Athens Prize for Literature
As Theodoros Grigoriadis reports at his weblog, they've announced this year's winners of the Greek Athens Prize for Literature, with Anthony Marra's A Constellation of Vital Phenomena winning...
View ArticleNigerian Writers Series
Hoping to emulate the success of the African Writers Series -- see, for example, my review of James Currey's history of The African Writers Series and the Launch of African Literature, Africa...
View ArticleFrench best of the year lists
There's already been a flood of US/UK 'best of the year' (and the like) lists, but these aren't nearly as popular (or premature) abroad. One that's been around for a while is Lire's top...
View ArticleExpo 58 review
The most recent addition to the complete review is my review of Jonathan Coe's Expo 58, now also out in the US. I'm a Coe-enthusiast -- all his fiction is under review at the complete...
View ArticleP.D.James (1920-2014)
P.D.James has passed away -- so, lots of coverage; see, for example, obituaries in The Guardian (Richard Lea) and The New York Times (Marilyn Stasio) She was very good, and I've read...
View Article'Who Are African Books For ?'
In The New York Times Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani wonders Who Are African Books For ? noting/claiming that: "Success for an African writer still depends on the West". She has a point, of...
View ArticlePrize: DSC Prize shortlist
They've announced the five-title shortlist for the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. (Since it's a prize for 'South Asian Literature', the announcement was, of course, made: "at the...
View ArticlePrize: Большаякнига
Yes, they've announced the winner of Russia's prestigious but ridiculously named Большая книга -- 'big book' -- literary award, with Zakhar Prilepin's Обитель taking the prize; see also the...
View ArticlePrize: Jan Michalski
They've announced -- in their usual subdued way (it's almost like they don't want anyone to know ...) -- that Ворошиловград (or the French translation, La Route du Donbass) by Ukrainian author...
View ArticleElif Shafak on writing and language
At PEN Atlas Elif Shafak tries to answer the question: But why do you write your books in English and Turkish ? Interesting to learn what her writing-process now involves: I write my...
View ArticleBest of the year lists ...
The flood of 'best of the year'-lists has begun. Among the more interesting ones are the personal recommendations from writers and critics (rather than the institutional ones, like The...
View ArticleJapan and the Shackles of the Past review
The most recent addition to the complete review is my review of R.Taggart Murphy's Japan and the Shackles of the Past, just (about) out from Oxford University Press. An excellent...
View ArticleFinlandia Prize
The Finlandia-palkinto is the most prestigious Finnish literary prize -- and comes with €30,000 in prize money. They've now announced that He eivät tiedä mitä he tekevät, by Jussi...
View Article'First Editions/Second Thoughts'
PEN America is holding an auction at Christie's (NY) tomorrow, First Editions/Second Thoughts, hoping: " to raise substantial funds to support PEN's mission to defend freedom of expression and...
View ArticleDossier 51 review
The most recent addition to the complete review is my review of Gilles Perrault's 1969 data-mining novel, Dossier 51. This has long been out of print (though back in the day Penguin did...
View ArticleDecember Words without Borders
The December issue of Words without Borders -- Around the Globe: International YA Writing, with a bonus of: 'New Voices in Uruguayan Poetry' -- is now available online.
View ArticleTicket to Childhood review
The most recent addition to the complete review is my review of Nguyễn Nhật Ánh's Ticket to Childhood. A bestseller in Viet Nam, this is -- so far -- the only book translated from a...
View ArticleNYTBR '100 Notable Books'
The New York Times Book Review has announced its 100 Notable Books of 2014. (I have to admit the NYTBR has become near-unfathomable to me; under Sam Tanenhaus' leadership it was at least fairly...
View ArticleEqual Danger review
The most recent addition to the complete review is my review of Leonardo Sciascia's Equal Danger. New York Review Books re-issued this a while back, but Granta have now also re-issued a...
View ArticleQ & A: Peter Kaufman
At Russia Beyond the Headlines Ilya Krol has a Q & A with Read Russia-founder Peter Kaufman, in Read Russia: An American lover of Russian literature. Among his responses: RBTH: Which...
View Article