Literature

Culture news

The best things to do, hear, see or watch in Europe this week

An ambitious Jacques‑Louis David retrospective at the Louvre, a docuseries about Martin Scorsese, and Black Phone 2 rings in spooky cinema season. Here's what to look out for this week.

13/10/2025

Culture news

Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai wins Nobel Prize in Literature

Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai has been chosen as the winner “for his compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of art.” Susan Sontag previously described the author as “the contemporary Hungarian master of apocalypse.”

09/10/2025

Culture news

British author Jilly Cooper dies, aged 88, after fatal fall

British writer Jilly Cooper has died aged 88 after suffering a fall. She was best known for the bestselling books 'Riders' and 'Rivals'.

06/10/2025

Culture news

New report reveals identity of the most banned author in US schools

The alarming new report by PEN America, titled "The Normalization of Book Banning - Banned in the USA, 2024-2025", offers a window into the extensive climate of censorship in the US.

01/10/2025

Food and Drink

International Coffee Day: A culturally caffeinated guide

Today of all days, it’s time to be livin’ la vida mocha...

01/10/2025

Culture news

Clean Houses: What if having a maid clashed with being a feminist?

In her second novel, the Spanish writer María Agúndez raises the issues surrounding a profession that is still taboo in a society that is perhaps not as advanced as it likes to think.

28/09/2025

Culture news

Drunk bats and pasta clumps: The winners of 2025’s Ig Nobel Prizes

Not everyone will get to win a Nobel Prize. However, there’s the next best thing: the Ig Nobel Prize, which highlights unusual scientific research that provides both laughter and insight. Here are this year’s winners.

22/09/2025

Culture news

Prison break in Uzbek jails for inmates who do required reading

Uzbekistan has approved a law that allows prisoners to reduce their jail sentences by up to 30 days per year, by reading several books, included on a special list. But the educative exercise is not an option for all inmates.

13/09/2025

Cinema

Stephen King breaks adaptation record and shares his top 10 films

Do you agree with his list of favourite films and which author still beats the prolific Stephen King as the most adapted writer of all time?

09/09/2025

Cinema

Too sexy? Why the 'Wuthering Heights' trailer is dividing the internet

Literary betrayal? Whitewashing? Too gratuitous? Soft porn for ticket sales? The trailer for Emerald Fennell's adaptation of Emily Brontë's 1847 classic has received quite a bit of backlash. Here's why.

05/09/2025

Culture news

Margaret Atwood comments on 'The Handmaid's Tale' Alberta book ban

Margaret Atwood is taking aim at Alberta’s new rules on school libraries and has even posted a new short story which satirizes the censorship at play.

02/09/2025

Culture news

Back to school with 'Harry Potter': Hogwarts Express arrives in Madrid

The 'Harry Potter' experience, organised by HBO Max and Warner Bros. at the Madrid Railway Museum has been celebrating the return to Hogwarts. The event recreated Platform 9 and ¾ and culminated in a synchronised countdown with London's King's Cross station.

02/09/2025

Culture news

Denmark slashes 25% book sales tax in a bid to boost reading

With data showing one in four 15-year-olds struggle to understand a simple text, Denmark is scrapping its 25% VAT on books, the world's highest tax, in a effort to tackle a growing literacy crisis.

21/08/2025

Qatar 365

Education in Qatar, from book fairs to scholarships | Qatar 365

In partnership with Media City

The annual Doha International Book Fair brings together bookworms, literary fans and cultural exchanges from all over the world. We explore how Qatar’s libraries and national reading campaigns incorporate technology and art into their strategies, and meet a few international publishers.

20/08/2025

Culture news

Downing Street warns author Sally Rooney over Palestine Action support

Downing Street has warned Irish author Sally Rooney that supporting Palestine Action – a group recently proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK – could amount to a criminal offence under the Terrorism Act.

19/08/2025

Culture news

Controversy explained: UK’s LGBTQ+ literary prize 2025 cancelled

This year's Polari Prize has been cancelled due to the longlist inclusion of a book by John Boyne. The situation escalated into a mass boycott and now, the organisation behind the LGBTQ+ literary award has pledged to undertake a full review of its policies. Here's everything you need to know.

19/08/2025

Culture news

Author Sally Rooney vows to keep backing banned Palestine Action group

Sally Rooney says she will defy the UK’s ban on Palestine Action, warning the move sets a dangerous precedent for free expression in the arts and public life.

18/08/2025

Culture news

A royal scandal: Key takeaways from scathing new Prince Andrew exposé

“Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York”, by Andrew Lownie, “traces the life of the late Queen’s second son.” It hits the shelves today. Here are some of the key takeaways from a scathing exposé.

14/08/2025

Culture news

Fans flock to Finland to celebrate as Moomins turn 80

Eight decades after their debut, the Moomins remain Finland’s most treasured literary export. Fans flocked to the official Moomin Museum to honour the impact of the beloved characters.

12/08/2025

Culture news

Rare first edition of 'The Hobbit' sells for record price at auction

The book was discovered by chance in a house in Bristol. It is one of 1,500 original copies of Tolkien’s famous 1937 novel.

07/08/2025