· March, 2008

Stories about Literature from March, 2008

Jamaica: Hope & HIV

  31 March 2008

“Behind the images of hedonism in Jamaica, the specter of AIDS has overshadowed the glitter and garish of the Tourist Board commercials,” writes Geoffrey Philp, as he blogs about Hope: Living and Loving with HIV – a multi-media reporting project which he says “is not just an extended essay with...

Jamaica, Cuba: Poetry in Motion

  28 March 2008

Jamaican Geoffrey Philp blogs about MiPOesias Magazine's newly released issue, which he says “showcases the work of poets of Cuban descent who live in the U.S…no matter the subject, these poems blend the romance and sorrows of the past with a crisp view of daily life.”

Burkina Faso: Home of black bags, baobabs and cute kids?

  27 March 2008

This roundup will begin with some old business. From Stephen Davis of Voice in the Desert: His book Sophie and the Albino Camel is up for the Norfolk Shorts shortlist of books under 150 pages. While he won’t know the outcome until April 16, he did expound on why he loves writing short fiction.

Bosnia & Herzegovina: Writing a Book on Sarajevo

  25 March 2008

Pure Intent is working on a book on Sarajevo – and is asking his readers to share ideas: “It's your city too. What we're lookin’ for is nothing ordinary….quite the opposite actually. I want to tell stories of the water fountains, of the zanatlija, of tucano kahva, how we hid...

Guyana: Commonweath Writers’ Prize

  24 March 2008

Signifyin’ Guyana notes that among the regional winners of the 2008 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize “was Guyanese-born, Nigerian-based Karen King-Aribisala for Best Book.”

  19 March 2008

De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis writes about Vladimir Vysotsky: “There are some topics I'd like to write about, but as soon as I start, I understand that I just can't. I don't have the right words. Even in Russian. Vysotsky and his poetry is one of such topics. After all,...

Sri Lanka: Remembering Arthur C Clarke

  19 March 2008

The death of Arthur C. Clarke (1917 - 2008) has many people - some who are ardent enthusiasts of science fiction, and others who know of him blogging about their reflections on the man. From a fleeting glimpse, to an incidental conversation, Clarke is remembered fondly by many Sri Lankan bloggers as a visionary and a futurist. The British author moved to Sri Lanka in 1956 and lived there ever since.

Russia: Bulgakov, Bukharin and the Trial of the 21

  18 March 2008

De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis posts episodes from Mikhail Bulgakov's Master and Margarita that feature Nikolay Bukharin (portrayed in the novel as “Nikolay Ivanovich, a ‘tenant from the ground floor'”). Also, there's a related item on the 1938 Trial of the 21 – co-authored by Dmitry Minaev for ExecutedToday.com.

Jamaica, Haiti: Felix Morisseau-Leroy

  13 March 2008

“Although the controversy still rages in Jamaica about English vs patwa or ‘nation language'…from as early as 1958, Felix Morisseau-Leroy was writing plays and poems in Kreyol”: Jamaican Geoffrey Philp pays tribute to the Haitian writer.

Cuba: “My Life” in Hindi?

  12 March 2008

Child of the Revolution reports that there are plans to translate Fidel Castro's biography into three ancient languages, “with Castro sharing his views and thoughts on issues as diverse as French cheese and solar panels. No, it's not a fun read.”