Sentenced as a teenager to 15 years for “unlawful assembly,” Abdelrahman ElGendy started recording the abuses of prison life. The idea of someday publishing his memoir gave him a reason to live.
Tag: Writing and Writers
How Mia Couto’s Words Help Weave the Story of Mozambique
Couto’s language is enriched by his country’s idioms, voices — and possibilities. “We are still in the process of creating one nation,” he said, made of “different languages, different beliefs.”
Maryse Condé, at Home in the World
Throughout her four-decade literary career, the Guadeloupean writer has explored a global vision of the Black diaspora, and placed Caribbean life at the center.
C.S. Lewis’s Oxford: Where the Lion and the Witch Met the Hobbit
Discovering the sites in Oxford where C.S. Lewis, the writer of over 30 books, including the “Chronicles of Narnia” series, found faith, inspiration and a life-changing friendship with J.R.R. Tolkien.
Tom Whitlock, Co-Writer of ‘Top Gun’ Anthem ‘Danger Zone,’ Dies at 68
Mr. Whitlock wrote the words for that song and the chart-topping “Take My Breath Away,” central elements in the success of the hit 1986 movie.
Rehman Rahi, 97, Eminent Kashmiri Poet Who Restored a Language, Dies
Kashmir’s unofficial poet laureate, he gave voice to the rich culture of a bitterly divided territory and helped give his mother tongue a distinct literary identity.
Read Your Way Through Tokyo
Hiromi Kawakami, one of Japan’s most popular contemporary novelists, travels with books that help her immerse herself in her destination. Here, she suggests reading for those coming to her hometown, Tokyo.
The Hardy Tree, a Beloved Fixture of a London Cemetery, Topples Over
The tree, named after the author Thomas Hardy, was surrounded by 18th- and 19th-century gravestones. It was a popular site for locals and tourists.
Xi Xi, Whose Writing Defined a Changing Hong Kong, Dies at 85
Her work captured the unease of Hong Kong’s transition to Chinese rule, gave voice to the city’s children and working-class residents, and helped put it on the literary map.
Read Your Way Through Edinburgh
Edinburgh calls to readers, its pearl-grey skies urging them to curl up with a book. Maggie O’Farrell, the author of “Hamnet,” suggests reading that best reflects her city.