Rosa’s Bus by Fabrizio Silei, who refers to himself as a “researcher of human stories and events”, is a perfect early learning book for children from the age of seven upwards. Beautifully illustrated by Maurizio A. C. Quarello, and sensitively translated from the Italian by Siân Williams, it is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. What does … The post ReviewRosa’s Bus, Fabrizio Silei, illus. Maurizio A. C. QuarelloDarf Publishers appeared first on BookBlast® Diary ..read more

A celebration of 25 years of Banipal Magazine translating and publishing contemporary Arab literature in English is being held at 7pm on Wednesday 18 January 2023 at the Irish Cultural Centre 5 Black’s Road, Hammersmith, London W6 9DT. All are welcome however registration by way of an RSVP to the editors of Banipal Magazine via … The post NewsCelebrating Banipal Magazine of Modern Arab Literature, 7pm 18 January 2023, Irish Cultural Centre, London appeared first on BookBlast® Diary ..read more

This welcome collection contains twenty-seven short stories by six influential Spanish women writers, written over the past one hundred and twenty years. The translations are fluent and easily readable, the editing ‘light-touch’ and unobtrusive. One surprising feature of the stories is the constancy of the themes they address. The stories concentrate on marginalized, frustrated women, … The post Guest ReviewSharif GemieTake Six: Six Spanish Women Writers, (eds) Simon Deefholts & Kathryn Phillips-MilesDedalus Books appeared first on BookBlast® Diary ..read more

Lack of time has meant that mastering the TBR&R pile has been a frustrating challenge this  year. Many fantastic books have been published in 2022 by independent trade publishers championed via The BookBlast Diary over the years. The intermittent support is mightily appreciated of a couple of donors who stepped into the breach when official … The post 2022 in Review (part 2): Fiction and Nonfiction from 5 Indie Presses, Andrey Kurkov & The Children’s BookShow appeared first on BookBlast® Diary ..read more

What an odd post-pandemic year 2022 has been, deranged in so many ways, over and beyond the realities of Brexit hitting home, and the depressing normalization of exploitation by the Government and giant corporates across the board, as we enter “a different kind of recession where there are still lots of jobs but the recession … The post 2022 in Review (part 1): Annie Ernaux, Olivier Guez, Empire Windrush & more     appeared first on BookBlast® Diary ..read more

A prolific and acclaimed writer in his Italian homeland, Erri De Luca’s thought-provoking, philosophical investigation builds in suspense ending with an emotional bomb. Although a work of fiction, to what extent Impossible is inspired by his actual experiences of being sued for an alleged incitement to sabotage to the Lyon-Turin high speed train line on … The post ReviewIMPOSSIBLE Erri De Luca trs. N. S. ThompsonMountain Leopard Press appeared first on BookBlast® Diary ..read more

Antony Thomas was making documentary films at a time in film and TV when leading producers and executives were backed by their organizations, could stand by their principles and get films made. Three very different commissioners – Charles Denton, Sheila Nevins and Tony Essex – gave him a free rein to make defining, bold films. … The post ReviewIn the Line of Fire: Memories of a Documentary Filmmaker, Antony ThomasUnicorn Publishing appeared first on BookBlast® Diary ..read more

Poetry and fiction by Vladimir Sharov, a medieval historian by education, was first published in the late 1970s. Be Like Children was a finalist for the Russian Booker and Big Book awards. “My own experience has taught me that being at the centre of events makes you the worst possible witness,” writes the main character … The post Guest ReviewVladimir Sharov, Be As Children (trs. Oliver Ready)Dedalus Books appeared first on BookBlast® Diary ..read more

Evelio Rosero’s chilling dystopian parable, Stranger to the Moon, is like the detailed, imaginative nightmare of a fantastic surrealist painting by Max Ernst, populated by the bizarre and often monstrous figures of a creation by Hieronymous Bosch. From the start, the reader is sucked into the mind of one of the undesirable Naked Ones exiled … The post ReviewStranger to the Moon, Evelio RoseroMountain Leopard Press appeared first on BookBlast® Diary ..read more

Continuing BookBlast’s series of interviews with the founders of independent presses, we catch up with Justin David, the publisher at www.inkandescent.co.uk and author of The Pharmacist and Kissing the Lizard ; and Nathan Evans, the editor at www.inkandescent.co.uk and author of Threads and CNUT. His forthcoming novella, One Last Song, is due for imminent release.  … The post InterviewJustin David and Nathan Evans, Directors, InkandescentIndie Publisher of the Week appeared first on BookBlast® Diary ..read more