The 2013 Independent Foreign Fiction Prize longlist has been announced, revealing a globe-spanning selection of sixteen translated titles which will be vying for this year's top prize of £10,000, which is uniquely shared equally between author and … [Read more...]
Essay ‘book bites’ for Monday 25th February 2013
February 25, 2013 By Leave a Comment
"The resurrection of the essay is a mirage" - Adam Kirsch has penned a rather interesting piece over on the New Republic website on the perceived rising popularity of the personal essay. Focussing on those he terms the 'new essayists' i.e David … [Read more...]
‘Book Bites’ for Wednesday 13th February 2013
February 13, 2013 By 4 Comments
Ginsberg snaps to The Beat - If you're a fan of the Beat Generation and you live in New York, then you might want to get yourself along to the NYU's Grey Art Gallery where there is an exhibition of photographs snapped by none other than Beat icon, … [Read more...]
‘Book Bites’ for Tuesday 12th February 2013
February 12, 2013 By 2 Comments
"72% of Japanese consumers don't want to try ebooks" - If you're a champion of the physical book, and you're feeling glum because it feels like ebooks are taking over the world, then you need to get yourself along to the CNN Tech website where a … [Read more...]
‘Book Bites’ for Monday 11th February 2013
February 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Sylvia Plath reads Lady Lazurus - On this, the 50th anniversary of Sylvia Plath's death, the Open Culture website points to a 1962 BBC recording of Plath reading her poem, Lady Lazurus. The 50 most influential books by women? - On the Guardian … [Read more...]
Book Bites: Jane Mount in motion, Book Bricks, Indy’s 50 best winter reads
November 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Thessaly La Force's 'ideal bookshelf' - While I'm sure many of you would have already seen the extraordinarily gorgeous bookish art of Jane Mount, few would have bore witness to the creation of her art, in motion. Well, thanks to the Paris Review we … [Read more...]
‘Book Bites’ for Monday 1st October 2012
October 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Skip the Paris Cafés And Get a Good Pen - A few days ago novelist and short story writer Mark Helprin offered some sound and gloriously writing advice of a retro nature, in the Wall Street Journal's Word Craft column. Aside from advocating the use … [Read more...]
2012 Edinburgh International Book Festival set to be biggest yet
June 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The 2012 Edinburgh International Book Festival was launched yesterday in the oppulent surroundings of the Signet Library in Parliment Square, Edinburgh. Festival Director, Nick Barley promises that this year's Book Festival will be a 'showcase for … [Read more...]
‘Book Bites’ for Wednesday 7th September 2011
September 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Meet Charles Mysak, cigar-puffing bookseller extraordinaire - I've always been a fan of strong real-life characters, and there are certainly plenty of those in the wonderful world of books. Take cigar-puffing Charles Mysak, who has sold books on the … [Read more...]
‘Book Bites’ for Tuesday 6th September 2011
September 6, 2011 By 3 Comments
Man Booker shortlist announced - Although I'm not a fan of the unfair amount of coverage it gets, I'm always interested to see what books make it on to the Man Booker shortlist every year. You may remember that the longlist announcement caused quite … [Read more...]