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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.
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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.
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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.
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Remembering MI5’s first female boss and author Dame Stella Rimington
The former head of the British Intelligence service and author Stella Rimington was the first female (and publicly-named) MI5 chief, as well as the inspiration for Dame Judi Dench’s M in the James Bond films. She died aged 90.
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Algerian court upholds writer Boualem Sansal’s 5-year prison sentence
The novelist’s case has united European lawmakers, who have demanded Sansal's release. His case has raised alarm over freedom of expression in Algeria, and his supporters now hope military-backed President Abdelmadjid Tebboune will grant a pardon on Saturday, when Algeria marks Independence Day.
Culture news
Stephen King puts Trump vs Musk feud into perspective with savage post
The celebrated author adds his name to a long list of celebrities commenting on the very public feud between Donald Trump and Elon Musk. The fallout between the two former allies has also led many online to draw a comparison with one cult 2004 movie...
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Celebrated Kenyan author and dissident Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o dies aged 87
Widely regarded as east Africa's most influential writer, Ngũgĩ’s fiction and nonfiction books traced his country's history from British imperialism to home-ruled tyranny and challenged not only the stories told but the language used to tell them.