Stories about Literature from July, 2009
Russia: Putin on Solzhenitsyn
Eternal Remont writes about PM Vladimir Putin's recent interaction with Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's widow.
Jamaica: On Writing
More on what makes a writer, from Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp.
Japan: Possible Twitter Novel Publication
Netafull [ja] reports that writer/essayist Mica Naitoh tweeted [ja] that she has received an offer to publish her Twitter novel, just a few days after she started tweeting with the hashtag #twnovel.
Guatemala: International Book Fair Starts July 24
The 6th International Book Fair will take place in Guatemala City starting on July 24 writes Asato Ma Sat Gamayo [es]. This year's special guests will be authors from Costa Rica.
Russia: Shalamov's Siberia
Russian Blog does a follow up on the Russian writer and Gulag prisoner Varlam Shalamov, visiting sites of his incarceration in the Ural and posting pictures to illustrate the story
Out of Africa Emerges Digital Art and Animation
‘Digital' has become the latest buzz word not just in Kenya but in Africa where most things are still analogue. However, Digital Art is a rather new term to even the most seasoned art aficionados. Digital technology has transformed traditional activities such as painting, drawing and sculpture, while new forms, such as net art, digital installation art, and virtual reality, have been recognized artistic practices.
Philippines: Error-Ridden Book
A Page Turner's Odyssey draws attention to the grave number of typographical errors found in a book by a prominent Filipino author.
Jamaica: Emmy Nomination
Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp reports that “LIVEHOPELOVE.COM, a website about living with AIDS in Jamaica, has been nominated in the United States for a prestigious Emmy award.”
Egypt: Mounir Said Hanna found guilty of “Satire”
Egyptian Mounir Said Hanna Marzuq has been found guilty of "satire" after a colleague reported him and his poem to the authorities. He has been sentenced to three years and was fined L.E. 100,000 for insulting president Hosni Mubarak. Marwa Rakha sums up reactions from Egyptian bloggers here.
Egypt: The Egyptian Apostate
Egyptian progressive thinker, Dr. Sayed El Qemany was granted the State Award for Social Sciences. Egyptian liberals and seculars hailed the award while Wahabis and conservatives declared war on the “Egyptian Apostate”. Marwa Rakha reports from the Egyptian blogosphere.
Arab World: Trouble for Gay Travels in the Muslim World
The first gay book to have been ever translated into Arabic after being originally printed in English has run into problems straight off the press. Katharine Ganly reports on blogger reactions to the book Gay Travels in the Muslim World, whose translation has spurred a heated debate.
Tanzania: Updates for 6th Pan African Reading For All Conference
Updates for the 6th Pan African Reading For All Conference, which will take place in Tanzania: “As you are making your final plans, please include bringing your National Flag for the opening ceremony and national dress for the closing banquet.”
Ecuador: The Passing of Writer Jorge Enrique Adoum
Ecuador is mourning the passing of writer Jorge Enrique Adoum, who Nobel laureate Pablo Neruda once said is "the greatest poet in Latin America." Many seem to agree, as bloggers are paying homage to "Jorgenrique," who helped pen one of the country's cultural anthems, in collaboration with other writers and artists.
Russia: Burning books
LJ user red warrior red claims [RUS] that the Russian edition of a book by murdered dissident-in-exile, Alexander Litvinenko, has been confiscated and destroyed by the Federal Security Service (FSB) in connection with a criminal investigation.
Tanzania: Updates for 6th Pan African Reading For All Conference
Updates for the 6th Pan African Reading For All Conference, which will take place in Tanzania: “As you are making your final plans, please include bringing your National Flag for the opening ceremony and national dress for the closing banquet.”
Guyana: Writing's Purpose
From Guyana, The Intellectual Elite finds himself “preoccupied with the purpose of writing.”
Bahrain: Reading Detective Novels
bint battuta in bahrain introduces her readers to two detective novels – Vendetta by Michael Dibdin and The Winter Queen by Boris Akunin, which she has just finished from reading.
Jamaica: Who's “Bad”?
Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp writes about “bad” words and the art of storytelling.
Russia: Writer Aksyonov's death
LJ user Anton Nossik posts [RUS] a personal reflection on Russian dissident writer, Vasily Aksyonov, who passed away in his Moscow home yesterday.
Bahrain: Creative Dreams
Hasan Hujairi writes eloquently about the fears and dreams of an amateur musician/writer in Bahrain.
