Stories about Literature from December, 2008
Jamaica: Blogging in Times of War
The Israeli strikes on Gaza cause Jamaican Annie Paul to remember Nobel Prize-winning German author Günter Grass’ “heartfelt rumination on war and the role of writers in times of war”, saying: “While Grass did not explicitly mention bloggers (perhaps in 2006 they were not as omnipresent as they are today)...
Guyana: Best Books
Litblogger Signifyin’ Guyana lists her picks for best Caribbean books of 2008.
Venezuela: Telling the Country's History Through Film
A group of young Venezuelan filmmakers have succeeded in illustrating some of the country's history or adapting famous pieces of literature through films that have been well-received by the general public. Many Venezuelan movies in the past are considered extremely violent, and the emergence of these new kinds of films are showing new expressions of creativity.
Chile: Regional Library of Aysen
The Regional Library of Aysen recently opened in Coyhaique, Chile, which will also house a computer lab. Máximo Moreno Grez describes the newest facilities complete with photos [es].
Cuba: Best Books of 2008
Penúltimos Días [es] provides a list of the best Cuban books of 2008.
Cameroon: Africa's “Liberation Theologian” Jean-Marc Ela dies
Dibussi Tande of Scribbles from the den writes about Father Jean Marc Ela who died in Canada on the 14th of December. He was variously been described as “the nearest Africa has come to a liberation theologian in a Latin American sense “, the “Champion of a theology under the...
Translation and Literature in the Philippines
Cebuano poet Adonis Durado posts an article on the importance of translation for literary development in the Philippines. Durado recently launched his book of Cebuano poems, Dili Tanang Matagak Mahagbong [fil] (trans. Not All That Drop Falls).
Letters of a sufi saint of Bengal
MysticSaint at Inspirations and Creative Thoughts shares the hundred letters of Sharafuddin Maneri, the sufi saint of Bengal.
Guyana: Blog Proud
“There's no doubt about it. The Guyanablogoshere has seen a surge of new bloggers within the past year or so,” writes Signifyin’ Guyana, adding: “I couldn't be prouder of them if I'd given birth to each and every one of them myself.”
Guatemala: Favorite Books of 2008
Ronald Flores continues his tradition of naming his favorite Guatemalan books of the year and publishes a list of four books that he especially enjoyed in 2008 [es].
Pakistan: A Tribute to Fountain Pens
Owais Mughal at All Things Pakistan remembers the lost art of fountain pens.
Russia: December History Highlights
Some of the Russian/Soviet history December highlights at De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis: Birobidzhan demographics; Cherubina de Gabriak and the duel between Maximilian Voloshin and Nikolay Gumilyov; Vladimir Gilyarovsky; the Soviet war in Afghanistan; and a cookbook by Elena Molokhovets.
Ethiopia: A child's glimpse on the country
Samuel Gebru reviews the book Tsion's Life, written from the perspective of an Ethiopian child by an American woman that adopted him. According to Gebru, the book “captures the essence of a child's life growing up in urban Ethiopia” and “is simply a useful guide to Ethiopia for all –...
Philippines: To the Young Writer
Januaries reposts a message to young writers from the Philippine national artist for literature and foremost novelist, F. Sionil Jose.
Cuba: Gabo in Havana
Both Yohandry's Weblog (ES) and Havana Times blog about Nobel Laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez's visit to Cuba “for the final days of the Havana Film Festival, an annual event that he rarely misses.”
Eritrea: Russian literary ties
Semantic Eritrea reports that the government of the Russian Federation has decided to cement the connections between Eritrea and Russia by erecting a monument of bronze to famed poet Alexander Pushkin, as well as a Pushkin Centre in the Eritrean capital of Asmara. Pushkin's Eritrean connection comes from his great...
Egypt: American Books
Egyptian blogger Asmaa Yasser - Dawn - writes here about her experience at the Mubarak Public Library. Tarek Amr translates the post from Arabic.
Czech Republic: Politics and Culture
play staged
Soviet History: Nikolay Nosov
De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis writes about Nikolay Nosov, a popular Soviet children's writer.
Saudi Arabia: Visiting the Kuwait Book Fair
Saudi blogger Pen [Ar] travels to Kuwait, where he visits the Kuwait Book Fair and buys a few books.
India: Poets on Mumbai Terror
Nothing articulates your heart like a poem. Sometimes the complex composition of a poem simplifies complex issues of life, sometimes it helps you come in terms with your surroundings. Poets from India are saddened by the recent terror attacks in Mumbai. You will find them asking questions in their poetry and sometime they are even answering them for us. Here are a few snippets of their expressions.
