Adamantly progressive, openly gay and politically fearless, he cast a sharp eye on the country’s post-apartheid politics and culture.
Tag: Writing and Writers
Burhan Sönmez on the Tensions Between Politics and Art in Turkey
Burhan Sönmez, who is president of PEN International, discusses the tension between politics and art and the role of literature in authoritarian societies.
A South Korean Poet’s Work Honors Cats
The South Korean writer Hwang In-suk feeds stray cats on late-night walks through Seoul. The routine informs her poems about loneliness and impermanence.
What I’m Reading: Wives and Muses Edition
A look at women who inspired great art and literature and what might have been.
What I’m Reading: Wives and Muses Edition
A look at women who inspired great art and literature and what might have been.
China Detains Taiwan-Based Publisher in National Security Investigation
Li Yanhe’s publishing company put out books that often cast a critical eye on China’s ruling Communist Party. He disappeared while on a trip to China.
China Accuses Liberal Columnist of Espionage After a Lunch With Diplomat
Dong Yuyu was a longtime writer and editor at a top Chinese Communist Party newspaper who had frequently met with foreign diplomats and journalists.
Read Your Way Through Kerala
A strip of lush land at the tip of India where spices grow wild, Kerala has long drawn the gaze of outsiders. Here’s Abraham Verghese’s guide to its literature, which nods at these influences but is very much its own.
How a Tiny Literary Magazine Became a Springboard for Great Irish Writing
The Stinging Fly has helped launch several of Ireland’s most promising writers. How has a publication with 1,000 subscribers carved a niche in the Irish canon?
What I’m Reading: The Rise of Fascism Edition
A comic novel from the 1930s opens a window on days when what would become a dangerous political movement was seen as a silly hobby.