What We're Reading: Hay Festival special

Take a look at previous What We’re Reading blogs for more reading inspiration. Hungry Ghosts, by Kevin Jared HoseinI'm thoroughly enjoying Hungry Ghosts, the debut novel by Kevin Jared Hosein, who won the Commonwealth Short Story Prize in 2018, and whom I had the pleasure of hearing read at the Bocas Lit Fest in Trinidad and Tobago. It's 1940s rural Trinidad, and there's a storm brewing. Quite literally, in the shape of torrential downpours which impact the lives of the ensemble cast of characters: Hansraj and Shweta, who dream of escaping their leaky barrack for a plot in the nearby town; their son Krishna, who gets into trouble again while out searching flooded paddy fields for fish; and the wealthy businessman Dalton Changoor who mysteriously disappears during the storm, leaving his wife Marlee piecing together his disappearance. But bigger change is also in the air, with the arrival of an American military base and the resulting displacement of families and communities.I’m only a short way in – so no spoilers here – but this novel has already grabbed my attention with its highly sensory depictions of its characters, its energetic interweaving narratives, as well as the comprehensively portrayed historical backdrop of Trinidad on its journey from a colony to an independent republic. I’m looking forward to more of Kevin Jared Hosein’s writing.Matthew Beavers, Literature Relationship Manager The New Life, by Tom CreweThere is a much quoted line in Tom Crewe’s exquisite... Continue reading at 'British Council global'

[ British Council global | 2023-05-25 16:57:18 UTC ]
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Are you as well-read as a 12th grader? Take our quiz.

Forty-five US states have adopted the Common Core, a set of standards that spell out what US public school students learn in each grade, from kindergarten to graduation. How would you match up? Test yourself on everything from Dickens to Dirda to see how familiar you are with the novels, poems,... Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-10-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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One Year Later, Medium Is Changing the Way Its Writers Write and Its Readers Read

It was just more than a year ago that Ev Williams and Biz Stone created the publishing platform Medium. The Internet officially met the site in August 2012, and since then, Medium’s popularity has grown enough for even the most ske ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-10-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Furloughed by the government? At least you've got time to read. (+video)

In the wake of the government shutdown, Baltimore-based breathe bookstore café is offering a 10 percent discount to furloughed workers. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-10-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Furloughed by the government? At least you've got time to read

In the wake of the government shutdown, Baltimore-based breathe bookstore café is offering a 10 percent discount to furloughed workers. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-10-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Does Reading Literary Fiction Makes You a Better Person?

A new study finds that reading literary fiction “leads people to perform better on tests that measure empathy, social perception and emotional intelligence." Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Scribd Founder Envisions Google Glass–like Wearables For E–Reading

The content on Scribd, the San–Francisco based startup that aims to create the digital library of the future, is available on a range of devices, from laptops to smartphones to tablets. But CEO Trip Adler tells Fast Company we won't be reading e–books in our hands in the future––they'll be... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Big date coming up? Try reading a good book before you go

A recent study done by New York's New School for Social Research found that, after reading literary fiction, participants displayed more social perception and empathy. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-10-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Star Wars Reads Day is being held for the second time

Chain bookstores, indie locations, schools and school libraries are participating all over the world. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-10-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Abomination of Ebooks: They Price People Out of Reading

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[ Wired | 2013-10-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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More than half of American adults read books for pleasure in 2012

The good news: According to a new report from the National Endowment for the Arts, more than half of American adults read books for pleasure in 2012.The good news: According to a new report from the National Endowment for the Arts, more than half of American adults read books for pleasure in... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-09-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Waterstones auction raises £75k for Children's Reading Fund

Waterstones has raised over £75,000 for Booktrust's Children's Reading Fund at a... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-09-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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NEA Presents New Findings on Adult Reading

Roughly the same portion of adult Americans read at least one book in 2012 as did in 2008, but the share of adults who read at least one work of literature last year fell. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-09-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Steven Soderbergh's Twitter Novella Is Now a Hardcover Book (But You Can Read It Online)

Retirement means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. For Steven Soderbergh, it has meant, turning his attention away from directing theatrical releases at a breakneck pace, and working on any number of other projects instead. One such project involved writing a novella on... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gadgets trump reading, Bookseller Conference hears

The number of children who rarely read—or do not read at all—has risen in the past... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Scholastic Donates 1m Books to Charity Reach Out & Read

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New French Book Festival Starts in Paris

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-09-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Room to Read Partners with Asia Foundation

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-09-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kobo launches new e-reading devices

Kobo has announced a new batch of e-reading devices to launch worldwide. The range includes three... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-08-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A Clever Book Kids Need A Flashlight To Read

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[ Fast Company | 2013-08-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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VIDEO: Book festival 'stripped' for comics

Edinburgh's international book festival is getting Stripped and ready with a strand devoted to comic books. Continue reading at BBC World

[ BBC World | 2013-08-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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