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 ]
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As China’s science fiction authors are elevated to the status of oracles, Qiufan’s career—and his genre’s place in society—have gone through the looking glass. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2021-03-09 12:00:00 UTC ]
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From rights advocates to scientists, Rosalind Miles pulls female pioneers out of obscurity. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-03-05 13:00:00 UTC ]
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Children's book blogger Fabia Turner has launched a competition for Black children's book writers, to be sponsored by inclusive indie publisher Knights Of. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-03-04 23:23:40 UTC ]
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Megan Nolan's "Acts of Desperation," about a woman in thrall to an older man, stands out from similar tales with an uncannily self-aware narrator. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-03-03 15:00:19 UTC ]
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She was known for two book series centered on complex female characters, and for stories that illuminated her native North Carolina. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-03-02 23:14:40 UTC ]
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Nobel Prize-winning author Sir Kazuo Ishiguro has revealed concerns that young writers are “self-censoring” to avoid an “anonymous lynch mob that turns up online and makes their lives a misery”. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-03-01 15:01:44 UTC ]
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Lamott’s 12th faith-based essay collection, “Dusk Night Dawn,” spins self-deprecating ruminations into manna for the majority. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-03-01 13:00:00 UTC ]
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Sourcebooks has launched a new imprint company founder Dominique Raccah said will “expand what publishing can be for women authors.” E.L. James' backlist titles will become part of the imprint April 1. Pam Jaffee has joined Sourcebooks to help direct the imprint. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-03-01 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Author, agent see positives in the Own Voice Award for the program honoring the best in Christian fiction. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-02-22 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Women’s issues, particularly those related to #ChurchToo and #MeToo, prompt religion publishers’ continuing interest in titles that address the silencing and abuse women face in the church and religious institutions. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-02-19 05:00:00 UTC ]
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In her new book, Anna Malaika Tubbs shines a light on the strong women behind three influential Black leaders Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-02-12 07:00:00 UTC ]
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Didion’s writing has often revealed what was previously hidden, parsed what was unconscious. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-02-09 13:00:00 UTC ]
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Tired of the subtweets? The peevish reviews? The [gasp] indecorous email sign-offs? Do you wish the literary world would just conduct its brawls out in the open for all to see? Well, now you can fight along at home with Street Writer, Maxwell Neely-Cohen’s absolutely wonderful literary homage to... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-02-04 14:06:11 UTC ]
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The Pontas Literary & Film Agency and author J J Bola are partnering to create a mentoring prize for unagented, unpublished, under-represented writers. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-02 23:50:57 UTC ]
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Publishers say there has long been demand for titles on women’s empowerment, but #MeToo and other social justice movements have created a sense of urgency around these books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-01-29 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Bernardine Evaristo is collaborating with the Royal Society of Literature to create a mentoring award scheme for emerging authors of colour as part of a £300,000 Sky Arts project. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-28 18:33:57 UTC ]
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The Stanfords Travel Writers Festival is going digital this year with a line-up including Raynor Winn, William Dalrymple, James Naughtie and Simon Reeve. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-25 04:31:56 UTC ]
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Some people are “constantly ringing the bell on how dangerous it is to be fat, but that’s not making fat people thin,” Gordon says. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-01-22 16:48:02 UTC ]
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Children's indie Nosy Crow is mounting an open call for submissions from writers of colour to broaden its picture books list. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-21 11:03:39 UTC ]
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Nadia Owusu recounts her sense of dislocation and her search for a place to call home. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-01-15 13:00:00 UTC ]
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