Mo Yan's acceptance speech, Atwood on zombies, and meeting Nihad Sirees

December 14, 2012

So many things happening in the world of literature! Many of this week's links will help you formulate your holiday reading lists with suggestions from other magazines and literary websites. Enjoy!

News, Reviews, and Interviews

Our friend and previous Neustadt juror Yahia Lababidi recently commented on the state of Egyptian politics and social justice at 2paragraphs. 

Mo Yan's Nobel Prize acceptance speech has now been translated into English, Swedish, French, German, and Spanish for readers around the world. 

Pussy Riot is (in)famous for its politically-charged music, but what about other women around the world? The Mantle discusses a few at its website. 

A few writers at Granta recently published a short list of the people they feel are the best untranslated writers.

Can fiction teach real-life fact through imagined encounters? NPR's Tania Lombrozo writes to find out. 

Liu Xiaobo's wife recently spoke to the Guardian, describing her husband's imprisonment as "absurd."

The Atlantic recently posted a mini history of independent publisher Parnassus Books, which was started and funded by author Ann Pachett.

Here's an interview with Asian American author Katie Kitamura on her second novel, Gone to the Forest.

Is there such thing as equivalence in difference? The Literary Translation at UEA blog considers this question "The Translator's Paradox."

For Your Calendar

Want a chance to meet Nihad Sirees? If you'll be in London in January, you can! 

Fun Finds and Inspiration

The London Review Bookshop is having a super sale on select titles, with more books added every day.

Ready for some holiday reading? Turn to English PEN's Writers in Translation Christmas book list 2012.

Need to shop for a writer this holiday? You may want to find inspiration from the Millions' list of "gifts that writers will actually use."

Known for her dystopian works, Margaret Atwood has recently latched onto the subject of zombies, which she discusses in this new video interview.

Don't let winter weather get you down; here are some books recommended by NPR for winter short-story reading.