LIFESTYLE
How literary tag teams work: John Grisham, Dave Eggers, Mira Jacob write stories set in Covid times
From Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (Good Omens) to Kalpish Ratna (Room 000), a look at collaborative works of fiction, where teamwork makes the story work.
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From Saddam Hussein to Stalin, why do dictators write novels and poems?
Exploring the motivations behind the literary ambitions of autocratic leaders like Francisco Franco (1892-1975), Benito Mussolini (1883-1945), Joseph Stalin (d. 1953), Saddam Hussein (1937-2006) and Muammar Gaddafi (1942-2011).
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Alphabetical Diaries book review: How to write a book using Excel
A to Z of the Self: Sheila Heti’s ingenious new book, Alphabetical Diaries, takes 10 years of diary entries and rearranges them in alphabetical order.
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How to enjoy reading like children do
How to read for pleasure: To rediscover the wonders of being immersed in a book, adopt a childlike approach.
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Good books: In defence of competent, but not quite great novels
Bestselling books: The rewards of reading fiction that isn’t critically acclaimed and doesn’t win literary awards.
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Kozhikode-based writer sets debut novel in a Kerala village, and at the cusp of new tech and old values
Set in a Kerala village in the shadow of the Western Ghats, Saharu Nusaiba Kannanari’s debut novel is a powerful portrayal of what happens when the use of technology collides with outdated social attitudes.
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Why we all should be reading more crime fiction
Mysteries and thrillers aren’t just a form of escapism. Crime fiction can also offer valuable insights into the state of the world, mirroring the societal anxieties and power dynamics at work today.
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Book review: 'My Friends' by Hisham Matar | In the country of friendship
Hisham Matar’s new novel is a memorable, meditative exploration of comradeship and political exile.
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Why don’t we read the books we want to read?
TBR: A look at the reasons why our to-be-read piles keep growing higher and higher.
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Why readers leave books unfinished
Reading habits: There can be many valid reasons for leaving a book unfinished, and there’s no need to continue till the last page.
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Word of the year 2023, and what a 1902 letter says about the use of language in 2023
Year ender 2023 special: The Lord Chandos Letter spotlights the gulf between the words we speak and the worlds they describe.
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Netflix’s ‘Leave the World Behind’ leaves the novel behind
The screen version of Rumaan Alam’s accomplished novel Leave the World Behind is a disappointment in more ways than one.
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Graphic novels | Pleasures and pains of wishful thinking
Set largely in Cairo, Deena Mohamed’s enchanting graphic novel Shubeik Lubeik portrays an alternate universe of wishes and their discontents.
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20 must-read works of literary fiction in 2023
A selective look at some memorable novels and short story collections of the year.
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Best writers or most obscure authors? Who are the writers' writers?
Are the authors referred to as writer’s writers more talented, more influential, or simply more obscure?
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Book review: A Maharashtrian murder mystery based on real events
Atharva Pandit’s Hurda is an arresting debut novel about an investigation into the deaths of three young girls in an Indian village.
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How Gen Z is saving print books
Studies show that the most digitally literate generation prefers to read books in print rather than on screen.
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Postcards from the Grave, then and now
A memoir of Srebrenica during the Bosnian War and ethnic cleansing of 1992-95, published almost two decades ago, offers a glimpse into the hellish circumstances of those in Gaza today.
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Hasan Minhaj, truth and lies in creative non-fiction
Accusations that the stand-up comic is making things up are linked to a larger issue: the credibility of creative non-fiction.
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Wanted: New definitions of old words
Satirical dictionaries by Gustave Flaubert and Ambrose Bierce show how words can become detached from their meanings.
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The Arabian Nights meets the Third Crusade
Jamila Ahmed’s 'Every Rising Sun' is an inventive debut novel that combines the stories of the 'Arabian Nights' with episodes from medieval history.
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2 must-read anthologies on the past and future of Palestine, as seen by Palestinian writers
In a 2019 anthology of short stories, Palestinian writers grapple with the question: what will your country look like in 2048?
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The unsayable subjects of Nobel Laureate Jon Fosse
The work of the 2023 Nobel Literature Prize winner who was once called the 21st century Beckett explores the nature of life, loss, and spirituality.
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Bookshelves and their discontents: Perils and pitfalls of storing books at home
More books accumulate by a mysterious process of proliferation. There’s no getting away from it: you need another bookshelf, or two or three...
