Literary podcasts, the first Vietnamese literature museum, and more

News, Reviews, and Interviews

National Book Award winner and Puterbaugh Fellow Sherman Alexie will publish his first picture book in May 2016. WLT featured Alexie on the cover of the July 2010 magazine.

Columbia University Press will be publishing a new series of translated Russian literature starting in 2017. A committee of Russian and American academics will draw from modern and classic Russian literature.

“It’s extremely important to read poetry in translation, especially for North American poets because it helps us open our eyes to the world.” – Guillermo Parra. Read the full roundtable text centered on contemporary translation and politics featuring Marie Buck, Jennifer Scappettone, Guillermo Parra, Daniel Borzutky, and Johannes Göransson. 

This article in The Standard examines how the censorship board in Zimbabwe acts as a gatekeeper for literature. Cont Mhlanga, Raisedon Baya, Chenjerai Hove, and Owen Maseko have all been censored at some point in their careers. 

Fun Finds and Inspiration

This literary tour of Turkey features a book list for immersing yourself in the rich culture of the Turkish literary landscape.

A piece in the Guardian asked writers to choose their favorite words. From “nesh” to “gloaming” to “widdershins,” each author explained the reasons behind their selections.

Electric Literature created a list of eight literary podcasts for those obsessed with books and reading.

This map highlights the most popular book set in each European country.

The first Vietnamese literature museum opened in downtown Ha Noi. The museum features three stories and has work highlighting King Tran, Nhan Tong, Nguyen Trai, and Phan Boi Chau, among others. The museum has more than 40,000 objects and materials, but can only showcase 3,500 objects at a time due to exhibition space.