Ici Beyrouth - Literature

Michel Tirabosco by Zahi Haddad: 'Le Souffle de Ma Vie'

Marie-Christine Tayah, 20/12 10:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Writing Culture Biography Literature Music Art

On January 14, 2025, Le Souffle de ma vie will be published by Éditions Favre. Written by Zahi Haddad, a biographer celebrated for exploring themes like inclusion, diversity and authenticity, the book paints a compelling portrait of Tirabosco’s extraordinary journey. Two launch events will take place in Switzerland: January 16 at 6 PM at Payot ...

Boualem Sansal's Arrest: Literary Giants Unite Against Algerian Oppression

Bélinda Ibrahim, 24/11 10:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

France Algeria Literature Writer Culture

The arrest of Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal upon his arrival at Algiers airport on November 16 has sparked outrage across the literary world and beyond. At 75 years old, this committed intellectual, who became a French citizen in 2024, is known for his courageous stance against Islamism and totalitarianism. His detention by Algerian ...

Alarm in France over fate of prize-winning French-Algerian writer

This is Beirut, 22/11 17:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Algeria France Boualem Sansal Islam Literature

French President Emmanuel Macron is concerned about the "disappearance" of French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, his office said, after reports that the prize-winning novelist had been arrested in Algeria. Sansal, a major figure in francophone modern literature, is known for his strong stances against both authoritarianism and Islamism as well ...

Asterix Speaks in Grondspraatsi to Save a Rare Dialect

This is Beirut, 08/11 10:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Finland Culture Literature

One of Asterix's classic comic adventures has been translated into a rare Swedish dialect spoken by just a few thousand people in Western Finland, marking a unique effort to preserve the language. Asterix and the Great Crossing, originally published in 1975, is now available in grondspraatsi—a local Swedish dialect spoken primarily in the ...

Urdu Bazaar in Delhi Faces Decline Amid Cultural Shifts

This is Beirut, 05/11 14:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

culture literature books

In the heart of Old Delhi, bookseller Mohammed Mahfooz Alam sits in his quiet shop, one of the last few stores selling Urdu literature, a language cherished by poets for centuries. Urdu, spoken by millions, carries a rich history reflecting India's complex cultural blend. However, it has steadily declined under the dominance of Hindi, facing ...

Kamel Daoud Wins Goncourt for 'Houris' on Algeria’s War

This is Beirut, 04/11 17:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Goncourt 2024 Literature Prize Paris Algeria

French-Algerian writer Kamel Daoud won France's top literary prize, the Goncourt, on Monday for a novel centered on Algeria's civil war between the government and Islamists in the 1990s. The jury needed just one round of voting to award the coveted prize to Daoud for his novel Houris, which explores what has become known as Algeria's "Black ...

Goncourt 2024 Awarded to Franco-Algerian Kamel Daoud

This is Beirut, 04/11 14:15 - Reading : less than a minute

Literature France Goncourt 2024

The Prix Goncourt, the most prestigious of French literary awards, was awarded on Monday to Franco-Algerian novelist Kamel Daoud for his novel Houris (Gallimard Editions), a fictional portrayal of the massacres of Algeria’s "Black Decade" (1992-2002). He was chosen by the jury in the first round, receiving six votes, compared to ...

New Adult Literature: A Trend Redefining Publishing

This is Beirut, 19/10 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Literature Book Fair Frankfurt

In the sections dedicated to "New Adult" literature at the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany, the flashy covers stand in stark contrast to the more subdued classics, a vital marketing approach for publishers of this rapidly growing genre. For the first time this week, the annual fair dedicated an entire hall to this literary movement, which has been ...

Crowned with the Nobel Prize in Literature: Han Kang, Anatomist of the Soul

Bélinda Ibrahim, 11/10 16:14 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Nobel Price Literature South Korea

Born on November 27, 1970, in Gwangju, Han Kang is the daughter of writer Han Seung-won. Her childhood and writing have been forever marked by the bloody suppression of the Gwangju Uprising in her hometown in 1980, when she was just 9 years old. Although her family had moved to Seoul just before the tragedy, her accidental discovery of photos of ...

Han Kang Awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature

Béatrice Moreau, 10/10 18:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nobel Price Literature

On October 10, 2024, the Swedish Academy announced Han Kang as the laureate of the Nobel Prize in Literature. This distinction marks a pivotal moment for the international recognition of contemporary South Korean literature. Born on November 27, 1970, in Gwangju, Han Kang has established herself as a prominent figure in South Korean letters. Her ...

Nobel Literature Prize May Honor Non-Western Author

This is Beirut, 08/10 14:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nobel Prize Literature

Since its inception in 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has largely honored Western writers, but experts suggest the Swedish Academy may turn its attention beyond the Western world this year. With no official shortlist, speculation is rife ahead of the announcement, scheduled for Thursday at 1:00 PM (11:00 GMT). Many believe that Chinese ...

Literature