I might be overweight but I identify as slim! Especially when breakfasting at Three Blue ducks …
Václav Havel Library
New director Milan Babík acknowledges that, like American presidential libraries, the Václav Havel Library isn't a 'typical library' -- "We are civil society actors. We certainly do more than ordinary libraries do" --, and at Radio Prague International Ian Willoughby has a Q & A with him, Milan Babík: Heading Havel Library after 30 years in US.
Singapore Literature Prize
They've announced the (many) winners of this year'sSingapore Literature Prize -- impressive, because books in several languages are honored, with fiction winners in English, Chinese, Tamil, and Malay, for example.
Some interesting-looking titles here, which will hopefully also find distribution abroad ..... And I am particularly curious about Shubigi Rao's Pulp-series, the third volume of which (out of a planned five) won the Creative Nonfiction in English prize.
Prime Minister's Literary Awards
They've announced the winners of this year's Australian Prime Minister's Literary Awards, "the most substantial literary prize in the nation, with a tax-free prize pool of [A]$600,000".
Anam, by André Dao, won the fiction category.
Prime Minister’s Literary awards 2024: Andre Dao wins $80,000 for debut novel Anam
Daniela Hodrová (1946-2024)
Czech author Daniela Hodrová has passed away; see, for example, the Novinky.cz report.
The only one of her books under review at the complete review is her A Kingdom of Souls, but I have the full City of Torment (and Prague. I see a city ...) and expect to get to them.
Ehrenpreis des Österreichischen Buchhandels
They've announced the winner of this year's Honorary Prize of the Austrian Book Trade for Tolerance in Thought and Action, and it is David Grossman.
They've awarded this since 1990; it has an ... interesting list of previous winners: Philippe Sands got it last year; other winners range from Simon Wiesenthal to Peter Ustinov to H.C.Artmann.
Leonard Riggio (1941-2024)
Longtime Barnes & Noble head Leonard Riggio has passed away; see, for example, Hillel Italie's AP report.
I grew up near the 105 Fifth Avenue flagship store -- before B & N became a superstore empire -- and it was a favored haunt (along with the Sales Annex across the street ...) in my teen years. The 'superstores' were, over the years, of very uneven quality, but at their best at least some of them were pretty good.
New World Literature Today
The September/October issue of World Literature Today is now out, with a feature on 'Contemporary Women's Literature in Japan' -- and, of course, the extensive book review section.