literature
Michal Zygmunt: 'By 2010, Poland will be talking commercial gay movement'
30-year-old author of the book ‘New Romantic’, the journalist and editor of gay magazine ‘Dik Fagazine’ talks politics, left-wing politics and emotion-drained religion
literature, warsaw, religion, poland, left-wing, gay, journalism
Luciana Littizzetto: Spanish men are sexiest
Writer, actress and ‘TV jester’ – Luciana Littizzetto has made a career from her own irreverent brand of self-parody – with great success
literature, sex, men and women, turin, spain, italy, western eu
Amélie Nothomb: death camps and TV holocaust
In her new novel 'Sulphuric Acid' the Belgian author takes a popular TV craze to new heights by reducing the hell of a World War II concentration camp to the banality of a docu-soap
literature, belgium, jonathan littell, günter grass, amélie nothomb, society, western eu
Roberto Saviano on the Italian Camorra
First part of an exclusive interview with the author of 'Gomorra', investigating the Neapolitan mafia. From Scottish tourism to Spanish drug trade, the Italian empire stretches throughout Europe and the world
literature, gomorra, roberto saviano, mafia, world affairs, cinema, interview
Lindsey Davis: 'my writing is not the ghastly modern personal therapy type'
The award-winning British historical and comedy detective novelist, 58, on 'being like most English people' and her original brand of writing
literature, united kingdom, italy, europe, western eu, books, brunch
Doris Lessing: stick your Nobel Prize
English writer Doris Lessing, 87, won the 2007 Nobel Prize for being an 'epicist of feminine experiences'. But the literature prize lacks the lustre it once had, often charged with being less than impartial
Brian Aldiss: 'I told Kubrick it was impossible he make a film of my story'
The British science fiction author, 82, on working with Hollywood greats, being caned for 'telling stories' at school and Europe being a 'wonderful idea'
literature, oxford, mustafa kemal atatürk, steven spielberg, stanley kubrick, cinema, united kingdom
Men creating men in Belarus
Art is politics - the second part in our series of profiles of artists trying to resist a ‘cultural Chernobyl’ in a Belarus stifled by president Aleksander Loukachenko
literature, belarus, minsk, alexander lukashenko, communism, post-soviet states, books
György Dragomán: 'one can really see how a dictatorship functions through the eyes of a child'
The Transylvania-born Hungarian author, 34, uses an unconventional narrator to express the horrors of a totalitarian system
literature, dictature, hungary, warschau, nicolae ceausescu, romania, central and eastern europe
Nuruddin Farah: 'Even hunchbacks learn to live with their discomfort'
The Somali writer, 62, is an important figure in African literature. A committed defender of women’s rights, he chronicles Somalia’s trip to chaos and back
Hasso Krull, voice of a new Estonia
As Estonia prepares to celebrate independence from the USSR, poet and intellectual Hasso Krull explains why Russian will never be an official language
literature, estonia, nationalism, russian federation, tallin, european union, languages
Zidanean gods and heroes
Football is well known to be the younger brother of classic literature, complete with all-mighty gods, bloody battles, and fallen heroes. One need only think of the last world cup final, when the god of football Zinedine Zidane head-butted the churlish Italian defender Marco Materazzi with the grace of a dying steer, abruptly ending his career right before its pinnacle
Claudio Magris – ‘When Europe is one state’
He wrote Danube in a café, and it's in a café that we meet the Triestine novelist, translator and very European intellectual
literature, claudio magris, translation, france, paris, italy, western eu
European litera-tour
‘ScrittureGiovani’ is the newest slice of European literature projects. Five writers, five different countries, five short stories, one theme - the focus is on young literary talents
Marius Ivaskevicius: no straight answers
33 year-old Marius Ivaskevicius is a poet, playwright and director who explores the complexity and melancholy of the Slavic soul. His works are at once tender and humourous
literature, integration, multiculturalism, copyright, regions, traditions, identity
Poor education levels spur reading programmes in Spain
In Andalusia, a new school year has just begun. Town councils strive to introduce and fund more innovative efforts to promote reading
literature, future of europe, education system, development, spain, politics, society
Tahar Ben Jelloun, bridging the gap
Tahar Ben Jelloun, the celebrated Moroccan writer, explains how the children of Europe are spoilt and why his native country should be able join the EU.
literature, turkey, tahar ben yelloun, morocco, algeria, fez, eu frontiers
Cristina Branco, the magic of fado
If you haven’t heard of Cristina Branco it’s likely that you haven’t heard of fado, a melancholy Portuguese singing tradition which is set to take Europe by storm
literature, portugal, concert, music, fado, cristina branco, identity
by
