London, the New Capital of Middle Eastern and North African Arts, Culture, Music, and Literature, by Malu Halasa

Culture Street mural for Grenfell Tower, with poem by Ben Okri, North Kensington, London, image courtesy of IranWire and #PaintTheChange. London-based writer Malu Halasa canvasses the Middle Eastern and North African culture scene in London, where even in lockdown, there’s still much to experience. London makes travelers think of high tea and empire. For those of us who live here and have a passion for and write about the Middle East, London has emerged, more than New York or Paris, as a capital of Arab and Iranian culture outside the region. London has emerged, more than New York or Paris, as a capital of Arab and Iranian culture outside the region. It was not always like this. In the 1990s, relatively few Middle East–related events took place in London. Yet in the past twenty years that I’ve lived here, London has been transformed. The change started taking place in the 2000s. In part, political events, 9/11, and, ten years later, the 2011 Arab Spring or Awakening, as well as the wars in between and after 2011, prompted writers, journalists, and activists to forgo the usual conversation about winners and losers of regional conflicts. Instead, we began to look to creative expression from these countries and in the diaspora for a different kind of understanding and engagement. It was an approach that continued the conversations many of us were having with the people and voices that came onto the streets and in the squares... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'

[ World Literature Today | 2021-04-19 19:22:28 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "London, the New Capital of Middle Eastern and North African Arts, Culture, Music, and Literature, by Malu Halasa"


Rubin's behind the scenes publishing memoir goes to Applause Books

Stephen Rubin, a consulting publisher at Simon & Schuster US, has written a behind the scenes memoir, Words and Music: Confessions of an Optimist, to be published by Applause Books in the US in January 2023.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-24 03:29:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Book Deals: Week of January 24, 2022

Penguin Press buys a new novel from Celeste Ng, William Barr sells a memoir to Morrow, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-01-21 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


This Sports Brand Turned a Pioneering African Olympian into a Comic Book Superhero

Ahead of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Swiss sportswear brand On brought the pages of a graphic novel to life to introduce a new hero to the next generation of athletes. The 10-minute film, entitled "Black Ice," is about Akwasi Frimpong, the first skeleton athlete from Ghana and only the... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2022-01-20 13:08:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Literati Acquires Follett Book Fairs

Literati, the Austin, Tex., subscription book box and online book club company, has purchased Follett Book Fairs. The fairs will be rebranded Literati Book Fairs and will continue to service PreK-8 schools around the country starting this spring. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-01-19 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Gill Books pre-empts 'bucolic' lockdown memoir by Connell

Gill Books has pre-empted a "winding and bucolic" lockdown memoir by John Connell. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-18 15:05:08 UTC ]
More news stories like this


What It’s Like to Live Through a Rupture in History

“Free,” by Lea Ypi, is a memoir about growing up in Albania amid the fall of communism. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2022-01-18 10:00:04 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Chasing History review: Carl Bernstein’s pre-Watergate world

Before he helped bring down Richard Nixon, the reporter grew up in a school of hard knocks. His memoir is a treasureFew reporters are synonymous with their craft. Bob Woodward of the Washington Post is one, his former partner, Carl Bernstein, another. Together, they broke open the Watergate... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-01-16 07:00:43 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Profusely Illustrated review: Edward Sorel and all the golden ages of New York magazines

A memoir by a man who has drawn caricatures for the greatest editors is a treasure trove of the American mid-century modernAt 92, Edward Sorel is the grand old man of New York magazines. For 60 years, his blistering caricatures have lit up the pages of Harper’s, the Atlantic, Esquire, Time,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-01-15 07:00:17 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Is Steph Curry’s memoir worth $10 million?

I should preface this by saying that I’m a big fan of Steph Curry. He’s indisputably the greatest shooter of all time. He’s done more to revolutionize the game (for both good and ill I would argue, but that’s a discussion for another day…) than any other player of his generation. He proved the... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-01-14 18:13:15 UTC ]
More news stories like this


8 Books by Queer Writers Who Came of Age in the 90s

The ’90s are back, as if they could ever truly peace out. Between Fear Street and Captain Marvel and the Alanis Morissette musical, the last mostly-offline decade is getting a gargantuan nostalgia polish. For my memoir Sticker—an exploration of my childhood in Charlottesville, Virginia via 20... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2022-01-14 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


This Week's Bestsellers: January 17, 2022

'My Little Golden Book About Betty White,' #3 in the country, honors the last of the Golden Girls, who died December 31. Plus the month's book club picks include a pair of debut novels, and Alice Oseman's fourth Heartstopper graphic novel sends pulses racing. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-01-14 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Book Deals: Week of January 17, 2022

Grand Central buys a memoir from members of the U.K.’s first all-female rock group, Amy Fusselman sells a novel to Mariner, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-01-14 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Penguin Michael Joseph scoops Tremelling's fighter pilot memoir

An “exhilarating and insightful” memoir of life as a fighter pilot from Commander Paul Tremelling has been signed by Penguin Michael Joseph. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-14 01:50:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Lit Hub Daily: January 13, 2022

“‘High-Risk.’ Was I that? What did those words even mean?” Edgar Gomez on sex, desire, and going on PrEP. | Lit Hub Memoir David Hollander considers how fiction can save us from despair. | Lit Hub “The true story of the diary’s composition reveals how much thought and effort Anne put into... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-01-13 11:30:16 UTC ]
More news stories like this


New Best Sellers Run the Gamut From Escapist to Galvanizing

Nita Prose’s novel whisks you to a luxury hotel, while Jamie Raskin’s memoir is a reminder of what really matters: home, family and democracy. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2022-01-13 10:00:02 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Hodder Studio signs Kennedy's memoir on relationship with mother

Hodder Studio has landed Letters from Brenda by Emma Kennedy, a memoir that explores the author's relationship with her mum, inspired by the discovery of 75 lost letters. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-12 23:00:44 UTC ]
More news stories like this


At Least Don’t Look Up…Tries?

Also, remembering Sidney Poitier and discussing Lost & Found: A Memoir with author Kathryn Schulz. Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2022-01-12 10:05:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A Memoir of a Young Girl’s Survival Amid Mounting Horrors

In “Mala’s Cat,” Mala Kacenberg describes her time hiding out in the forest during World War II after losing her family. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2022-01-12 10:00:02 UTC ]
More news stories like this


‘The Paris Bookseller’ honors the American woman who published ‘Ulysses’

Kerri Maher’s novel “The Paris Bookseller” celebrates the life of American Sylvia Beach, a bookstore owner who saw promise in James Joyce’s “Ulysses.” Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2022-01-11 20:01:10 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Parenting while Black was hard enough for Taylor Harris. Then something went wrong

Taylor Harris discusses 'This Boy We Made,' her memoir on seeking answers about her son, the anxieties of Black parenting and her evolving faith Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-01-11 14:00:41 UTC ]
More news stories like this