The Lit Review |24| World Book and Copyright Day
World Book and Copyright Day 2015
World Book and Copyright Day takes place every year on April 23rd. It a symbolic day for literature as it was on this day that renowned literary figures Shakespeare, Cervantes and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega passed away. The first general conference for this celebration took place in 1995 in Paris and has since grown internationally, adopting a World Book Capital each year. This year, Incheon in Korea was selected for the honour on account of its programme to promote reading amongst underprivileged members of the population. Cities around the world are taking part in ILAB Pop Up Book Fairs to promote the concept that ‘reading is a gift and a fundamental human right’. Alongside this, Cork World Book Fest is happening this week and boasts a wonderful programme of events and readings. Take a look here.
Everyone Wins
It seems everyone has won a prize in the world of literature and writing this week, so I decided to put together a lovely list of winners. But please remember while reading: we are all winners.
First up, the Pulitzer Prize winners and finalists have been announced for journalism, literature and music. We deal solely with the writers on this side of Headstuff.org so let’s leave music to the experts over here. The winner for fiction this year is Anthony Doerr for his novel All the Light We Cannot See, which tells the parallel stories of a blind French girl and a young German soldier.
For drama, Stephen Adly Guirgis has been selected for his play Riverside and Crazy, telling the story of an ex-cop who owns real estate on New York’s Upper West Side (apparently it’s very nice there) who transforms it into a refuge for orphans. The award for poetry was given to Gregory Pardlo for Digest. You can see the full list here.
Stella and Miles Franklin
Emily Bitto has won the Stella Prize 2015 for her debut novel The Strays. Now in its third year, the Stella Prize was established to recognise Australian women writers of fiction and non-fiction. This is the second major literary award in Australia to be named after the author Stella Maria Sarah “Miles” Franklin. The other is the Miles Franklin Award, established in 1957, which commends novels featuring representations of Australian life. Eight women have made the long list, out of a total of ten longlisted authors, for the Miles Franklin Award this year.
Dylan Thomas Prize
Finally, we have winner of the Dylan Thomas Prize for Fiction, and it’s Joshua Ferris for his novel To Rise again at a Decent Hour. This is the story of a New York dentist in the middle of an existential crisis (but I don’t think he builds a refuge centre for orphans, the meanie).
Brown Bag Funds Bookbags
In collaboration with Children’s Books Ireland, and with an aim of encouraging literacy and reading amongst children and their families, Brown Bag Films have funded their second annual book gifting initiative, presenting two hundred and sixty children around Dublin with a book to take home to share with their family. As part of the project this year, the children took part in a Monster Doodle, encouraging creativity through illustration, and each class will be visited by an author or illustrator in the coming weeks. Brown Bag has committed to funding the project for the next two years and hopes with additional support it will grow into nationwide project.
Toni Morrison on NPR
Toni Morrison won a Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1988 for her novel Beloved and in 1993 she became the first African-American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. She speaks on NPR here to complement the release of her newest book God Bless The Child.
Morrison gives a moving reading of her book and talks of her childhood growing up in Ohio in an incredibly poor, working class community where race wasn’t an issue as her whole community was comprised of immigrant families from Eastern Europe, Africa and Mexico. She explains why she came to write the book, saying: ‘I wanted to separate colour from race.’
She speaks on a number of personal events including her house burning down, and on mourning the loss of a beautiful jade bush she had grown. She also makes a very serious personal admission: she is a plant thief. Horrendous, I know. ‘If I were some place where there was something growing, I would snip it off and bring it home.’ The absolute divil.
She also explains what writing means for her: ‘The writing is — I’m free from pain. It’s the place where I live; it’s where I have control; it’s where nobody tells me what to do; it’s where my imagination is fecund and I am really at my best.’ This is a very touching interview. I highly recommend having a listen.
Some Light reading
Writers Abroad Anthology 2015 is seeking submissions. Organised by expat group Writers Abroad, the fifth anthology is entitled Kaleidoscope. The theme of ‘light’ is open to your own interpretation. Be careful, however; all submissions must be from either expats or former expat writers. More information can be found here.
Flash Some Equality
Brilliant Flash Fiction or BFF is celebrating one year of publication with its latest competition on the theme of ‘equality.’ Go nuts, lads. The theme is ripe and ready for you to get creative. The all-voluntary staff of Brilliant Flash Fiction is bracing itself for the multitude of inspiring 300-word stories about EQUALITY between now and June 15th.
Dublin Anarchist Book Fair
The 10th Annual Anarchist Book Fair will take place around Smithfield Square this Saturday April 25th from 10am-6pm. HUndrends of Anrachists and those interesting in knowing more will attend the talks and workshops taking place on the day. The full programme is here and check in here for updates on the event.
Volunteer for Literature Festival
The International Literature Festival Dublin is seeking volunteers. If you have some time to spare, I can’t think of a better place to spend it.
Seventy-Five Exciting Dates
Seventy-five talented story tellers have been given the chance to go on a ‘date’ with a top literary agent in an event hosted by the International Literature Festival Dublin, to take place this May. Keep an eye on the winners’ names; one of our future prize-winning authors may well be among them.
