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 ]
Did you know that master fantasist George R.R. Martin opened his own movie theater in Santa Fe, the Jean Cocteau Cinema? Well, now he’s opening a bookstore next door, Beastly Books. As Martin writes, on his blog: We’ve been doing amazing author events at the Jean Cocteau Cinema ever since we... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-12-16 16:24:28 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Hachette Children's Group has signed a picture book adaptation of Ian Fleming's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to be written by Peter Bently and illustrated by Steve Antony. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-16 14:03:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Earlier today, the employees of the New York City-based indie bookshop McNally Jackson voted to join the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union (RWDSU). RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum says, “We’re proud to welcome the workers of McNally Jackson into our union. Tonight, they showed that... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-12-13 20:10:34 UTC ]
More news stories like this
TweetSomeone came up to one of our children’s specialists the other day and asked if anyone had ever retrieved the $200 Harry Potter boxed set that had been accidentally knocked into the hollow column next to the Harry Potter section during our storewide inventory in July. Since no one had... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-12-13 13:00:27 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Huge congratulations to De’Shawn Charles Winslow, who last night took home the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize for his acclaimed debut In West Mills. Winslow was presented with the prestigious prize—which has in previous years been awarded to Junot Diaz, Tiphanie Yanique, Viet Thanh Nguyen,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-12-11 17:00:27 UTC ]
More news stories like this
News and Events Michelle Johnson In 2019 WLT continued publishing fiction, poems, interviews, and essays in translation—publishing more than 50 pieces from languages ranging from Albanian to Zoque—along with pieces by translators about their work. In... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2019-12-10 14:32:34 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Picture book biographies of Thurgood Marshall, Katherine Johnson, Jimmy Carter and more introduce people who just kept going, until they changed the world. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2019-12-05 15:19:04 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Raymond AntrobusWho/ What inspired you to start writing? I never started writing poetry with the intention of writing books until publishers approached me. I was happy to write poems and travel and read the poems for audiences. I live poem by poem. The idea of a book of poems doesn’t really... Continue reading at British Council global
[ British Council global | 2019-12-05 12:09:15 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Cultural Cross Sections Alizah Holstein I stepped out of Keflavík airport at 4:30 a.m. Far off in the dimly lit parking lot was the bus to Reykjavík—parked, empty, still off-duty. Winds buffeted me from above, the cold air curling its way up my wrists and... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2019-12-03 17:31:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Irish poet Elaine Feeney’s "dazzlingly inventive" debut novel As You Were will be published by Harvill Secker following an auction. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-02 15:33:42 UTC ]
More news stories like this
As part of the Sharjah Market Focus at The London Book Fair in March 2020, the British Council have partnered with New Writing North, Kalimat Group and Sharjah World Book Capital to offer an Arabic-English/English-Arabic Translation Workshop in February 2020.This is an opportunity for up to six... Continue reading at British Council global
[ British Council global | 2019-12-02 14:33:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
What was the first book you fell in love with? The Center for Fiction’s 2019 First Novel Prize authors weigh in. | Lit Hub “Disagree with my argument, beliefs, and my politics, but hands off my syntax!” Lore Segal’s love letter to editors. | Lit Hub “Among Larry’s many strengths as a writer,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-12-02 11:30:22 UTC ]
More news stories like this
We asked this year’s Center for Fiction First Novel Prize finalists about their earliest love affairs with reading. Meet them all at the Finalist Reading and Fête on December 9 at The Center for Fiction. * Chia-Chia Lin, author of The Unpassing on The Elves and the Shoemaker, Fran Hunia and... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-12-02 09:49:11 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Send your friends, family, and favorite bookstore and library workers warm holiday greetings with these 20 literary holiday cards! Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-11-29 11:34:57 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The Templar Illustration and Design Award is expanding in 2020 to include categories for children’s non-fiction illustration and children’s fiction cover design for the first time, alongside its picture book illustration category. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-27 10:18:01 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi won the Man Booker International Prize this year for its beautifully rendered portrayal of a family’s tangled history in the village of al-Awafi in Oman. The novel was the first book translated from Arabic to win the prize, and more surprisingly, it was the... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2019-11-26 11:59:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
San Diego's Mysterious Galaxy bookstore must find a new owner and a new location before its lease expires in less than 60 days. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-11-26 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Store owners from BXsellers, PW's bookstore Facebook group, are prepping special promotions for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, focusing on loyalty discounts and gift card bonuses. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-11-26 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
November is Picture Book Month, so these illustrated little gems are deservedly in the spotlight. In a recent blog post for Books Are Magic, novelist and bookstore owner Emma Straub curated a list of picture books. Among Straub’s picks for the best picture books of 2019 is a wonderful biography... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2019-11-25 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Montclair Book Center is 9,000 square feet of nooks, alcoves, labyrinths and warrens. “It’s like a time machine,” one customer says. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2019-11-23 10:00:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this