A literary experiment, free speech online, and your unread book list
This week brought up several important topics within literary discussions, including the state of Polish publishing houses and the right to free speech on the Internet. But there were also several fun and inspiring bits to be found—make sure to check out that section this week!
News, Reviews, and Interviews
César Aira’s newest novel, The Hare, was released by New Directions Press last week.
What’s the difference between being a translator and translating? Our friends at the Mantle have the answer.
A new literary experiment hopes to gain valuable insight into which parts of British culture Chinese natives enjoy most.
With shrinking sales, the latest news from Polish publishers isn’t as positive as one would like to hope.
If you enjoy the smell of chocolate as well as the act of purchasing books, you might have influenced this new study on bookstore buying habits.
Dive headlong into the favelas of Brazil with a new piece at the New York Review of Books.
M. Lynx Qualey started a new author interview series last week, beginning with poet Basim al-Ansar.
Does free speech apply to what is said on the Internet? If so, where do you draw the line?
WLT contributor Laila Lalami retold her childhood imaginings of the family she never knew at the New York Times last week. (For more reading, check out her essay “So to Speak” from the September 2009 issue, which was also nominated for our 350th issue Best of list.)
As we looked back and remembered the anniversary of the bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Mantle explored a memorial to the victims that never came to be.
For Your Calendar
Tom Stoppard is the winner of the 2013 PEN/Pinter Prize and will be accepting his award in London in October.
The shortlist for the very first Young Poet Laureate of London has been announced this week.
The first-ever English-language literary prize in Burundi has been announced, with applications due in mid-October.
Fun Finds and Inspiration
South Korea has seemingly revolutionized the idea of a “book city,” where a population of 10,000 book lovers and publishing professionals sustains book-related businesses.
Do you consciously choose books that you refuse to read? This unread list might be more revealing about your literary tastes than your read list.
We stumbled across a great resource for anyone interested in or passionate about Korean literature in translation.
Still wondering about where to go on your next vacation? This list of literary landmarks might inspire you to hop on a plane!
Here’s a literary tour of Spain, courtesy of Telegraph.
As a great supplement to our current issue, here’s Archipelago Books’ article about >authors and their beloved pets.
