Stories about Literature from October, 2010
MENA: Women Writing; Women Reading
Canadian expat, Maryanne Gabbani, recommended a few of her favorite female writers from the Arab world. In a way, she is trying to prove her experience that while life for women in the Middle East is all sunshine and lollipops, women are not the doormats that they are imagined to...
FSU: ‘The Road’ by Vasily Grossman
Robert & Elizabeth Chandler’s translation of The Road, a short story by Vasily Grossman, and Robert Chandler's article about Grossman's stories and his friendship with Andrey Platonov – at OpenDemocracy.net.
Ukraine, Serbia: Food, Libraries, Dwellings
A Crimean Tatar wedding feast and fall's bounty at a Kyiv farmers’ market – at The Pickle Project; an initiative to help a library in the Ukrainian town of Konotop – at Jud Dolphin Adventure; the Modern Village exhibit at the Pyrohiv Museum of Folk Architecture and Life just outside...
Sri Lanka: Political Satire Is No Laughing Matter
Nalaka Gunawardene reviews a collection of political satires by Wimalanath Weeraratne and discusses its implication in Sri Lanka.
Haiti: A Dangerous Balance
The Signifyin’ Woman is “intrigued” by Haitian writer Edwidge Danticat's latest “collection of essays on writing (mostly) from the stance of exile, or immigrant”; The Caribbean Review of Books publishes an essay excerpted from the book.
Russia: “Scary Fairy Tales”
War and Peace comments on Ludmilla Petrushevskaya's Scary Fairy Tales story collection.
Video: Collaborative online reading of Don Quixote
One of the most loved works of literary fiction, Don Quixote, has come to life through YouTube. Hundreds of volunteers are reading fragments of Miguel de Cervantes' work and uploading them to the ElQuijote Channel.
Guyana: How Time Passes
The Signifyin’ Woman takes comfort in Guyanese poet Martin Carter's “startling look at how time can be measured” as she mourns the sudden passing of her sister.
Sri Lanka: Artists Are Outcasts Of The System
Makuluwo at Cerebral Ramblings describes how the students pursuing creative arts and literature in Sri Lanka are considered an outcasts of the system and because of it many of them resort to a safe path.
Mario Vargas Llosa and His Relationship with Peru
The sometimes conflictive relationship between Mario Vargas Llosa and Peru is key to understanding the body of his literary work. After the news that the author received the Nobel Prize for Literature, some Peruvian writers and literary enthusiasts have written a few lines that try to demonstrate what Vargas Llosa means to them and to the country.
Bangladesh: September On The Jessore Road
Bangladesh Unlocked pays tribute to “September On The Jessore Road“, a poem written by the famous US poet Allen Ginsberg depicting the plights of the refugees and the Bangladesh freedom struggle in 1971.
India: Women In Call Centers
Manka Banda at AAUW Dialog reviews Reena Patel's recent book which discusses among other things about the challenges and opportunities female employees in India’s call centers encounter in their everyday lives.
Latin Americans Comment on Mario Vargas Llosa's Nobel Prize in Literature
Through blogs and Twitter, Latin Americans shared their different views on the announcement that Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa had won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Peru: Mario Vargas Llosa is Awarded Nobel Prize in Literature
On Thursday October 7, Peruvians woke up to what has been called the "News of the Year": Mario Vargas Llosa was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature "for his cartography of structures of power and his trenchant images of the individual's resistance, revolt, and defeat." The Peruvian blogosphere quickly reacted to the news, and "Mario Vargas Llosa" has been a worldwide Twitter trending topic for almost 12 hours.
Peru: Mario Vargas Llosa Wins Nobel Prize for Literature
The Latin Americanist reports: “This morning, Peru's Mario Vargas Llosa was announced as the winner of the 2010 Nobel Prize in Literature. According to the Nobel Prize's website the journalist, essayist, and playwright received such a prestigious accolade ‘for his cartography of structures of power and his trenchant images of...
Malaysia: Home Ministry Bans Controversial Book
The Malaysian government has banned a book which criticizes national leaders. The author has since then allowed the book to be downloaded online so that Malaysians can read the controversial book. Through blogs and twitter, netizens are spreading information on how to access the book.
Nigeria: Reflections on 50 Years of Independence
The Golden Jubilee for Africa's most populous country is being celebrated throughout the nation and the global diaspora with speeches, concerts, parties and all manner of other events. But some say: is there even anything to celebrate? For many, the last fifty years seem an accelerated decent into chaos. Still, for most Nigerians, October 1st is a time for festivities.
Jamaica: A Writer's Influences
“Some Caribbean writers still argue whether a Caribbean literary tradition exists. Dub Wise posits the continuation of that tradition…”: Geoffrey Phlip blogs about his influences for his latest book.
