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 ]
In “Hola Papi,” the writer John Paul Brammer mines his own experiences and traumas to deliver wisdom for queer readers. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-06-08 09:00:07 UTC ]
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For nine years, Rodgers was a celibate gay Christian speaking about the benefits of conversion therapy, and in her forthcoming memoir 'Outlove: A Queer Christian Survival Story,' she chronicles her journey into peace, a loving marriage, and advocacy for LGBTQ Christians. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-06-08 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Fiction Photo by Peter Boccia / Unsplash After renting a room in an Indian family’s house in England, the Croatian tenant becomes privy to one member’s dreams of return. “This is it!” Parvati, a young Indian woman, shows me a tiny room with... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2021-06-07 20:25:08 UTC ]
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The century-old Drama Book Shop in Manhattan struggled for years. Then “Hamilton” happened. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-06-07 15:11:17 UTC ]
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Publishing staff, in rows over authors from Mike Pence to Woody Allen, are voicing their reluctance to work on books they deem hateful. But is this really ‘younger refuseniks’, or a much older debate?In the 1960s, Simon & Schuster’s co-founder Max Schuster was facing a dilemma. Albert Speer,... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-06-03 12:12:23 UTC ]
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Interviews Photo by Oluwaseyi Johnson / Unsplash I was lucky to meet Romalyn Ante when I was invited to read at a virtual event organized by R. A. Villanueva and hosted by Books Are Magic in August 2020. Ante was the guest of honor at the event,... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2021-06-02 11:57:51 UTC ]
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London Book Fair is online this year. On 30 June, the focus falls on making words travel, with a programme addressing writers, translators, and the ways that books can travel across borders. The British Council is partnering with English PEN and the Literary Translation Centre on three free... Continue reading at British Council global
[ British Council global | 2021-06-02 10:20:41 UTC ]
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In March of 2004, my family and I were at home in Taiwan for the national election, and I got into my first-ever screaming match with a perfect stranger. The election choice, as always, was between the Kuo Ming Tang, which favors reunification with China; and the Democratic People’s Party, which... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2021-06-01 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Experience a day in the life of an indie bookseller, working at Bosch&deJong boekverkopers, a small bookstore in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-06-01 10:35:00 UTC ]
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Samir Mansour's bookstore was a cultural magnet for residents of the Gaza Strip until an Israeli airstrike leveled it. Now he has to start over. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-06-01 08:00:49 UTC ]
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St. Mark's Comics, the venerable East Village comics, graphic novel and pop culture retailer that closed in 2019 after 36 years, announced plans to reopen with a new store in Industry City in Brooklyn on July 30. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-06-01 04:00:00 UTC ]
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“I always pushed myself to go higher,” Johnson wrote in her posthumous memoir “My Remarkable Journey” Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-05-29 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Western works of science fiction were not easily accessible in translation in South Korea until recent years. The country was ruled by a succession of military dictatorships until around 1992, and before that time, South Korean culture had been surveilled through a state censorship system that... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-05-27 08:50:01 UTC ]
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Roxane Gay Books will focus on underrepresented fiction, nonfiction and memoir writers, with or without agents. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-05-26 09:00:15 UTC ]
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The renaissance man and author of the forthcoming memoir 'Unrequited Infatuations' shared his reflections on how the religion of rock ‘n roll shaped a decades-long career as a producer, solo artist, member of the E Street Band, activist, and actor on TV shows including 'The Sopranos.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers Weekly has named the L.A.-based indie bookstore Eso Won Books its Bookstore of the Year, and Simon & Schuster sales rep Toi Crockett has been named PW Sales Rep of the Year. The announcement was made at the inaugural U.S. Book Show. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Headline has landed Sex Bomb, a "hilarious, compelling and conversation-starting" memoir from stand-up comedian, podcast host and writer Sadia Azmat. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-05-24 11:30:11 UTC ]
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Source of Knowledge has been a Newark mainstay for decades. It survived the past year thanks to the generosity of its customers and an owner who provides more than just books. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-05-22 09:00:26 UTC ]
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Katherine Johnson’s work as a NASA mathematician was essential during the space race, if underappreciated. A new memoir sheds light on her story. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2021-05-21 15:20:36 UTC ]
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Randa Jarrar’s memoir Love Is An Ex-Country focuses predominantly on the years leading to the 2016 election, a period, which, like now, was characterized by heightened Islamophobia, misogyny, homophobia, anti-immigrant sentiment, and racism. Jarrar embarks on a road trip inspired by Tahia... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2021-05-21 11:00:43 UTC ]
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