Stories from Quick Reads and Literature
Palestinian writer Randa Jarrar dragged out of PEN America event for protesting
Palestinian American author Randa Jarrar was forcibly removed for disrupting ceasefire opponent Mayim Bialik by reading the names of Palestinian writers killed by Israeli forces in Gaza.
Kazakhstan’s ex-president releases a controversial memoir
Nazarbayev confirmed the long-stading rumors and admitted having an extramarital affair with Asel Isabayeva.
Uzbekistan celebrates reformist Jadid movement in the new documentary
It seems the Jadids' return to the public space will be long-term with the government using their legacy as means of inspiration.
Russian diplomats react to a new law on language in Kyrgyzstan, bringing back colonial past
The Kyrgyz language is an integral part of national identity. It is vital for the survival of Kyrgyz people as a separate ethnic group and Kyrgyzstan as a nation.
Tajikistan's government adds another colossal building to its tally
Tajikistan building all these buildings is all the more striking given the fact that it is the poorest country in Central Asia.
Introducing Swaziland’s Most Prominent Poetry Movement
Sabelo Mkhabela blogs about Swaziland's growing poetry movement: Swazi poet and visionary Themba Mavuso speaks with a humble, unrehearsed tone. He looks nothing like a poet – his hair is neatly combed and he spots a corporate office-ready white shirt and black chinos. Adding street to his attire is a...
Discover Yemen through its Literature: Six Contemporary Authors Worth Reading
On Arabic Literature in English, M. Lynx Qualey presents six contemporary Yemeni authors worth discovering. She points out: As you might expect from a troubled nation with relatively little modern literary output, there aren’t many translations of Yemeni work available in English. However, there are some, as several Yemeni authors have received regional...
Looking for Books on Islam, Feminism and Racialisation?
Blogger Royayah Chamseddin, a Sydney based Lebanese-American journalist and commentator, shares a list of books on Islam, feminism and racialization in this blog post on her blog Letters from The Underground. The list, which will continue to be expanded, includes links to some books which are available for free download...
13 Eritrean Writers You Should Know About
Woyingi compiles a list of Eritrean literature, which includes Sulaiman Addonia's The Consequences of Love and Taught to hate: observations on madrasas, Astier M. Almedom's Re-reading the Short and Long-Rigged History of Eritrea 1941–1952: Back to the Future?, Alemseged Tesfai's Two Weeks in the Trenches: Reminiscences of Childhood and War...
Global Voices Author Nwachukwu Egbunike Unveils Debut Collection of Poems
Global Voices author and writer Nwachukwu Egbunike will unveil his new book Blazing Moon today in Ibadan, Nigeria: Join us as we unveil Nwachukwu Egbunike’s debut collection of poems Blazing Moon. Egbunike is a blogger and essayist. In commemoration of the 2015 World Poetry Day celebration, the March edition of...
Film: The Art of Ama Ata Aidoo
The Art of Ama Ata Aidoo is a film by filmmaker Yaba Badoe: The Art of Ama Ata Aidoo, explores the artistic contribution of one of Africa's foremost women writers, a trailblazer for an entire generation of exciting new talent. This feature-length documentary charts Ama Ata Aidoo's creative journey in...
What is Sinology?
Sinology is still unknown to many people, as Isma Ruiz writes after attending the I International Congress of Sinology in Spanish, last June at the University of Tamkang – Tamsui, Taiwan. Although the focus was translation and interpretation of classic Chinese books, the necessity of learning a new language when...
Poetry Project Bridges Language and Cultural Barriers between Arabic and Hebrew Speakers in Israel
The Two Project is a new collaboration between Israeli Jews and Arabs to connect the two cultures through the language of poetry.
Hometown Through the Eyes of Its Children
Chapacoco, a Peruvian village located at an altitude of 3,000 meters, part of the district of Chilcaymarca in the Arequipean province of Castilla, has been in the news thanks to its children. On October 10, 2014, the book “Chapacoco as seen from the children” was launched. The book has been...
Marlon James Writes the Great Jamaican Novel – and the World is Raving About It
Jamaican author Marlon James’ new novel, A Brief History of Seven Killings, has been released to such fanfare that even hard-hitting literary critics cannot use enough superlatives in their reviews. Michiko Kakutani, Pulitzer Prize-winning critic for The New York Times, described James as a “prodigious talent”, calling the novel “epic...
Indigenous Libraries As Social Venues
“One thing is that books satisfy users’ curiosity, and a very different one that is that it might represent the identity of the community them belong to”. Argentinian librarian Daniel Canosa questions the role and function of local libraries. On Infotecarios network he writes: Las bibliotecas indígenas, [deberían] generar conocimiento...
Being A Black West Indian in Britain
Jamaican author Kei Miller's blog post about “the anxieties of being a black poet in Britain” draws from several personal experiences, leading him to the conclusion that “the act of writing certain black experiences has to be one of translation – as surely as we translate from one language into...
Second Biggest Arts Festival in the World Taking Place in South Africa
Live reports from the National Arts Festival taking place in Grahamstown, South Africa: Every winter, for 11 days in early July, the sleepy South African college town of Grahamstown comes alive with art. Artists from all over the world swarm to the tiny town, and every nook and cranny is...
“About Separation” by Mariangel
Mariangel from the blog El Ovario shares her poem “About separation“, about the end of relationships: DE LA SEPARACIÓN Ahora que ya todo acabó lo miro con su extraño caminar con nuestras soledades a cuestas dos cuerpos ahora tan extraños ajenos y alejados dos almas que un instante se [sintieron]...
International Authors Condemn Israel's Continued Settlement Construction
Sixteen international authors who participated at the Palestine Festival of Literature, held from in several Palestinian cities from May 31 to June 5, released a statement condemning Israel's continued settlement construction and applauding the efforts of the Boycott Divest and Sanction (BDS) campaign. The statement, shared on Facebook, reads: “Having...
Goethe's Faust, Between Classicism and Romanticism
It's sometimes complicated to understand or discuss terms like Classicism or Romanticism, especially for someone who is not involved in literature. But that's not the case with Mª Gemma Romero Perea, who thinks Goethe, through his Faust, shows a rare synthesis between Romanticism and Classicism. She explains: Fausto es la obra...
