When Jokha al-Harthi and Marilyn Booth won the Man Booker International Prize last year, for Booth’s translation of Sayyidat al-Qamr (Celestial Bodies), many hurried to note that al-Harthi was the “first Omani woman writer” to have a book in English translation.While true, this may give the mistaken impression that there is something new about women's writing from the Gulf. But women on the peninsula have been composing sophisticated literature for centuries. Al-Khansa (575-645 AD), who was born and died on the Arabian Peninsula, is said to have been told by an admiring male writer that she was “the greatest poet among those with breasts.” Al-Khansa is said to have replied, archly: “I am the greatest poet among those with testicles, too.” Her work can be read, in vibrant translation, in James Montgomery’s Loss Sings.Prominent poet-filmmaker Nujoom Ghanem, in a 2016 interview that focused on her literary ancestors, had a similar barb: “The majority of poets in our world are male, but quantity does not make quality.” Yet among the younger generation of writers, women often dominate. In Yemen, the UAE, Kuwait, and elsewhere, emerging women writers have been flooding into writing workshops and literary seminars. Each Gulf country could have its own list of 10 women writers. Here are just a few to seek out:Raja Alem (Saudi) – Alem was the first woman to co-win the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF), for her classic Mecca novel The Doves’ Necklace (translated by Adam... Continue reading at 'British Council global'
[ British Council global | 2020-02-19 10:26:57 UTC ]
Middle grade books for Pride month, a new picture book from a Grammy-winning singer, and more from the world of kid lit. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-06-16 10:20:00 UTC ]
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The e-commerce giant has been criticized over its stewardship of Goodreads since it bought the platform in 2013, fueling the rise of competitors. Amazon famously started as an online bookstore. In the three decades since, it has disrupted how people buy, read, and review books through steps... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2025-06-06 13:34:00 UTC ]
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In the novel “Peachaloo in Bloom,” the selfishness belongs to one man. In the picture book “The Wanting Monster,” it belongs to us all. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2025-06-06 09:00:06 UTC ]
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Employees of the Brooklyn bookstore and literary hub have won voluntary union recognition from management and will begin contract negotiations in the coming weeks, joining the growing number of booksellers organized under the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-06-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
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More Than Words is a bookstore, but one that does more than sell $3.8 million worth of merchandise a year. It serves young people who are dealing with homelessness or legal challenges and gives them a place where they belong. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2025-06-02 20:42:21 UTC ]
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Author says she won’t revisit the beloved character because it would seem ‘inappropriate’ to discuss her sex lifeJacqueline Wilson has said she would feel “very wary” about writing an adult novel about Tracy Beaker “because it would seem inappropriate that we would learn about her sex life”.Last... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2025-05-30 15:19:35 UTC ]
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Life-ruining books, demon possession through social media, the bookstore at the end of the world, and more of today's best book deals. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-05-30 14:45:00 UTC ]
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As a teenager, I remember reading my first novel in verse. I never expected to like poetry. But just a ... Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-05-29 11:30:00 UTC ]
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Feature image © Sarra Fleur Abou-El-Haj. There are echoes of Virginia Woolf throughout Honor Jones’ masterful, exquisitely crafted first novel Sleep, which explores the ways in which a childhood trauma haunts her main character, Margaret, and those around her. The novel opens with scenes of... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2025-05-27 07:15:09 UTC ]
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Thirteen years ago, my first novel was published. One of the first reviews it received on Amazon dismissed me as “just another Irish mouther of words.” I was, I have to say, more than a little bit insulted. I am circumspect to the point of obsession about the language I use when I write.... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2025-05-21 08:53:59 UTC ]
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Shakespeare & Co. will transfer ownership of its last New York storefront, located on the Upper West Side, to Strand Book Store on June 1, marking the end of an era for the beloved bookseller. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-05-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Andreas Roman is the author of the newly released The Greatest Game of All (Flare Books), his first novel in English. A native speaker and writer of Swedish, Roman wrote The Greatest Game of All in English, then assisted its translation into Swedish for publication before revising the English... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2025-05-16 08:58:34 UTC ]
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A supermajority of staff at Brooklyn’s Center for Fiction have filed with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union and requested recognition from the nonprofit bookseller. A growing number of New York City bookstore employees have joined the RWDSU in recent years. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-05-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
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William Stout bookstore is a legendary home to design and architecture books. Now, it’s revealing an updated brand courtesy of Jony Ive’s firm LoveFrom. Since 1974, William Stout Architectural Books in San Francisco’s Jackson Square has been one of the city’s most iconic destinations for its... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2025-05-09 13:00:00 UTC ]
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In 1987, I got a job at the famous Strand bookstore in Union Square. My ska band, the Boilers, rehearsed down the block at a place called Giant Studios, and I stopped in the Strand one day with every intention to steal a book but instead decided to ask if any positions were open. Every […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2025-05-09 08:58:29 UTC ]
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Literary agent for children's book authors Mary Cummings explains the biggest mistake she sees in picture book pitches—and how you can avoid making that mistake. The post Picture Book or Short Story? Which is it? appeared first on Writer's Digest. Continue reading at Writer's Digest
[ Writer's Digest | 2025-05-03 12:00:00 UTC ]
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