Dear colleagues, I am honored and excited to be the GLLI guest editor for March 2018. I have been a public and school librarian for many years. My daughter is from India and now lives in New Zealand. For her 21st birthday we visited Japan, her favorite place in the world. In 2011, I spent … Continue reading International books for children
Articles
Syrian Literature: Between Curses of the Past and Challenges of the Present
By Nuri al-Khalaf Editor of Syrian Literature Month for Global Literature in Libraries I remember – one day – that I delivered a long speech introducing and praising the Syrian culture and literature to a big crowd of students. Once I finished my speech one of my professors said to me: “Dear Nuri, you talked a … Continue reading Syrian Literature: Between Curses of the Past and Challenges of the Present
Publisher Spotlight: Two Dollar Radio
The first thing you see when you click on Two Dollar Radio’s “Books” page is the phrase “Books too loud to ignore.” After scanning the starred reviews of their latest releases, it’s obvious that titles by the Ohio-based publisher are impossible to dismiss. Two Dollar Radio’s team has a penchant for progress: their projects are … Continue reading Publisher Spotlight: Two Dollar Radio
International Banned Book: Bambi by Felix Salten
"Bambi, a Life in the Woods, originally published in Austria as Bambi: Eine Lebensgeschichte aus dem Walde is a 1923 Austrian novel written by Felix Salten and published by Ullstein Verlag. The novel traces the life of Bambi, a male roe deer, from his birth through childhood, the loss of his mother, the finding of … Continue reading International Banned Book: Bambi by Felix Salten
Syria: Recipes from Home
Dina Mousawi and Itab Azzam have created something to treasure: a practical recipe book that allows us to create at home some of the most delicious cuisine in the whole Mediterranean region, interwoven with the profoundly moving stories of the women who have taught them the recipes, all served up with wide variety of memories … Continue reading Syria: Recipes from Home
Freedom Hospital
This stunning work of art is a four-year labour of love by an artist who has clearly drawn on an enormous range of personal sources and media to populate and complicate his rich and compelling graphic novel. Freedom Hospital doesn’t claim to be comprehensive, or objective, or a documentary — but nor does it claim … Continue reading Freedom Hospital
Stepping Stones: A Refugee Family’s Journey
This unique picture book was inspired by the stone artwork of Syrian artist Nizar Ali Badr, discovered by chance by Canadian children’s writer Margriet Ruurs. The author was immediately impressed by the strong narrative quality of Mr. Badr’s work, and, using many of Mr. Badr’s already-created pieces, she set out to create a story … Continue reading Stepping Stones: A Refugee Family’s Journey
Ports of Soul
Hasan al-Nifi's photo “A Flower from my Country” by Hasan al-Nifi Oh, flower It has lost her dew suddenly The heart’s tears flowed into its vein She scavenges from soil pain and sips Embers of catastrophe from the silt of its depths Her roots’ pulse has watered the earth’s wounds Its tenderness … Continue reading Ports of Soul
A Weed in Paradise
Haitham Hussein‘s latest novel, A Weed in Paradise (July 2017 Masciliana Editions), traces the footprints of the Kurds who fled their towns and villages in the north of Syria for the suburbs of the capital Damascus after the 2004 Qamishli uprising, which resulted in dozens of dead and thousands in prison: The novel, narrated by a marginalized woman, follows … Continue reading A Weed in Paradise
Insights into Syrian Cinema: Essays and Conversations with Contemporary Filmmakers
The collection Insights into Syrian Cinema was conceived of as a companion catalogue to a showcase of Syrian cinema that traversed major US cities beginning in 2003. The concept of a book became obvious when the curator and editor Rasha Salti recognized the dearth of sources on Syrian cinema in English. The selection of writings … Continue reading Insights into Syrian Cinema: Essays and Conversations with Contemporary Filmmakers
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 