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RTÉ News
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Dublin Literature Fest
From May 16th-25th, International Literature Festival Dublin brings over 200 events across fiction, nonfiction, poetry, film, music and performance to Dublin's Merrion Square. Below, we've selected 10 must-see events at the capital's premiere book bash... Headliners include trailblazing US writer, cultural critic and commentator Roxane Gay, who brings her unique brand of radical honesty to Dublin on Thursday 22nd May. Vincenzo Latronico and Naoise Dolan discuss why writing is about breaking things in order to put them back together again on Friday 16th. Seen through the eyes of two Berlin-based hipsters, Latronico's International Booker Prize 2025 shortlisted novel Perfection astutely skewers contemporary privilege and the disparity between social media and real life. Faith in globalisation has been fatally undermined by the pandemic, energy crisis, tariff and trade frictions and power rivalry. What if globalisation fails is the subject on Friday 16th, when journalist Ben Chu, Policy and Analysis Correspondent at BBC Verify, discusses his book Exile Economics with barrister Ingrid Miley, formerly RTÉ Industry and Employment Correspondent. The Mind Keeps the Score (Tuesday 20th) features ABC News Chief International Correspondent James Longman, whose experiences with depression prompted him to wonder if he had inherited mental illness, and specialist psychotherapist Owen O'Kane, one of the UK's leading mental health experts. They discuss their fascinating new books, The Inherited Mind (Longman) and Addicated to Anxiety (O'Kane). With the controversial relationship between AI and literature a major news topic, The Cost of Truth (Wednesday 21st) sees authors Jo Callaghan and Ian Green talking to Adrian Weckler, Irish Independent technology editor. AI researcher Callaghan's spellbinding mystery Human Remains features the world's first AI detective, while Green's novel Extremophile is a breakneck biohacking thriller set in climate-collapse London. Discover how the stories around Irish words reveal a unique perspective on Ireland's landscape, weather, relationships, feelings and the body on Friday 23rd when Hector Ó hEochagáin tells Patrick Freyne about his award-winning Irish Words You Should Know, described by Tommy Tiernan as "The best book on the Irish language I have ever read". Modern retellings can transform our understanding of a novel. On Sunday 25th, Aimée de Jongh, Xiaolu Guo and Clara Kumagai talk to Martina Devlin about finding inspiration in classic literature: respectively, Lord of the Flies, Moby Dick and Puccini's Madame Butterfly. Also on the 25th, Serhii Plokhy, Professor of History at Harvard University and Director of the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute, discusses his gripping account of the chaos and disaster that unfolded at Ukraine's nuclear plant from the first day of Russia's 2022 invasion. A remarkable story of uncertainty and courage, Chernobyl Roulette sounds the alarm about the dangers of nuclear sites in these unprecedented times. In a packed programme of stories, songs, drawing, and writing for children of all ages, two highlights include The Ultimate Comic Creation Event with comic book artist Will Sliney on Sunday 18th May, where he'll get everyone drawing Spider-Man. On Saturday 24th May, author and illustrator Laura Ellen Anderson, creator of Amelia Fang, introduces Marnie Midnight the moon-loving moth in Make Your Own Minibeast on the Minibeast Mission!
The Hindu
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
World Book Day 2025: 5 unmissable reads that cross borders and stay with you
Books don't just tell stories; they build bridges across time, cultures and perspectives. This World Book Day, celebrate the power of storytelling and literature to challenge how we see the world and our place in it. Whether you're curled up at home or listening on the go, the right story can transport you across borders – no passport required. With a collection of over 16,000 books and more than 2,500 audio and e-books spanning different genres, the British Council's Digital Library offers readers a treasure trove of thought-provoking titles from around the world that inspire and prompt conversation. This year, the British Council spotlights five remarkable works in translation that speak to our most pressing emotions and complexities – displacement, digital burnout, memory, resilience and care. These stories, though rooted in specific cultures, transcend borders to offer universal truths. 1. Under the Eye of the Big Bird – by Hiromi Kawakami, translated by Asa Yoneda From one of Japan's most acclaimed contemporary novelists, Under the Eye of the Big Bird is a speculative masterpiece that reimagines life on Earth after humans have nearly gone extinct. In this distant future, scattered tribes live under the care of mysterious 'Mothers.' Told through fourteen interconnected episodes spanning geological ages, this quietly profound novel is both mournful and hopeful. Blending science and myth, it offers a poetic and unsettling vision of the end of humanity – and what might emerge in its place. 2. Heart Lamp: Selected Stories – by Banu Mushtaq, translated by Deepa Bhasthi In Heart Lamp, Banu Mushtaq vividly captures the everyday lives of women and girls in Muslim communities in southern India. Originally published in Kannada, these twelve stories reflect her background as a journalist and lawyer, with a sharp focus on women's rights and resistance to caste and religious injustice. Praised for their dry humour and vivid style, the stories are filled with unforgettable characters – spirited children, outspoken grandmothers, and resilient mothers navigating complex emotions. Mushtaq's writing showcases her as a keen observer of human nature and a powerful storyteller. 3. Perfection – by Vincenzo Latronico, translated by Sophie Hughes Anna and Tom – a millennial expat couple – seem to be living an idyllic life surrounded by plants, parties, and filtered social media moments in Vincenzo Latronico's Perfection. As digital creatives, their world is curated to appear flawless, yet beneath the surface lies a growing sense of dissatisfaction and disconnection. Their relationships, careers, and political efforts all begin to feel hollow, as they search for meaning in a life built on appearances. Translated by Sophie Hughes, the novel exposes the emptiness at the heart of curated modern living. Blending sharp social commentary with a stylish, minimalist narrative, Perfection is a striking exploration of identity, authenticity, and the subtle despair of a generation caught in the glow of its own image. 4. Small Boat – by Vincent Delecroix, translated by Helen Stevenson Small Boat is a poetic and haunting novella from France that reflects on grief, guilt, and moral responsibility. Blending fiction with real events, it is inspired by the 2021 tragedy in the English Channel, where 27 migrants died after their calls for help were mishandled. The narrator – a call handler accused of failing in her duty – offers a quiet yet powerful meditation on blame, asking why one person should carry the weight of a crisis shaped by war, politics, and indifference. Vincent Delecroix crafts a deeply philosophical tale, adrift in memory, sorrow, and unanswered questions. Through Helen Stevenson's delicate translation, Small Boat becomes both a voice of protest and a lament. 5. A Leopard-Skin Hat – by Anne Serre, translated by Mark Hutchinson Anne Serre's A Leopard-Skin Hat is a poignant, dreamlike novella centred on an intense childhood friendship between the narrator and Fanny, a young woman grappling with deep psychological struggles. Through a series of short, elegant scenes, Serre explores the narrator's unwavering devotion and emotional turmoil, capturing the delicate dance between hope and despair that defines their bond. Moving and subtly surreal, the story blurs the line between reality and imagination, infused with Serre's trademark wit and stylistic grace. Beautifully translated by Mark Hutchinson, the novella is both a tribute to a life cut short and a quiet meditation on grief, love, and the complexities of care. These five books demonstrate how stories can be deeply personal yet universally resonant. Perfect for World Book Day, each title is a small gem of cross-cultural imagination, offering a portal to the strange and sublime. Whether you're seeking stories that challenge, comfort, or connect, these voices from around the world invite you to read beyond the familiar – and rediscover the transformative power of literature.
Euronews
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
'What it means to be a human': Short-but-punchy books dominate International Booker Prize shortlist
ADVERTISEMENT The International Booker Prize has announced the six books shortlisted for its annual celebration of the best new fiction works that have been translated into English. Five novels and one short story collection are now in contention for the £50,000 (€58,000) prize. All six finalists will receive £5,000 (€5,800). All prizes are to be split equally between authors and their translators. The International Booker Prize recognises translators alongside the original authors as equal recipients. As with the longlist announcement in February, all the shortlisted authors are first-time nominees with two of the translators having previous nominations. Of this year's 12 nominated authors and translators, nine are women. Related Euronews Culture Book Club: Four picks for April These are the 10 most Instagrammable bookstores in the world, according to a new study It's the first time in the Prize's history that books from a Danish, Italian or Japanese author has been shortlisted as Solvej Balle, Vincenzo Latronico , and Hiromi Kawakami are named for the top gong. Also marking a first is Banu Mushtaq, the Indian author whose book "Heart Lamp" is the first work written in the South Indian Kannada language to be nominated. This year's shortlist is unique in that it's made up entirely of books from independent publishers. They're also on the shorter side, with four books coming in at under 200 pages. Two of the books, "Perfection" and "Small Boat" are barely over 100 pages and the longest book "Under the Eye of the Big Bird" is a mere 278 pages long. Max Porter, chair of the 2025 judges, said the shortlist was made up of 'mind-expanding books' that are a 'vehicle for pressing and surprising conversations about humanity'. All six nominated shortlisted books Yuki Sugiura 'Reading 154 books in six months made us feel like high-speed Question Machines hurtling through space,' Porter continued. 'Our selected six awakened an appetite in us to question the world around us: How am I seeing or being seen? How are we translating each other, all the time? How are we trapped in our bodies, in our circumstances, in time, and what are our options for freedom? Who has a voice? In discussing these books we have been considering again and again what it means to be a human being now.' The announcement of the winner will take place on Tuesday 20 May at a ceremony at the Tate Modern in London, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Here are the six shortlisted books: "On the Calculation of Volume I" by Solvej Balle, translated from Danish by Barbara J. Haveland The first book in a planned septology by Solvej Balle, one of Denmark's most acclaimed contemporary authors. Tara Selter is stuck in a time loop of the 18th November and as she reaches a year of being in this state, she starts to wonder if there is any way out of her relentless purgatory. The judges said: 'A life is contained inside the melancholy of an endlessly repeating wintry day. Reading this book is an act of meditation and contemplation.' "Small Boat" by Vincent Delecroix, translated from French by Helen Stevenson French author Delecroix wrote "Small Boat" in three weeks based on recordings from a real event in which 27 people died when their boat sank in the Channel in 2021. He creates a damning fictional portrait of the woman who refused to take action when their calls for aid were received. The judges said: 'An unflinching use of literature to ask the most uncomfortable but urgent question of our time: to what extent are we all complicit?' ADVERTISEMENT "Under the Eye of the Big Bird" by Hiromi Kawakami, translated from Japanese by Asa Yoneda Inspired by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear meltdown in 2011, Kawakami created this speculative fiction about the future of humanity. Told over the course of eons, we see humanity on the edge of extinction setting into small tribes and interbreeding with aliens. The judges said: 'A beguiling, radical, mind- and heart-expanding journey into humanity's future. The visionary strangeness is utterly enchanting.' "Perfection" by Vincenzo Latronico, translated from Italian by Sophie Hughes One of the most damning indictments of the millennial dream yet. Latronico's taught sociological novel about a couple who are living their ideal life in Berlin underlines the vapidity and bland approach to aspiration and consumerism millennials have as they strive for the same appliances and aesthetics. The judges said: 'A pitch-perfect, profound and agonisingly well-observed account of the existential malaise of millennial life.' ADVERTISEMENT "Heart Lamp" by Banu Mushtaq, translated from Kannada by Deepa Bhasthi The only short story collection of the shortlisted books. "Heart Lamp" was published in the Kannada language between 1990 and 2023 and brings Banu Mushtaq's career experiences as a journalist and lawyer to a broad variety of stories about community and family. The judges said: 'Stories about encroaching modernity, as told through the lives of Muslim women in southern India. An invigorating reading experience.' "A Leopard-Skin Hat" by Anne Serre, translated from French by Mark Hutchinson Written following author Anne Serre's sister's suicide, "A Leopard-Skin Hat" is a memorial to her. Through just a few short scenes, Serre paints a beautiful portrait of strong-willed young woman and the demons she's faced. The judges said: 'A masterful lesson in how we remember the lives of those bound up with our own. It holds the fragility of life in its hands with the utmost care.' ADVERTISEMENT
