Stories about Literature from July, 2008
Russia: Bashkiria
Dmitri Minaev of De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis describes a recent trip to Bashkiria and posts pictures.
Guyana, Bahamas: Carifesta Contingent
Signifyin’ Guyana is concerned about the level of regional participation in the upcoming Carifesta celebrations in Georgetown.
Ukraine: The King Who Never Was
Kiev Ukraine News Blog posts a Seattle Times review of a biography about Vasyl Vyshyvani, a former Habsburg archduke, who in the interwar years aspired for the throne of Ukraine.
Kenya: Kwani Lit Fest and foreign correspondents
Bankelele describes the first session of the Kwani Literary Festival in Nairobi that started Wednesday night, with the title “How foreign correspondents have formed the literary image of Africa”.
Jamaica, U.S.A.: Obama the Hero?
“As the days, weeks, and months have gone by, it has become increasingly clear that Barack Hussein Obama…has been stepping into this role of the ‘selfless superhero'”: Jamaican Geoffrey Philp says time will tell if the Democratic US Presidential candidate can fulfill the “mythical role” that has been hoisted upon...
“La Chinafrique”: A book review
Théophile Kouamouo [Fr] reviews in his blog the book La Chinafrique: Pékin à la conquête du continent noir by Serge Michel and Michel Beuret, about the Chinese presence in Africa. He says: “The Chinese aren't angels sent by the God of South-South cooperation and they are as racist, if not...
Ecuador: Interest in Literature Continues
The ExpoLibro 2008 (Guayaquil Book Fair) recently came to a close, which according to organizers, drew hundreds of thousands of visitors with more than 210 stands. This proves that the reading is not dead, as had been predicted with the arrival of the internet. Interest in literary works is alive in well in Ecuador and during this past week, four authors contributed to the culture and literature of the country.
Jamaica, Guyana: “Small Boys”
Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp features a poem by Guyanese writer Marc Matthews.
Jordan: Book Orgy
From Jordan, Tololy is excited about the Amman Book Fair. “I had a terrific time this morning when I went to the Amman Book Fair with my sisters, bookish women like me, and we spent whatever was left of our salaries on books, sweet seductive books!” she writes.
Jordan: Meeting Salman Rushdie
Jordanian Mental Mayhem had an encounter with Salman Rushdie. Click on the link to read what her impressions were.
Benin: Competition for young writers
Babilown announces the first Golden Pen writing competition for young writers [Fr] under 30, to be held this September in Cotonou, Benin.
Kenya: On poetry slam in Nairobi
KenyanPoet announces that the winner of the last Poetry Slam event in Nairobi was Tim Mwaura. On a previous post, he offers a rough guide to poetry performance in Kenya.
St Vincent & The Grenadines: Bollywood Magic
From St Vincent and the Grenadines, Lullabies, Fairy Tales and Other Self Delusions sees Jane Austen through an Indian film director's eyes—that's when he begins to realise he can't resist the attraction of Bollywood movies.
Western Sahara: Poetry and Spanish – The Permanent Links
For some cultures, it is food, for others it is music, and many cultures show their character in their architecture. For Western Sahara, one of their cultural characteristics is the oral tradition, and poetry is meaningful for Sahrawis.
Armenia: Genocide Literature
The Armenian Odar comments on a blog post dealing with literature on Genocide. In a second post, the same blog provides information on a book by a Turkish Human Rights Lawyer who discovered her Grandmother was actually Armenian and a survivor of the 1915 massacres in Ottoman Turkey.
Serbia: Arts Roundup
Here are some picks from the blogosphere on the Serbian literature, architecture, film, music, visual arts and cuisine. Enjoy!
Guatemala: Was Antigua the Inspiration for the Little Prince?
For a relatively small country, Guatemala's magnificant scenery can awaken one's imagination. From the 37 volcanoes that rise up from the landscape to the mystical Lake Atitlan, it is a country that has attracted intellectuals in the field of culture and arts, who may have been drawn to this magical land. One other author, Antoine De Sain Exupéry, who is best known for writing “The Little Prince,” visited Guatemala by accident, and leads to the question: Was Antigua, Guatemala his Muse for writing about Asteroid B-612?
Ecuador: Book Fair in Guayaquil
Nuestros Reflejos [es] invites all to the Book Fair currently being held in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and which she is helping to organize.
Guyana: Carifesta X
Signifyin’ Guyana looks beyond the challenges of life in Guyana, and celebrates Caribbean women writers, as she prepares for the regional cultural festival, Carifesta.
U.S.: Lara Vapnyar's Fiction
Copydude recommends Lara Vapnyar's fiction: “In ‘Broccoli and Other Tales of Food and Love‘ you can taste the lives and longings of Russian emigres in America. If you’ve ever lived abroad, you can relate to the theme easily.”
Morocco: An Interview with Sandy McCutcheon
The View from Fez is arguably the most popular English-language blog in Morocco, and one which is oft-quoted on Global Voices. Since its inception in 2005, the blog has had over 400,000 visitors from all over the world; they come to learn about Fez, be entertained, and live vicariously through...
