Stories about Literature from March, 2009
Nigeria: Watch Cassava Republic Press
Nigeria's Cassava Republic Press is one of the top 10 brands to watch in 2009.
Jamaica: Going to Calabash
Jamaican Geoffrey Philp and Life, Unscripted, on the Rock are pleased to report that the Calabash International Literary Festival is back on.
Brazil: Beyond cyberspace – when blogs move offline
Books are becoming e-books and blogs and websites have appeared as books and other types of media. In this state of flux, it looks like the paper book has the power to beat virtual writing rather than the other way round. In Brazil, there is more than just a fashion of launching e-books to attract readers and writers but also an opposite stream in which blogs have reached the offline shelves as well as the movie screens.
St. Lucia: Waclott Square
Repeating Islands Blog pays a visit to Derek Walcott Square in St. Lucia.
Jamaica: Curtains for Calabash?
Diaspora blogger Geoffrey Philp is part of a group that has written an open letter to the Jamaican Prime Minister expressing disappointment over the news “that the 2009 Calabash Festival has been cancelled due to insufficient funding.”
Jamaica, Canada: Caribbean Voices
Is there room in Canadian literature for a Caribbean voice? Jamaican diaspora author and blogger Pamela Moredecai shares her thoughts…
Global Voices Book Challenge – Read Your Way Around the World!
April 23 is UNESCO World Book Day – and just because the Global Voices team loves blogs, doesn’t mean we have forgotten other forms of the written word! In fact, because we think reading literature is such an enjoyable way to learn about another culture, we have a fun challenge for all Global Voices contributors and readers, and bloggers everywhere.
Trinidad & Tobago: Naipaul Nominated
Repeating Islands Blog reports that “Trinidadian writer V. S. Naipaul is among the nominees for the Man Booker International Prize.”
Guadeloupe: Happy 70th!
Repeating Islands Blog sends greetings to Guadeloupean novelist Myriam Warner-Vieyra on her 70th birthday.
Morocco: Early English Writings
Moroccan blogger VOLVBILIS discusses early English writings on Morocco.
Is Egypt on the verge of a cultural revolution?
Between Bahaa Taher's first Arabic Language Booker Prize, bloggers' books, Youssef Zidan's Azazeel's Booker prize, writing competitions on Facebook, the Sawiris Foundation Competitions, and new creative initiatives to nurture new blood, Egypt's literary scene has been revived over the past few years. Marwa Rakha digs up even more projects being discussed on the blogs.
St. Lucia: Visiting Gros Islet
Repeating Islands’ Blog visits St. Lucia and discovers that “the fishing village of Gros Islet – the principal setting for Derek Walcott’s Omeros – seems serenely frozen in time.”
Cuba: Interview with Blogger Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo
Claudia Cadelo interviews blogger Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo about his participation in the Cuban blogging community, which came to his side when his book "Boring Home" had originally been accepted by the state publishing house, but later rejected. He believes that the decision was made partly by his blogging activity. Many of the island's bloggers supported him during this difficult time and even organized an alternate book launch.
Bahrain: Reading Twilight
Hypnotic Verses from Bahrain is reading Twilight and shares her thoughts on the book in this post.
Lao idioms
Bryan, A Laotian American writer, identifies some of the popular Lao idioms.
Israel: New Book Celebrates Tel Aviv's 100th Anniversary
Tel Aviv Short Stories is a new book featuring the writings of Anglos-Israelis, Lisa Goldman reports. The publication celebrates Tel Aviv's 100th anniversary. You can see a promotional video of authors sharing excerpts from their stories here.
St. Lucia: Walcott's School
Repeating Islands’ Blog pays a visit to Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott's primary school in St. Lucia.
Egypt: Azazeel Wins Arab Booker Prize
Egyptian Blogger Zeinobia reports that Dr Youssef Zidan's controversial novel Azazeel has won the Arab Booker Prize for 2009. This is the second year in a row for an Egyptian to win this prestigious prize. Last year's winner was Bahaa Taher's Sunset Oasis.
Martinique, Dominica: Mount Pelee
Repeating Islands’ Blog takes us to Martinique's Mont Pelée volcano and also offers a glimpse into the work of the Dominican/Martinican poet “whose verses…commemorated the tragedy of Mont Pelée…when the town of St. Pierre was destroyed by the 1902 eruption.”
Palestine: Author Alice Walker Visits Gaza
Author Alice Walker visited Gaza with a delegation of activists last week to witness the devastation caused by the recent war with Israel. Walker says she hopes to speak with President Barack Obama upon her return to the United States.
Angola: Celebrating Angolan Women's Day with poetry
March is a month of double celebration for Angolan woman: apart from International Woman's Day, Angolan Woman's Day is celebrated on March 2nd because of the bravery of four women who fought for Angola's Independence. Bloggers celebrate by publishing poems and paying homage to women who suffer, love and fight with a large smile on their lips and bold eyes.
