An end of week recap from Hay Festival 2018
Today I’m writing to you from the Hay Festival – probably one of the most esteemed literary events in the world. My weekly recap is somewhat shorter than usual because my reading schedule has been thrown into a temporary state of disarray, however, I intend to continue sharing short posts (‘Hay Happenings‘) and photos whenever possible.
THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE TBR >>
Described as “a brilliantly irreverent satire of Fleet Street and its hectic pursuit of hot news”, I was unfortunately unable to connect with Scoop – one of Evelyn Waugh’s most popular comic novels. >> Read my thoughts >>
Coming soon will be an updated summary of books read, reviewed and currently on my TBR shelf. I’m also hoping to add some unexpected titles following my festival jaunt.
CHATTERBOOKS >>
* One-Hundred Book Limit *
After reading Will Schwable’s Books for Living I was inspired to create a zero-sum book collection – not a real one, I hasten to add, but a fantasy library containing a maximum of one-hundred-books that have for various reasons been of great significance in my life. Could you select a specific number of books and keep to that figure? Why not try creating your own list? >> See ‘My One-Hundred Book Library‘ >>
* My Diary of Events *
On Wednesday, before heading south, I posted my first Hay Festival piece showing a list of all the events for which I had obtained tickets in advance. >> HAY FESTIVAL 2018 >>
You can also read my regular updates at Hay Happenings #1 and #2.
* Fab Features *
Umpteen fascinating articles appeared on my bookdar last week. I generally make a point of tweeting my favourite finds, but in case you missed anything, here are a handful of interesting snippets:
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Signature: Between the Lines: Disability Invisibility in Literature – Sara Nović, author of Girl at War, discusses her experience as a deaf reader and writer, and the invisibility of disability in literature.
Vintage: Literary wedding readings – Looking for an unusual reading for a partnership ceremony or wedding? These alternative readings from novelists and poets may be ideal.
The Bookseller: London Review Bookshop celebrates 15th birthday – The London Review Bookshop in Bloomsbury is celebrating its 15th anniversary.
CrimeReads: The Drowning of Holly Roth – More than 50 years after it happened, the spy novelist’s death remains an unsolved mystery.
Los Angeles Times: In a rare interview, Elena Ferrante describes the writing process behind the Neapolitan novels – In a rare interview, the Italian author describes the writing process behind ‘The Neapolitan Novels’.
The Paris Review: Hunting for a Lesbian Canon – Yelena Moskovich reflects on a lifetime of reading lesbian fiction.
Culture Trip: Paris’s Riverside Booksellers Seek UNESCO Status – The antique bookstalls that line Paris’s river Seine are an unmistakable piece of the city’s cultural heritage. Find out why they could gain UNESCO status.
The Guardian: Balance the books: one woman’s fight to keep great female writers on shelves – “Book collectors help determine which writers are remembered – and which are forgotten. Author and book dealer AN Devers explains how seeing female authors being undervalued inspired her to start The Second Shelf project.”
The New York Times: Why ‘Fahrenheit 451’ Is the Book for Our Social Media Age – Book burning with the director of the new film adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s seminal novel Fahrenheit 451.
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FINALLY >>
If there is something you would particularly like to see on Winding Up the Week or if you have any suggestions, questions or comments for Book Jotter in general, please drop me a line. I would be delighted to hear from you.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I wish you a week bountiful in books and rich in reading.
NB In this feature, ‘winding up’ refers to the act of concluding something and should not be confused with the British expression: ‘wind-up’ – an age-old pastime of ‘winding-up’ friends and family by teasing or playing pranks on them. If you would like to know more about this expression, there’s an excellent description on Urban Dictionary.
Categories: Winding Up the Week
Thank you for gathering these great resources for us!
You’re very welcome, Liz.
I loved your series on the festival!
Thank you, Geoff. Glad you found it of interest. 😊