The Ghanaian capital Accra formally took over as the 2023 World Book Capital of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) from the Mexican city of Guadalajara on Monday. “Books and reading are essential to us all, as…
JK Rowling dismisses backlash over trans comments
Harry Potter author JK Rowling has said she is not concerned about how the backlash to her position on transgender issues will affect her legacy. She said anyone who thinks she is has “profoundly” misunderstood her. She has been called…
Roald Dahl: Rishi Sunak joins criticism of changes to author’s books
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has criticised changes to Roald Dahl books, after the removal of some references to things like characters’ appearance and weight sparked a fierce debate. Dahl’s estate and publisher said works including The BFG and Charlie…
Dolly Parton’s literacy program plans to help California kids in a big way
Country music icon Dolly Parton’s literacy program is set to bring free books to children in California next year. The effort derives from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a program that launched in 1995 and has provided children under the age…
Dominique Lapierre, French author and journalist, dies at 91
French writer Dominique Lapierre, who was celebrated for his novels about the Second World War struggle to liberate Paris and depicting a life of hardship in a Kolkata slum, has died. He was 91. Lapierre died on Friday, a local…
Hong Kong: 5 jailed in for ‘seditious’ children’s books
Five speech therapists in Hong Kong have been jailed for 19 months each after being found guilty of publishing “seditious” children’s books. Authorities interpreted the books – about sheep trying to hold back wolves from their village – as referring…
Ni Kuang Dies: Prolific Hong Kong novelist & screenwriter was 87
Hong Kong novelist and screenwriter Ni Kuang, who penned some 300 screenplays including The One-Armed Swordsman and The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin, has died. According to local media, he passed away on Sunday at age 87. Tenky Tin Kai-man, actor…
SoA launches new fiction prize to encourage positive representation of disability
The Society of Authors (SoA) is launching a new fiction prize to encourage positive representation of disability in literature. The Authors with Disabilities & Chronic Illnesses (ADCI) Literary Prize will become an annual award. It is open to writers with…
Racism in English education should be seen as safeguarding issue, says author
Racism in education should be treated as a safeguarding issue, with anti-racist policies in all schools in England and training for staff, according to a new book. Jeffrey Boakye, a black English teacher, author and broadcaster, argues that schools are…
Michigan prisons ban Spanish and Swahili dictionaries to prevent inmate disruptions
Officials in prison systems across the United States have banned certain books as a way to prevent the flow of material that they say might incite violence. In Michigan, the ban has extended to several non-English language dictionaries. Over the…