Happy publication day to all!
Robert Seethaler stuns with THE CAFÉ WITH NO NAME a historical tale set in 1960s Vienna, THE LAST MOVEMENT, a portrait of an artist at the end of his life. Plus, his Man Booker International shortlisted A WHOLE LIFE!
uk.bookshop.org/lists/out-to...
Not sure where to start with the International Booker Prize 2026 shortlist? Read the opening page of each shortlisted book and let the first lines do the talking. 📖
🔗 Tap the link to explore extracts from all six books.
https://thebookerprizes.pulse.ly/amlt8xmsit
Spring has sprung and Easter is just around the corner, so it’s time for my yearly reminder: if you own cats, DO NOT bring lilies ANYWHERE into your house. Even just breathing in the pollen or drinking the water from a vase can be fatal to kitties.
SO PROUD of my talented sister – one of 10 commended finalists in this prestigious poetry competition, which had more than 21,000 entries! Many, many congratulations, @jadeafitton.bsky.social xx
One of the wonderful things about the International Booker Prize @thebookerprizes.com is that it recognizes author and translator equally. When evaluating the books on the longlist, try to pay attention to the translation itself. Does it read well in English? Is the language
striking? You don't need to know the original language to tell if a translation is good or not. For me, the least interesting thing about a novel is the plot. It's the language that interests me. Remember, all those words in English were chosen by the translator. They didn't
write themselves. Try to give equal credit to the translator in your discussions of the books.
Sorry, not LBF-ing this year. I’ll be at the Assembly on Monday, though.
my local park is full of hundreds of snow sculptures and someone has been adding museum labels
If you’re verifying your identity with LinkedIn, you should be aware of the alarming number of companies your personal data – PII, biometric data, and other sensitive data – is being shared with many other companies and how they’re using your face to train their AI
thelocalstack.eu/posts/linked...
An orange and white cat is judging your poor work/life balance. He is on a desk next to a laptop.
are you sure you need to send that email? Chancleta thinks you have done enough.
Wow.
Statement from Oscar-winning director Hamdan Ballal: This afternoon, nearly a year after we won the Oscar, the same settler who attacked me shortly after l returned from Los Angeles-Shem Tov Lusky-again led an attack against my home and my family. Four of my family members are currently arrested and one is in the hospital. I invite all journalists and diplomats to come visit me and my family this Tuesday, February 17, to hear about how the situation has gotten worse in the year since we won the Oscar, as it has across the West Bank. Email me to coordinate your visit: hamdanalhrane90@gmail.com Two weeks ago we managed to get a decision from the Israeli court that the area around my home is closed to non-residents, but the settlers break that order and still come with their flocks almost every day. We call the police, they do nothing. The army comes, they do nothing. Today, Shem Tov Lusky-the settler who attacked me in my home shortly after I won the Oscar last year-came with his flock to my home. My brother called the police to report the incursion. The army came first and immediately raided our house, attacking everyone inside. Then they arrested two of my brothers, a nephew, and cousin. Another brother was badly injured and is now in the hospital. The Israeli court decision was supposed to make things a bit quieter for us. But the opposite has been true. The settlers have ramped up their harassment and the Israeli authorities have done nothing to enforce the decision, and today they joined the settlers in the attack. 8 hours ago
From Hamdan Ballal, co-director of last year’s Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land.” This is happening now.
Do you remember when people were saying "I think my phone is listening to me, i'm getting ads for stuff I spoke about" and people said "They arent listening to you, they're just this good at predicting your interests"?
Well, it happens they were doing exactly that.
www.cbsnews.com/news/google-...
When I was learning German, I initially struggled with the prefixes until I could visualise what each did to the base word, e.g. zer- destroying/smashing it. Or ver- : a departure from the correct path (fahren, sich verfahren) - which paints falling in love in a whole new light.
Die Ei-erlegende, vielleicht?
All the time. It’s quite strange to me that native speakers don’t.
The other thing is misreading the break in a compound word.
Delighted to see that @joannapocock.bsky.social's GREYHOUND is the book of the week in THE WEEK.
Oh no! I love your posts. 😢 So sorry this has happened to you.
Sandal, like my late, lamented Banski, is a cat of peace.
There is a really bad tempered black cat who lives on the next street. He will cry loudly but when you go and talk to him he snarls and hisses like a demon. I saw him have a long staring contest with a large rat at the entrance to his alleyway. Eventually the rat stepped forward. The cat fled.
‘Michel de Montaigne had it right: companionship’s only value is itself. Seek out company because of its usefulness to you, and it is not companionship you will be getting. When asked what makes a true friendship, Montaigne said: “because it was he; because it was me”.’
Hero.
@shreedaisy.bsky.social ?
And last but not least, Anna Claire Weber, Marketing and Communications Manager, picked THE LACK OF LIGHT by Nino Haratischwili (tr. @cctranslates.bsky.social & @dances-with-voles.bsky.social ) @harpercollins.bsky.social bookshop.org/a/169/978006...
The Lack of Light by Nino Haratischwili, translated by @cctranslates.bsky.social and @dances-with-voles.bsky.social is a captivating tale of friendship, loss, & redemption set against Georgia's turbulent history. Join Nene, Ira, Dina, & Keto as they navigate love, betrayal, and life's complexities!
I hope someone draws this wonderful story about Tom Stoppard's Arcadia and the power of the arts to help us see things differently, to the attention of our Education Secretary. Do read it, it will lift your spirits.
It was fab! Brought a friend's son who's just started at Clare, Classics ab initio; we both loved it.
What I want to know is: whose was the other Medea/production that you rated alongside Diana Rigg's at the Almeida? Was it Helen McCrory, by any chance? I thought she was superb.
