A poet, scholar, historian, critic and novelist, he was credited with the revival of Urdu literature, especially from the 18th and 19th centuries. He died of Covid-19.
Tag: Writing and Writers
Fans of H.G. Wells Cry Foul Over Errors in Commemorative Coin
The two-pound coin from the Royal Mint features imagery from Wells’s books. But fans noted that the writer’s Martian tripods have three legs, not four.
A Year of Scandals and Self-Questioning for France’s Top Publishers
The release of “Consent” put France’s literary establishment under a harsh spotlight. The publishing industry is grappling with a nation that it resembles less and less.
Bad Sex in Fiction Award Is Canceled, as 2020 Was Bad Enough
Editors of the Literary Review, which has given the award for almost 30 years, said the public had been “subjected to too many bad things this year to justify exposing it to bad sex as well.”
Roald Dahl’s Family Apologizes for His Anti-Semitism
The author, who died in 1990, made several disparaging comments about Jews during his lifetime. “Those prejudiced remarks are incomprehensible to us,” the family said in a statement online.
France’s Major Literary Juries Award Prizes in a Year of Scandal
Seven years ago, the judges behind France’s second-biggest literary prize honored a pedophile writer, Gabriel Matzneff. Now, they have turned to a little-known female writer from a small publisher.
Her Antenna Is Tuned to the Quietest Voices
Yu Miri won a National Book Award for “Tokyo Ueno Station,” a novel whose main character is the ghost of a homeless construction worker.
Jan Myrdal, Swedish Author and Provocateur, Dies at 93
His father and mother were both Nobel winners. His most famous book was about how badly they had treated him.
Booker Prize 2020: Douglas Stuart Wins for ‘Shuggie Bain’
The autobiographical novel, about the lonely gay son of an alcoholic mother in 1980s Scotland, was one of four debut books in this year’s shortlist.
The ‘Detective Work’ Behind a War Novel
Maaza Mengiste spent years on “The Shadow King,” not only writing but also learning Italian, living in Rome and amassing an archive of historical photography that informed her book.