Nobel speculation, PEN Literary Awards, and haiku poems on Mars
As the date for the Nobel Prize announcement draws ever nearer, speculation has officially begun about who might be in the running this year. Check out the blog link below as well as our guest blog from Nina Sabolik about why Ismail Kadare deserves the honor. You’ll also find more lit prize announcements, literary news, and a Twitter content in the links below.
News, Reviews, and Interviews
Cuba’s first English-language bookstore has finally opened its doors.
How are poetry and comics possibly related to each other? Hillary Chute explored this topic at the Poetry Foundation last week.
With the Nobel announcement a mere two months away, intense speculation has begun about who might be the lucky winner of this year’s prize.
Talking about his new experimental anthology, Multiples, Adam Thirlwell wonders what the purpose of translation truly is.
Even as it become more and more popular, self-publishing is still a testy topic among top literary prizes.
If you’re passionate about world literature, Asymptote is looking for someone like you! Apply for several newly opened positions.
Despite demanding more freedoms, Turkish reporters are still facing a severe lack of freedom of the press.
We are saddened to report on the passing of Elmore Leonard, who died this week after recently suffering a stroke.
Has the term “world literature” come to mean the same thing as Western literature?
Can a publisher truly solve their problems by seeking out and publishing only the best books? Or is this an editorial fallacy?
For Your Calendar
PEN America announced the winners of all of the PEN Literary Awards last week. Congrats to all!
See Juan Pablo Villalobos in conversation with Stefan Tobler at the London Review Bookshop September 6. Tickets are required.
Who’s ready for the Frankfurt Book Fair? Publishing Perspectives has a great preview of what you’ll be missing if you don’t attend.
Make sure to get your name into Europa Editions’ latest Goodreads giveaway, where 10 lucky people will win a copy of Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend.
Fun Finds and Inspiration
Poetry International is running an awesome Twitter contest. Tweet them (@poetry_int) and tell them how poetry impacts your life for a chance to win a free book!
Forget buying a plane, train, or boat ticket—set sail to Istanbul through books instead.
Here’s a list, written in his own hand, of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s essential books.
You can thank Shakespeare for the proliferation of the word “swagger.”
The next mission to Mars, called MAVEN by NASA, will be including on board over 1,100 haiku poems as it travels.
You can now take guided tours of Chekhov’s hometown, available in seven-day packages.
