Culture news Pope Francis calls for probe into possible Gaza genocide in new book Pope Francis has called for an investigation to determine if Israel’s attacks in Gaza constitute genocide, according to excerpts released from a new book ahead of the pontiff’s jubilee year. 19/11/2024
Culture news Celebrated Japanese poet Shuntaro Tanikawa dies aged 92 Tanikawa diverged from haiku and other traditions, and explored the poetic, not only in the repetitive music of the spoken word but also the magic hidden in little things. 19/11/2024
Culture news Samantha Harvey wins Booker Prize with 'Orbital' The judges described Harvey's "Orbital" as a “miraculous novel” with a “crystalline” style that makes the world feel “strange and new”. 13/11/2024
Culture news Jamie Oliver book withdrawn after criticism by Indigenous Australians Critics say the chef’s book “Billy and the Epic Escape” relies on tropes and stereotypes about Indigenous Australians. 11/11/2024
Culture news Dystopian books fly off the shelves following Trump's re-election The prospect of four more years of Trump has sent readers back to their bookshelves to reacquaint themselves with the bleak futures depicted in works by Margaret Atwood and George Orwell. 08/11/2024
Culture news India overrules ban on Salman Rushdie book — due to a missing file Rushdie's novel was banned in the Asian country in 1988 due to controversy over its depiction of Islam and portrayal of Prophet Muhammad. 07/11/2024
Culture news Rachel Cusk wins the Goldsmiths Prize for 'Parade' It's the British writers 12th novel and fourth nomination for the prize. 07/11/2024
Culture news Fears of censorship at Algiers International Book Fair French-Algerian author Kamel Daoud, who won the Prix Goncourt last week, was not invited to this year's 27th edition of Algiers International Book Fair. And he's not the only one - which has led some to fear a "complete ban from publishing." 07/11/2024
Culture news France’s top literary prize awarded to Kamel Daoud for ‘Houris’ Kamel Daoud becomes the first author of Algerian descent to win the Goncourt Prize with his novel 'Houris', which is banned in Algeria for tackling the 'black decade' - the civil war that pitted Islamist groups against the Algerian army from 1992 to 2002. 04/11/2024
Culture news 1,000 signatories in largest boycott of Israeli publishing industry Writers including Nobel Prize laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners and Sally Rooney have joined history’s largest cultural boycott against Israel’s publishing industry. 30/10/2024
Art Groundbreaking exhibition on Tove Jansson’s murals opens in Helsinki Ahead of next year’s 80th anniversary celebrations of the Moomins, 'Tove Jansson: Paradise' focuses on the artist and writer’s lesser-known mural work. Fans of the Moomins need not fear, though – the charming cartoon trolls can still be spotted. 28/10/2024
Culture news Rare copy of 'Le Petit Prince' to go on sale for €1.15 million A rare carbon typescript of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s "Le Petit Prince" is going up for sale next month. It is one of only three known copies and marks the first time a typescript of the classic story has been offered for public sale. 25/10/2024
Culture news Fathers and sons: How John le Carré's son continues his legacy As the first George Smiley novel is released by Nick Harkaway since his father John le Carré's death, we look at the other historic father-son literary partnerships. 24/10/2024
Culture news Book on endangered languages wins coveted British culture award Ross Perlin won the annual award for his book ‘Language City: The Fight to Preserve Endangered Mother Tongues’. 23/10/2024
Culture news Long-lost Bram Stoker story to be unveiled at Dublin festival The forgotten short story was recently discovered and will be read to the public for the first time this weekend at the Dublin City Council Bram Stoker Festival. 23/10/2024
Culture news ABBA, The Cure and Radiohead sign AI protest letter Among the 13,500 signatories protesting the use of creatives’ work to train aritificial intelligence tools are composer Max Richter, writer Kazuo Ishiguro, as well as actors Julianne Moore and Kevin Bacon. 23/10/2024
Culture news Joe Biden: 'A woman can do anything a man can do, and then some' President Biden honoured “the masters of your craft that have made us a better America”, and took a brief detour to give a shout-out to Vice President Kamala Harris’ run for the White House. ““I know the power of the women in this room to get things done,” he said. 22/10/2024
Culture news German Peace Prize winner appeals for arms for Ukraine Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Anne Applebaum was awarded this year's Peace Prize of the German Book Trade. During her acceptance speech, she argued that "‘I want peace’ is not always a moral argument." 21/10/2024
Culture news Why Taylor Swift might upset the publishing industry While Björk and Colin Greenwood’s books are being released through traditional publishers and an arts design firm, Taylor Swift’s decision to publish through her own imprint has larger implications for the publishing industry. 20/10/2024
Culture news Controversy stalks Italy's honourary status at Frankfurt Book Fair Italian Publishers Association president Innocenzo Cipolletta defends Italy's controversial attendance at Frankfurt Book Fair. 18/10/2024