Book Reviews Sonia Nimr / Source: TAMER Institute for Community Education This whirlwind adventure begins with protagonist Qamar’s birth and follows her life along the titular wondrous journeys around the Mediterranean. Less novel than novella, Sonia Nimr’s Wondrous Journeys in Strange Lands (Interlink Books, 2020), first published in Arabic in 2013, sees its heroine become a slave, a pirate, a bookseller, and more, but like Qamar, it never stays in one place for long. In fact, the book reads more like a compilation of short stories because, as readers, we never really get to settle into one story and its characters before we are whisked off to the next one. While Wondrous Journeys doesn’t deliver much in the way of character development, it will satisfy readers with an appetite for folktales and travel, particularly younger readers who are more interested in excitement than exposition. The descriptions of the various settings were rich, and I wish that we had spent longer in some places, such as Qamar’s time in the palace or her time with Rajna and Fatima, to better appreciate the many landscapes and secondary characters. The story lingers in some locales longer than others, and those were the times when I found myself most immersed in Qamar’s escapades. Wondrous Journeys will satisfy readers with an appetite for folktales and travel, particularly younger readers who are more interested in excitement than exposition. If... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'
[ World Literature Today | 2020-12-07 20:34:56 UTC ]
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One of the greatest science fiction writers, Asimov’s work has had a lasting effect thanks to his prescient takes on technology, climate collapse and humanity’s future. Continue reading at The Conversation
[ The Conversation | 2021-09-24 15:01:23 UTC ]
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He used FOIA requests to pry loose government records. He also edited “The Graphic Canon,” a book series that reinterpreted literary works as comics and visual art. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-09-24 14:29:26 UTC ]
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Longwood University has revealed the five finalists for the 2021 John Dos Passos Prize, the oldest literary award granted by a university or college in Virginia. The prize, now in its 40th year, seeks to recognize the country’s “most talented but under-appreciated writers.” Previous winners... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-09-20 15:56:12 UTC ]
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The author of The Fortune Men will now compete with five other novelists from South Africa, Sri Lanka and the US for the 2021 awardAlex Clark explores how the Booker shortlist tunes in to the worries of our ageJust one British author has made the shortlist for this year’s Booker prize: Nadifa... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-09-14 15:25:06 UTC ]
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As this article is partly about being a late-diagnosed neurodivergent writer, I’ll start with the caveat that neurodivergent people definitely don’t experience life in the same way so I can’t speak about the experiences of others, only my own. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-09-09 16:32:10 UTC ]
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Trigger warning: unpopular opinion. I have long despised the idea of writers’ retreats. I entirely agree with the concept itself but felt it was in desperate need of diversification in order to suit different personality types and minds. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-09-02 05:17:10 UTC ]
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Bristol arts hub and charity Knowle West Media Centre is seeking a writer who identifies as working-class to participate in a mini residency as part of the centre's Working Class Writers Festival. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-09-01 12:58:06 UTC ]
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The Madeleine Milburn Mentorship Programme, introduced in 2020 to champion new and exciting voices and launch their writing careers, has chosen eight authors for 2021. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-08-30 16:42:16 UTC ]
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Literary agency Greene & Heaton is to launch a submissions initiative and mentoring scheme for writers from underrepresented backgrounds, as part of The Greene Door Project. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-08-19 09:26:48 UTC ]
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Indie 404 Ink has landed The Arena of the Unwell, the fiction debut of music writer Liam Konemann, due to publish next April. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-08-16 02:03:01 UTC ]
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A new anthology offers essays by Jane Smiley, Carmen Maria Machado and many others that explode the popular trope of white, privileged equestrians. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-08-11 13:30:15 UTC ]
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"This is how I used to start book reports when I couldn’t find the CliffsNotes," one critic tweeted. Continue reading at The Huffington Post
[ The Huffington Post | 2021-08-11 06:45:20 UTC ]
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A group of creators will publish new comic book stories, essays and how-to guides on the platform as a way to connect directly with fans. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-08-09 18:28:08 UTC ]
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Vintage has acquired an essay anthology examining the craft of writing through the lens of race and culture, edited by novelists Deepa Anappara and Taymour Soomro. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-08-07 11:56:04 UTC ]
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The Women’s Prize for Fiction is partnering with Good Housekeeping magazine to launch a new initiative celebrating writers of fiction aged 35 and under. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-08-06 23:54:31 UTC ]
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Known as one of his country’s foremost intellectuals, he also presided over the influential publishing house Adelphi Edizioni. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-08-02 11:32:57 UTC ]
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The Internet has opened up new modes of self-publishing for writers: subscription services like Substack and Patreon, online releases on platforms like Gumroad, and even NFTs. Now, we’re seeing the debut (to my knowledge) of a new self-publishing model: writer Aurora Mattia has published her... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-07-30 16:50:24 UTC ]
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The RSL has announced the recipients of the inaugural 2021 Sky Arts RSL Writers Awards, which celebrate and nurture British writers of colour at the beginnings of their careers. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-07-27 17:54:16 UTC ]
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Omar El Akkad’s novel about a Syrian boy’s panicked flight is a testament to the impossible predicament confronted by millions of people. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-07-26 13:39:31 UTC ]
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How Richard Lange went from literary short stories to crime fiction and his new gothic horror tale, 'Rovers,' about a '70s vampire biker gang. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-07-26 13:00:38 UTC ]
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