A giant of African literature whose best works existed between the political and the personal, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o was warm, funny and friendly – and liked to bet on my pool gamesAmong the African writers who emerged in the middle of the 20th century, the most political undoubtedly was Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o. Born in Kenya while it was still under British rule he was anti-colonialist, a communist, anti-dictatorial, and an almost militant proponent for African languages being used for African literature.His best works exist at the interface between the political and the personal. His first book of essays, Homecoming, is at once engaging and polemical. His early novels Weep Not, Child and A Grain of Wheat look at the impact of colonialism and the Mau Mau rebellion on individual lives. He was strangely at his best with the personal and the intimate, but his reputation grew more from his political stances – first against the British government, then against the dictatorship in Kenya in the 70s. He was jailed not for a thundering political text but for a play in Kikuyu called I Will Marry When I Want. In prison he wrote his memoir on toilet paper. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2025-05-30 16:36:34 UTC ]
Joan Didion, one of the most widely respected journalists and writers of the latter half of 20th century, has died due to complications from Parkinson’s disease. She was 87. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-12-23 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Ai Weiwei’s memoir “1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows” pushes back against the Chinese government’s efforts to silence him and his poet father. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2021-12-20 22:31:48 UTC ]
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Serpent's Tail has bagged a post-apocalyptic novel and a memoir from 2020 Goldsmiths Prize winner M John Harrison, who is leaving his long-term publisher Gollancz after 40 years. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-19 23:45:16 UTC ]
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White went from the streets of Baltimore to the philharmonic. In his memoir "I'm Possible," he tells the story of how he transformed his life. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-12-18 13:00:13 UTC ]
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Stephanie Land’s best-selling memoir inspired the popular Netflix series. She’s not done fighting for people navigating the red tape of poverty. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-12-16 10:00:03 UTC ]
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Nine Eight Books, the music imprint of Bonnier Books UK, has acquired the “compelling and pertinent memoir” from 1960s soul legend P P Arnold. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-15 22:10:47 UTC ]
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The beloved Guardian writer finished Holding Tight, Letting Go before she died of cancer earlier this yearA memoir by the late journalist Sarah Hughes, who died from cancer earlier this year, will be published next March, tackling topics from planning your own funeral to the importance of trashy... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-12-13 14:25:04 UTC ]
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A student of mine was writing a memoir about being in an abusive marriage. She’d divorced her husband in middle age and returned to college, and her prose was stark and beautiful. After a few months, however, her classmates grew restless. “He was horrible,” they said. “A bullying jerk.” Still,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-12-13 09:51:42 UTC ]
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But the legendary comedian’s joyful memoir doesn’t pause for introspection, or analysis. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-12-10 13:00:00 UTC ]
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Little A, the literary fiction and non-fiction imprint of Amazon Publishing, has acquired a "powerful" memoir by Paul Burston, founder of the Polari Prize, the UK’s first and largest LGBTQ+ book award. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-09 09:18:56 UTC ]
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Elliot & Thompson has snapped up a memoir by writer Nancy Campbell, whose recent book Fifty Words for Snow (Elliot & Thompson) was Waterstones’ November Non-Fiction Book of the Month. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-08 21:39:33 UTC ]
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Manilla Press has snapped up a "dazzling" memoir by actress Minnie Driver, whose credits include a breakout role in "Circle of Friends" and the 1997 film "Good Will Hunting". Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-08 13:00:02 UTC ]
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Atria Books is publishing a memoir by former Washington Football Team’s quarterback Robert Griffin III; Baker signed a two-book deal with debut author and speaker on race Ally Henny; Center Street is spotlighting the faith lives of George H.W. and Barbara Bush, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-12-08 05:00:00 UTC ]
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A journalist went to Scotland to investigate the world of oil riggers and slept with her first source. "Sea State" is her raw memoir of the aftermath Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-12-07 14:00:53 UTC ]
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Jones, who escaped the Children of God cult, found a different kind of faith, in books and later, the law — and herself. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-12-04 13:00:00 UTC ]
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The uncanniness of rereading Lucky now that the man Alice Sebold identified as her rapist has been exonerated. Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2021-12-04 00:50:58 UTC ]
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The main character in “The Lyrics” is his best friend and fiercest rival, John Lennon Continue reading at The Economist
[ The Economist | 2021-12-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Yesterday, a footnote to an op-ed in the LA Times revealed that Red Badge Films is now producing a documentary about Anthony Broadwater’s conviction and then exoneration of Alice Sebold’s rape, called Unlucky. Red Badge Films is helmed by Tim Mucciante, previously the executive producer for the... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-12-03 17:48:54 UTC ]
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A debut novel by a HarperCollins UK editor goes to Putnam, former Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III sells a memoir to Atria, Random House buys NBA winner Tiya Miles’s latest, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-12-03 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster said it was working with the author on how to revise her 1999 book "Lucky" after Anthony Broadwater was cleared of the assault it describes. Continue reading at The Huffington Post
[ The Huffington Post | 2021-12-01 22:20:50 UTC ]
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