Latest news with #Faber&Faber
New Statesman
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New Statesman
The best summer reads 2025
Illustration by Eiko Ojara Story of a Murder: The Wives, the Mistress and Doctor Crippen by Hallie Rubenhold The story of how in 1910, Dr Crippen murdered his wife, fled with his lover on an ocean liner, was caught using a transatlantic telegram, and was tried and hanged, is pure penny dreadful sensation. Hallie Rubenhold's deft study looks at the personnel involved in the drama and the backstories, by turns nondescript, seedy and startling, that led them to tragedy. Read our review here. Doubleday, 512pp, £25. Buy the book A New New Me by Helen Oyeyemi There are seven Kinga Sikoras, or seven versions of her – including a matchmaker, a perfumier and a window cleaner – and each keeps a diary informing the other Kingas of what she got up to. The latest novel from Helen Oyeyemi is a dizzyingly funny narrative, where slapstick surrounds a central mystery. But the story's crowning jewel is her ability to create seven unique voices belonging to one individual. Read our review here. Faber & Faber, 256pp, £16.99. Buy the book Lives of the Caesars by Suetonius, translated by Tom Holland Just a single copy of Suetonius's short but vivid biographies of the Caesars had been preserved in a Frankish monastery, yet it became the model for how to write about powerful rulers for succeeding generations. Tom Holland's exemplary translation of this collection shows how strikingly modern they are in their mix of personal details, politics and power. Read an excerpt from the book here. Penguin Classics, 448pp, £25. Buy the book Call Me Ishmaelle by Xiaolu Guo In her feminist reimagining of Moby-Dick, the 2020 Goldsmiths Prize-shortlisted author Xiaolu Guo follows a similar plotline to Herman Melville's great novel, but with a slightly changed cast, including Ishmaelle, a 17-year-old girl who takes the identity of a 15-year-old boy. Guo deftly incorporates philosophical questions about our relationship with nature and gender dysphoria into the plot, with affecting results. Read our review here. Chatto & Windus, 448pp, £18.99. Buy the book Malick Sidibé's Painted Frames: the Malian photographer's portraits of African modernity, reframed as social and cultural objects. Photo by Malick Sidibé 2025 courtesy Loose Joints Peak Human by Johan Norberg The decline of all great civilisations is cyclical, notes Johan Norberg in Peak Human, yet inevitably another great dynasty seems always to emerge from the wake of previous eras. Norberg views history through seven 'golden ages', ranging from Ancient Greece to the Anglosphere by way of the Renaissance and Song China. However familiar the territory may be, he manages to place something surprising at every turn. Read our review here. Atlantic, 512pp, £22. Buy the book Open, Heaven by Seán Hewitt The British-Irish writer Seán Hewitt has won awards and acclaim for his first two collections of poetry. Now, he publishes a mature and complete debut novel. It is a sore and delicate love story about two teenage boys in a fictional northern village. Hewitt's poetic facility makes easy music of his atmosphere. The central relationship is revealed with a light, sensitive touch, and reaches impressive emotional depths. Read our review here. Jonathan Cape, 240pp, £16.99. Buy the book The Brothers Grimm: A Biography by Ann Schmiesing Jacob and Wilhelm, the Brothers Grimm, were responsible for the most disturbing collection of fairy stories ever published. Their tales were not just entertainment, for children and for adults, but a means by which to preserve both the German language and its folk past. Compiled in the age of Romantic nationalism, the stories are united by their strangeness and brutality, according to Ann Schmiesing. Read our review here. Yale University Press, 360pp, £25. Buy the book Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Don't Forget We're Here Forever by Lamorna Ash How younger generations are confronting and embracing religion is the focus of Lamorna Ash's study of contemporary faith. Sparked by two of her friends who converted, she combines her personal religious journey with interviews with people who have redefined their understanding of Christianity or are turning to it for the first time, as well as visits to Quaker meetings and Jesuit retreats. Read our review here. Bloomsbury Circus, 352pp, £22. Buy the book Beartooth by Callan Wink The characters of Callum Wink's highly readable second novel are Thad and Hazen, two young Montana brothers who begin to discover new things about themselves, and each other, after an injury. The book is at once thoroughly wild and thoroughly intimate. The modest poetry of Callan's prose does justice both to the beauty of the wilderness and to the complexity of the brothers' relationship. Read our review here. Granta, 256pp, £14.99. Buy the book Daughters of the Bamboo Grove: China's Stolen Children by Barbara Demick Drawing on the story of two identical twins separated between China and the US as infants, Barbara Demick shows the dark side of China's international adoption programme. In it, many babies were taken from the arms of their parents by government officials and trafficked. Chinese bureaucracy remains opaque, with affected families still unable to find their children. Read our review here. Granta, 336pp, £20. Buy the book Zed Nelson's The Anthropocene Illusion: visualising the environmental cost of human development. Photo by Zed Nelson Friends in Youth: Choosing Sides in the English Civil War by Minoo Dinshaw This fine work of narrative history follows the careers of two friends who found themselves on opposite sides during the English Civil War – the parliamentarian Bulstrode Whitelocke and the royalist Edward Hyde (the future Earl of Clarendon). They met as students and both worked within their respective parties to temper extremism, later writing accounts of their turbulent times. Read our review here. Allen Lane, 544pp, £30. Buy the book A Quiet Evening: The Travels of Norman Lewis – selected and introduced by John Hatt Norman Lewis is best known for his wartime memoir Naples '44. However, much of his other writing, suffused with deadpan humour, where beauty and absurdity sit side by side, deserves wider recognition. This selection of 36 pieces takes in everything from an encounter with bandits in Guatemala to conversations with Cossack prisoners of war facing death. Read our review here. Eland, 504pp, £25. Buy the book Underdogs: The Truth About Britain's White Working Class by Joel Budd When did the working class become racialised? In classical Marxist scholarship, it didn't need to be – the working class was generally assumed to be white. But with mass immigration, a new category, the 'white working class', has been invented. Joel Budd's mixture of reportage, travelogue and enquiry is one of the most searching studies into this contested subcategory yet. Read our review here. PanMacmillan, 336pp, £20. Buy the book The Alienation Effect: How Central European Émigrés Transformed the British 20th Century by Owen Hatherley Owen Hatherley's new book is a history of the central-European émigrés who fled fascism in the 1930s, from Ernst Gombrich to Ernő Goldfinger. If you've ever picked up an orange Penguin paperback, taken a walk down the South Bank or moaned about the Trellick Tower, you've registered how they transformed Britain. Read our review here. Allen Lane, 608pp, £35. Buy the book The Boys by Leo Robson Staff at the New Statesman love to see a former colleague graduate from book critic to book author. It is even more pleasing to see the book in question receive wall-to-wall praise. With a large canvas (London at the time of the 2012 Olympics), and a small cast (centred on two brothers attempting reconciliation after life has separated them), Robson has pulled off a tricky career swerve. Read our review here. Riverrun, 304pp, £16.99. Buy the book Abundance: How We Build a Better Future by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson Affordable housing, infrastructure and climate crisis action: these are things we all want, so why do we never get them? Derek Thompson and Ezra Klein's book is a galvanising attack on the over-regulation of the US economy, which could be applied to Britain too. This is an argument that has too often been made by the right; the authors point the way towards a progressive developmentalism. Profile, 304pp, £16.99. Buy the book Malaparte: A Biography by Maurizio Serra, translated by Stephen Twilley 'Malaparte' is such a perfect name for a laureate of violence and fascism that it's a shame it was invented – by Kurt Suckert. It means 'bad side' in Italian and this biography reveals a writer whose travelogues, written while following the Eastern Front of the Second World War, are evidence of the 'bad side' of humanity he saw with grim clarity. Read our review here. New York Review of Books, 736pp, $39.95 Irascible: The Combative Life of Douglas Cooper, Collector and Friend of Picasso by Adrian Clark and Richard Calvocoressi The collector and Picassophile Douglas Cooper was not a nice man (acid tongued, bitchy, prickly) but he was an interesting one. He befriended – and fell out with – many of the greatest artists of the mid-20th century, was a wartime Monuments Man, and art historian and proselytiser with a sometimes dangerous gay lifestyle. Read the review here. Yale University Press, 592pp, £45. Buy the book [See also: Kemi Badenoch isn't working] Related
Indian Express
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Oprah Winfrey's pick and 5 more must-read books on AI
As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes nearly every facet of our lives, from transportation to healthcare to creative work, the literary world has stepped up with compelling explorations, warnings, and provocations. At the center of this summer's AI discourse is Culpability by Bruce Holsinger, a searing novel that has earned iconic television personality Oprah Winfrey's endorsement as her book club pick. The book forces readers to confront the real-world consequences of autonomous machines such as self-driving cars. But Holsinger's is just one voice in a growing literary chorus. From Kazuo Ishiguro's Klara and the Sun to Ethan Mollick's pragmatic Co-Intelligence, we bring to you six books that approach AI from a wide range of angles: philosophical, political, economic, and personal. Publisher: Spiegel & Grau Pages: 380 Kindle (available in India): ₹2,218 American author Bruce Holsinger's book is Winfrey's book club pick for the month. It received a ringing endorsement from her: 'If you were looking for the summer read, this is it,' Winfrey said. 'I picked it because it is so prescient. It is prescient. It is right now. And it is also the future.' Holsinger's novel explores the urgent issue of artificial intelligence and moral responsibility. It explores the fallout after a self-driving minivan kills an elderly couple. It forces readers, especially those in the USA, where not all states regulate use of autonomous cars, to confront this nightmare scenario, which may happen to anybody. Holsinger interrogates what accountability means in the age of autonomous machines. I leave you with Winfrey's word of caution: 'Do not under any circumstances cut to the end. Because the end is gonna shock you no matter what.' Publisher: Faber & Faber Pages: 320 pages Paperback: Rs 382 From the pen of Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro, Klara and the Sun is a poignant exploration of love, sacrifice, and artificial intelligence. Set in a dystopian future United States, the story is told from the perspective of Klara, a solar-powered Artificial Friend (AF) designed to provide companionship to children. Klara is purchased by a teenager who has been genetically 'lifted' for enhanced intellectual ability, a common but risky procedure in this futuristic society. Isolated and home-schooled, Josie forms a deep bond with Klara. Blending science fiction with moral philosophy, Klara and the Sun raises several unsettling questions about the possibilities of artificial intelligence and whether it can develop an emotional quotient. The novel was longlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize. Publisher: Harper Collins Pages: Rs 274 Paperback: Rs 740 The AI Con is a scathing takedown of AI hype and exploitation. Bender and Hanna dismiss the idea that artificial intelligence is an benevolent force. They argue it is a tech bauble enriching a few while replacing real labour with synthetic media machines, which work like plagiarism engines. From LLMs that hallucinate citations to chatbots replacing unionising workers, The AI Con calls out the industry's exploitative underbelly. This is a definitive work in the field of AI as Bender, who has featured in the TIME100 AI list of most influential people in AI, is a Professor of Linguistics at the University of Washington. Her work, including the touchstone 'Stochastic Parrots' paper, brings a linguistic perspective to how large language models work and why the illusion they produce is so compelling. He co-author Alex Hanna is Director of Research at the Distributed AI Research Institute and a former senior research scientist on Google's Ethical AI team. Publisher: Bodley Head Pages: 432 Paperback: Rs 638 In his 2005 bestseller, the American computer scientist predicted that computers would reach human-level intelligence by 2029, and that humans would merge with computers and become superhuman around 2045. He called the futuristic phenomenon 'the Singularity'. With AI becoming part and parcel of life, a part of his prophecy has already come true, and so in 2024 he updated his prophecy. A culmination of six decades of work, the book delves into ideas that may seem as radical as the concept of artificial intelligence in the 90s. Some futuristic ideas he explores are rebuilding the world with nanobots (a hypothetical small self-propelled machine that can reproduce), life extension beyond 120 years, and connecting our brains to the cloud to name a few. Publisher: WH Allen Pages: 256 pages Paperback: Rs 671 This book by Wharton professor Ethan Mollick is a practical guide to 'living and working with AI.' Mollick contends that AI should not be treated as a threat, but as a new co-worker. Co-intelligence draws on real-world case studies to show how generative AI tools can be partners in education, creativity, and productivity. Mollick urges readers to master this relationship: to learn with AI, not from it. This should not be mistaken as a how-to manual. The book will guide us on how to reshape our lives to accommodate the tools that are now shaping the world. Publisher: Princeton University Press Pages: 352 Paperback: ₹398 The book cuts through the noise and explains what AI can and cannot do. This is best suited to those who are overwhelmed with the product hype created through AI. Again, two of TIME's most influential voices in AI clarify areas where AI works, where it fails, and where it is dangerously oversold. From education to hiring to criminal justice, AI Snake Oil explains why many AI claims are exaggerated, and how to spot them. The authors draw are attention from the distraction of Aargue we should worry less about AI itself and more about the unaccountable power behind it.
RTÉ News
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Lord Henry Mount Charles has died aged 74
Lord Henry Mount Charles, best known for staging iconic rock concerts at his ancestral home of Slane Castle in Co Meath, has died at the age of 74. His family confirmed the news in a statement: "It is with profound sadness that the family of Lord Henry Mount Charles, The Marquess Conyngham announce his peaceful passing in the late hours of June 18th following a long and valiant battle with cancer. "A beloved husband, father, grandfather, and custodian of Slane Castle, Lord Henry's courage, and unwavering spirit inspired all who knew him." The 8th Marquess Conyngham had been sick for some time having first been diagnosed with lung cancer in 2014. He became a household name in the 1980s as some of the world's biggest rock 'n' roll stars took to the stage at his picturesque Meath venue for era-defining concerts. Lord Henry took over the running of the Slane estate in 1976 at the age of just 25, after returning home from London, where he worked with book publishers Faber & Faber. He had received a call from his father, Frederick, at the time to say that due to tax impositions, he was going to have to leave Slane and sell up - or else Lord Henry would have to come home. Born into an aristocratic family of partial Ulster-Scots descent, Lord Henry attended Harrow School in London before studying at Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts. He became known as the Earl of Mount Charles, a courtesy title, in 1974. Despite succeeding his father as Marquess Conyngham in March 2009, he was affectionately known as Lord Henry Mount Charles, a name given to him by the press, for most of his life. His son Alex, who assumed the title Earl of Mount Charles, has lived at the castle for many years with Lord Henry and his wife, who was born Iona Grimston, opting to live upriver at the family-owned Beauparc House. Lord Henry often spoke about how he knew that the grounds of Slane Castle were a natural amphitheatre for open-air music and that they should be opened up to the public. Promoter Denis Desmond, now head of MCD, soon became a good friend of Lord Henry and the pair worked alongside promoters Eamonn McCann and the late Jim Aiken to get the venue off the ground. It was Irish rock band Thin Lizzy who first headlined Slane Castle on 16 August 1981 - supported by U2 - with some 18,000 concert-goers in attendance. The castle's debut as a venue came at a turbulent time when the hunger strikes were taking place during the Troubles and Anglo-Irish estates were being targeted. However, the concert was a success and was followed in the early years by other memorable headline acts such as The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Queen, and David Bowie. After a five-year absence, the longest since the event began in 1981, Slane returned in 1992. The five concerts of the 1990s were headlined by Guns N' Roses, Neil Young, R.E.M., The Verve, and Robbie Williams. The crowds at the best-selling gigs on 'Henry's lawn' eventually reached 80,000. However, there were also dark days. The Dylan concert in 1984 was marred by riots in Slane Village while there were two tragedies in the River Boyne on the day of the REM concert in 1995. Lord Henry's gamekeeper, Timothy Kidman, was killed by poachers on his land in 1989, something that deeply affected him. In 1984, U2 recorded their Unforgettable Fire album at Slane Castle, but in 1991, the castle was almost completely destroyed by a real fire, with valuable antiques and paintings - but thankfully no lives - lost. The crash of the Lloyd's insurance company around the same time, of which Lord Henry was an underwriter, caused further financial strain. In 1992, he ran in the general election for Fine Gael, polling fifth in the then-four-seater Louth constituency. With a €50m investment from Brown-Forman, the makers of Jack Daniels, the Mount Charles family launched Slane Irish Whiskey in 2017 and opened the distillery and visitor centre at Slane Castle. The previous year, Lord Henry had revealed that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer for a second time. He was also vocal about his relationship with alcohol in the past and how U2 bassist Adam Clayton helped him to get sober. Since the turn of the century, U2, Bryan Adams, Stereophonics, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Madonna, Oasis, Kings of Leon, Bon Jovi, Eminem, Foo Fighters, and Metallica are some of the other acts to have headlined Slane. The most recent concert in 2023 came after a four-year hiatus and saw a break from the rock 'n' roll tradition as pop star Harry Styles brought his world tour to Slane. The Mount Charles family said the concert was about welcoming a new generation of fans to the Meath venue and 80,000 of them turned up on the day to see the former One Direction member perform. In a documentary titled Henry Mount Charles: A Lord in Slane that aired on RTÉ last December, the patriarch of the Conyngham family spoke about his own mortality. In what was one of his last interviews, Lord Henry said: "Part of who I am and what I am and what I've done is keeping this estate together and now I know my son Alexander and his wife are there in the castle, the future is assured. "Slane, it has a draw, a pull, a fascination, and touches the spirit. I feel like a child of that. To me, there is no other place quite like it nor will there ever be," he said. Charismatic and enigmatic, Lord Henry was much like the rock stars he promoted. Part of his enduring legacy is the amazing memories he has given hundreds of thousands of people, particularly during the years when Ireland was not on the map for the big rock 'n' roll artists. He is survived by his wife, Lady Iona, and four adult children, Alexander, Henrietta, Wolfe, and Tamara. He and his first wife, the American Juliet Kitson, mother of his three eldest children, divorced in 1985.
Tatler Asia
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
9 magical realism literature for the jet-set book club
2. 'Beloved' by Toni Morrison Above 'Beloved' by Toni Morrison (Photo: Vintage Classics) In Morrison's haunted tale of a runaway enslaved woman, magical realism becomes a way to process intergenerational trauma. The ghost of a dead child—named Beloved—returns not to comfort but to disrupt. Morrison's language is hypnotic, but never indulgent. Here, the genre does not entertain so much as indict. It insists that certain truths can only be told through the unreal. 3. 'The Master and Margarita' by Mikhail Bulgakov Above 'The Master and Margarita' by Mikhail Bulgakov (Photo: Vintage Classics) A talking cat named Behemoth, Satan visiting 1930s Moscow and a manuscript that refuses to burn—this novel is outrageous in premise yet razor-sharp in satire. Bulgakov uses magical realism to lampoon Soviet censorship and artistic cowardice. For those tired of solemn symbolism, this offers irreverence with bite. It's best read with vodka, or perhaps while waiting for a delayed flight out of Sheremetyevo. 4. 'Pedro Páramo' by Juan Rulfo Above 'Pedro Páramo' by Juan Rulfo (Photo: Serpent's Tail Classics) Sparse, elliptical and eerie, Rulfo's novel helped shape Latin American magical realism long before it became fashionable. When Juan Preciado arrives in the ghost town of Comala to find his father, he discovers a village populated by murmurs and memories. This isn't a page-turner—it's a slow descent. Still, its compact length makes it a perfect read between check-ins and cocktails. 5. 'The House of the Spirits' by Isabel Allende Above 'The House of the Spirits' by Isabel Allende (Photo: Vintage Classics) Allende's debut blends family saga with political upheaval in postcolonial Chile. Critics have debated whether it's derivative of Márquez, but the book holds its own in its exploration of matriarchal memory, spiritual visions and domestic power. Magical realism here is a tool of female resistance, quietly upending a patriarchal world through the domestic and the divine. 6. 'The Famished Road' by Ben Okri Above 'The Famished Road' by Ben Okri (Photo: Vintage Classics) Okri's Booker Prize-winning novel follows Azaro, a spirit child caught between life and the afterlife in postcolonial Nigeria. The prose can veer toward the ornamental, but it captures a world where ancestors interrupt daily life and reality pulses with unseen energies. Magical realism, in Okri's hands, becomes both political and philosophical. It's not a casual read, nor should it be. 7. 'The Palm-Wine Drinkard' by Amos Tutuola Above 'The Palm-Wine Drinkard' by Amos Tutuola (Photo: Faber & Faber) A chaotic, exhilarating plunge into Yoruba folklore, Tutuola's novel is unlike anything in the Western canon. It was derided when first published in 1952, but later celebrated for its raw invention. The narrator's quest through spirit lands and shapeshifting creatures may lack polish, but it pulses with authenticity. Magical realism here is deeply rooted, drawing power from oral traditions rather than literary fashion. 8. 'Kafka on the Shore' by Haruki Murakami Above 'Kafka on the Shore' by Haruki Murakami (Photo: Vintage) A boy runs away from home. A man talks to cats. A storm of leeches falls from the sky. Murakami's novel is cryptic but deliberate, filled with riddles rather than revelations. The surreal elements aren't decorative—they form the architecture of the characters' emotional landscapes. While not all critics agree on calling it magical realism, the novel's refusal to distinguish dream from reality puts it firmly in the genre's most modern lineage. Best read in transit, when your sense of time and space is already in flux. 9. 'Like Water for Chocolate' by Laura Esquivel Above 'Like Water for Chocolate' by Laura Esquivel (Photo: Black Swan) A cookbook of longing disguised as a novel, Esquivel's story of forbidden love and inherited recipes popularised magical realism for a broader audience. Tita's emotions infuse her cooking, causing dinner guests to weep or lust depending on the dish. Though its popularity has led some to dismiss it as sentimental, the novel's sensual intelligence remains sharp. It turns domestic ritual into rebellion, a theme as relevant in contemporary kitchens as it is in literature. For the jet-set reader, magical realism offers more than a surreal detour. It's a way of seeing—one that acknowledges beauty without denying brutality, and wonder without abandoning doubt. These books are not whimsical escapes. They are invitations to reconsider what we take for granted about reality, especially when viewed from a window seat at 35,000 feet. NOW READ 7 upgraded travel essentials for the savvy flyer's wellness kit From sleep tourism to 'quietcations: 4 wellness travel trends for the weary 7 inspiring wellness books for a grounded, mindful life
The National
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
James Tait Black Prizes 2025 announced
The James Tait Memorial Black Prize, now in its 106th year, is the only major British book prize to be judged by literature scholars and students. This year is the first time that both prizes – which are awarded in fiction and biography – have been awarded to translated works. READ MORE: Warning after 'five lamb heads' found dumped in Glasgow park's pond It is also only the second time a writer and translator have been awarded a prize together in the history of the awards. The prizes were first opened to translations in 2021, with authors and translators honoured equally. The winning authors receive a £10,000 prize. See the winners of this year's prizes below. James Tait Memorial Black Prize winners 2025: Fiction: My Heavenly Favourite, Lucas Rijneveld, translated by Michele Hutchison (Faber & Faber) Biography: My Great Arab Melancholy, Lamia Ziade, translated by Emma Ramadan (Pluto Press) Lucas Rijneveld's winning fiction title, My Heavenly Favourite, translated by Michele Hutchison, charts a rural veterinarian's obsession with a young woman. The novel was commended by judges for its unique voice and uncompromising storytelling. Rijneveld is a Dutch writer known for his emotionally intense and stylistically bold work. His debut novel, The Discomfort of Evening (2018), won the 2020 International Booker Prize. READ MORE: Japanese ambassador meets John Swinney during Scotland visit Translator Hutchison is a British writer and translator specialising in Dutch-language literature, and also won the 2020 International Booker Prize for her translation of Rijneveld's debut novel. Rijneveld said: 'What a glorious honour to be added to the tremendous list of literary giants who preceded me in receiving this wonderful award.' Hutchison added: 'What an honour to share this year's prize with Lucas Rijneveld for My Heavenly Favourite which certainly was a challenging book to translate. 'I've long been aware of the prize's reputation and its sterling catalogue of winners so to be included among them is a genuine thrill." The fiction prize judging panel, led by University of Edinburgh academics Benjamin Bateman and Hannah Boast, said: "Lucas Rijneveld's challenging, inventive novel is a major literary achievement that confirms his status as one of Europe's most exciting new writers. "Our panel praised his distinctive and vivid language, which was rendered in a stunning translation by Michele Hutchison. My Heavenly Favourite is a uniquely claustrophobic and compulsive read.' The biography prize has been awarded to Lamia Ziade for My Great Arab Melancholy, translated by Emma Ramadan. The text traces the lives of Arab intellectuals from the mid-20th century onward, exploring the cultural and political upheaval of the Arab world, capturing a sense of collective loss and longing. READ MORE: 'Do something!': Question Time audience member in fiery row with Labour MP on Israel Beirut-born Ziade is a French-Lebanese author and illustrator, while Ramadan is an award-winning literary translator, specialising in French to English work. Commenting, Ziade said: 'It is a great honour to receive this prestigious prize. I want to thank the jury from the bottom of heart for granting such distinction to a book so passionately supportive of the Palestinian cause. 'In the horrific times we are living through, I am doubly touched by this honour. I am also very grateful to David Shulman, my editor at Pluto Press, for publishing this book so unusual in both its form and its subject, and to my translator Emma Ramadan for her excellent work.' Ramadan said: 'My deepest gratitude to the jury for recognizing this essential book by Lamia Ziadé that uplifts the undersung stories of martyrs, revolutionaries, and dreamers of the Arab world, decrying the imperialist forces that wreaked havoc in this region, and revealing the ripple effect in our current climate. 'This award for a hybrid work of writing and illustrations, is a recognition of bravery and originality in storytelling and publishing.' Biography prize judges Dr Simon Cooke and Desha Osborne said: "My Great Arab Melancholy presents a visually striking and poignant blend of text and image that tells a story of overwhelming loss and perseverance for the people of the Middle East. "The images – historical and traumatic – linger in the memory long after turning the page. The words - beautifully translated - speak only when necessary and yet are inseparable from the images. "Both speak to the past, present and future of a world through the eyes of its author-illustrator.' A ceremony to recognise the winning titles and the shortlisted entries will take place on Friday.
