags of candy fill the grocery store aisles and threaten to spill their chocolates right into your mouth, through absolutely no fault of your own. Yep, it’s officially spooky season. But if you still need some help getting into the... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-10-23 16:13:33 UTC ]
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These Halloween short stories are free to read online! They're deliciously unsettling, genre-bending, emotional, and even humorous. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-10-16 10:33:00 UTC ]
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“His memoirs, novels, and short stories express, in infinite variety, the human struggle to reconcile the truth we wish for with the one we get.” Continue reading at The Paris Review
[ The Paris Review | 2023-10-11 15:15:29 UTC ]
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It’s 40 years since The Colour of Magic hit the shelves. As newly unearthed short stories are published, fans and friends celebrate the late author’s enduring legacy“Of all the dead authors in the world, Terry Pratchett is the most alive,” said John Lloyd at the author’s memorial in 2015. This... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-10-07 10:00:09 UTC ]
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This first appeared in Lit Hub’s Craft of Writing newsletter—sign up here. The sext, even more than short stories or poems or novels, is the ultimate plea for a reader’s attention. Stakes are rarely so high. John Gardner’s fictive dream is never more delicate and alive than when it’s being... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-09-29 08:30:13 UTC ]
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In 1953, the relatively unknown Juan Rulfo (Mexico, 1917-1986) published The Burning Plain (El Llano en llamas), a collection of short stories set in rural Mexico during the first half of the twentieth century. The novel Pedro Páramo (1955) appeared two years later. These innovative works... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-09-27 08:50:35 UTC ]
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As we move into the fall reading season, deeply imagined short stories and inventive linked essays are having a moment alongside novels. What’s thrilling about the books coming out from small presses is the breadth of range—there are intentional and accidental murders, family drama and... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2023-09-26 11:15:00 UTC ]
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“Vessels of Yearning”: A Conversation with Nishanth Injam, by Renee H. Shea Interviews [email protected] Fri, 09/08/2023 - 14:14 Born and raised in Khammam, a small town in the state of Telangana, India, Nishanth Injam published The Best Possible... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2023-09-08 19:14:01 UTC ]
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The Principal Foundation and the Center for Fiction are teaming up with French independent publisher Short Édition on a short story contest meant to entice readers to consider the almighty dollar through “the universal art form of storytelling.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-29 04:00:00 UTC ]
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If one thing kept me coming back (and back) to Homeworld, it was skirmish mode. Setting up a quick (“quick”) battle against the CPU would often rob me of a whole weekend while at college. Homeworld 3 sees a new mode arrive on the second sequel, a roguelike-inspired multiplayer co-op called War... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-08-25 15:30:05 UTC ]
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By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) ‘The Fly’ is not one of the best-known short stories of the New Zealand-born writer Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923), but it is significant for being one of her few stories which deals directly with the First World War. In the story, a man is reminded […] Continue reading at Interesting Literature
[ Interesting Literature | 2023-08-21 14:00:52 UTC ]
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Mysteries from China, short stories from the Balkans, a French-Morrocan autobiography and more. Continue reading at The Conversation
[ The Conversation | 2023-08-17 13:31:43 UTC ]
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By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) ‘Happiness’ is a poem by the American writer Raymond Carver (1938-88). Carver is probably best-known for his short stories, especially the anthology favourite ‘What We Talk about When We Talk about Love’, but he was also a gifted poet, and his poetry... Continue reading at Interesting Literature
[ Interesting Literature | 2023-08-12 14:00:47 UTC ]
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The short stories in Jamel Brinkley's second collection, 'Witness,' don't just reveal stories of violence, gentrification and racism — they put you inside them. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-08-01 13:00:50 UTC ]
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Here is the best new Korean literature in translation, from science fiction like Counterweight by Djuna and translated by Anton Hur to literary fiction, short stories, and poetry. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-07-27 10:30:00 UTC ]
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The Beauty and Importance of Our Names: A Conversation with Yejide Kilanko, by Darlington Chibueze Anuonye Interviews [email protected] Mon, 07/24/2023 - 09:09 Photo by Oluwafikunmi KilankoAmong the shortlisted short stories for this year’s edition... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2023-07-24 14:09:47 UTC ]
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