Disney in Arabic, summer reads from 1852, and more
News, Reviews, and Interviews
The current state and future of Israeli literature (and much of its politics) was showcased at this year’s International Writers Festival, held May 22 in Jerusalem.
Kirkus Media, the folks behind the Kirkus Review, recently announced the launch of three new literary prizes, for fiction, nonfiction, and young-reader literature.
Disney’s animated feature film Frozen is an international sensation, and its main song, “Let It Go,” has been translated into over 41 languages worldwide. But when the company decided to reach viewers in Arab countries, it made a controversial decision. Instead of translating into Egyptian Arabic, the most common dialect, Disney chosen Modern Standard Arabic, and the New Yorker wants to know why.
After the area’s largest bookstore was tragically burned down earlier this year, literary lovers in Lebanon are hoping to crowd-fund a dedicated literary and cultural space for book lovers.
The Lambda Literary Awards, honoring LGBT fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, were announced this week. Congrats to all authors! (For more LGBT writing, we suggest the Words Without Borders June issue, or our queer lit feature from the September 2013 issue of WLT.)
For Your Calendar
Don’t forget! Next week, WLT will be hosting an evening of art and culture featuring the photographs of Simon Hurst, the man behind many of our iconic magazine covers over the past decade.
Starting on June 5, the city of Berlin will be transformed into a mecca of poetry to host the 15th-annual poesiefestival.
The deadline for the Paz Poetry Prize is next week! Submit your manuscript of 48 pages or more by June 15 to be considered.
Fun Finds and Inspiration
This reading list celebrating the life and works of eco-activist and human rights champion Ken Saro-Wiwa makes an excellent accompaniment to this month’s issue of WLT on eco-lit.
If you’ve ever found yourself making up silly words to describe something indescribable, this Made-Up Words Project is looking for people like you! Submit your made-up words for a chance to be featured in the project’s forthcoming book.
If you’ve ever wanted to know more about poetry from Singapore, we encourage you to visit this reader-curated poetry website, where all poems are from Singaporean authors and about the country.
Ready to dive into summer reading? In addition to our Editors’ Picks this summer, make sure you check out this curious list of essential summer reading from 1852.
