Fiction that Matters

orbooks:

On APRIL 5, come out and celebrate the launch of Beautiful Trouble —the creative activist’s toolbox for the 21st century.

Where: PowerHouse Arena, 37 Main Street, DUMBO, Brooklyn

When: Thursday, April 5th, 7:30 - 9:30 pm. 

After party to follow at underground space in DUMBO.

Buy the book here:

http://beautifultrouble.org

RSVP here:

http://beautifultrouble.org/launch    

The international literature festival Berlin (ilb) calls on cultural institutions, schools, radio stations and interested parties to participate in a worldwide reading of prose and poems by the Chinese author and 2010 Nobel Peace prize laureate Liu Xiaobo on March 20^th 2012.

Pioneering Iranian novelist and translator Simin Daneshvar has died in Tehran at the age of 90. 

Daneshvar, the first head of the Iranian Writers Association, was also the first woman to publish a novel in her native country.

PEN Nigeria organizes gathering of women writers in Lagos to celebrate International Women’s Day

The event will feature accomplished female writers such as Lola Shoneyin, author of ’The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives’; Professor Chinyere Okafor, author of ‘The New Toyi Toyi’, Ify Omalicha, author of ’Now that Dreams are Born’.

The theme for the event, which is also the International theme of 2012, is ‘Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures’, said Prof. Akachi Ezeigbo, the chairperson of the Women Writers Committee, PEN, Nigeria Centre.

Hari Kunzru and Teju Cole in conversation at NYPL on 3/7

“1 March 2012 marks the 15th Annual World Book Day, an international celebration of children’s literature which “aims to encourage a lifelong love of literature in children”. This year over 100 countries will be taking part in events to mark the day. The main international event will be ‘The Biggest Book Show on Earth’, an interactive online literary festival open to children from around the world. The online forum will allow young readers to watch online readings and take part in live question and answer sessions with some of the biggest names in children’s fiction, including Jacqueline Wilson, Eoin Colfer, Derek Landy, Andy Stanton and Jeremy Strong.”

Remembering Barney Rosset, by John Oakes

“While Barney was never doctrinaire, unlike so many other great editors and publishers of his era who were only too eager to collaborate with the authorities, his commitment to being radically different never waivered. Was he a proponent of “American values” as sanctioned by the U.S. Information Agency? Was he furthering the goals and aspirations of the society that fostered him, scion that he was of a wealthy Chicago banking family? Was he, at least in theory, promoting high culture to the masses? Hell no, to all the above. Barney was interested in blowing things up, in combat publishing. And if he didn’t do so literally … well, maybe it’s just that he was never found out.”

PEN’s weekly literary roundup.

“Our caselist of writers, a ruling on Tintin, and an intern torments an author: a weekly roundup of PEN-related news from around the web.”