Taking Murakami to the stage - The Economist has a nice little write up on the new Haruki Murakami play which has been taking Edinburgh by storm this past week. Adapted from Murakami's novel, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Stephen Earnhart's adaptation … [Read more...]
Forethoughts: Things We Didn’t See Coming by Steven Amsterdam
July 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Now here's a work of fiction that I know absolutely nothing about; and I know even less about its author, Steven Amsterdam. However, I have it on very good authority that Things We Didn't See Coming (Harvill Secker) is an unmissable debut, and I … [Read more...]
Independent Foreign Fiction Prize 2011 longlist announced
March 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The longlist for this year's Independent Foreign Fiction Prize was announced earlier today. Funded by Arts Council England, and administrated for the first time this year by the Booktrust, the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize is the only UK prize … [Read more...]
Daily Bookshot: An ‘edgy’ shortlist
July 5, 2010 By 1 Comment
An 'edgy' shortlist, originally uploaded by Robert Burdock. Good times ahead this week as the winner of this year's Edge Hill Short Story Prize is announced (Wednesday 8th to be precise, at an event at Blackwell’s Charing Cross bookstore in … [Read more...]
Reading Journal: Monday 10th May 2010
May 11, 2010 By 2 Comments
Monday may be one of the most depressing days of the week for a lot of people but for me it means Maupassant and I couldn't be happier. Today it was the turn of a couple of tales which are, in a tenuous way, linked by the theme of babies. The first … [Read more...]
Reading Journal: Thursday 6th May 2010
May 9, 2010 By 4 Comments
Before I go on to give you a rundown on my reading for Thursday 6th May, I should declare that I'm writing this on Saturday 8th, a full day later than when I should be writing it up, and indeed posting it. I'm sure you know what it like though fellow … [Read more...]
Reading Journal: Wednesday 5th May 2010
May 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Would it shock you to know that it's been almost eight months since I last read an Edgar Allan Poe story for my iPoe reading challenge? Well, desperate to make amends for this shortfall, I set about reserving Wednesday as my Poe day, when I tick off … [Read more...]
Reading Journal: Tuesday 4th May 2010
May 5, 2010 By 8 Comments
Today I may have wallowed in the place I love to be - totally immersed in a world of words - but it ended being a very busy day of reading. That's not a complaint of course because I'm never happier than when I'm drowning in books. And if anything … [Read more...]
Daily Bookshot: The Foreign Fiction Prize Six
April 22, 2010 By 10 Comments
Foreign Fiction Prize Six, originally uploaded by Robert Burdock. This if a shot (if you didn't know already), of the six novels shortlisted for this year's Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. I've set myself the task of reading all of them … [Read more...]