Fiction

Don Quixote is the best book out there on political theory, followed by Hamlet and Macbeth. There is no better way to understand the tragedy and the comedy of the Mexican political system than Hamlet, Macbeth and Don Quixote. They're much better than any column of political analysis.

Subcomandante Marcos

Thursday, 13 April 2023 10:03

Katja Oskamp: Marzahn Mon Amour

Written by Jenny Farrell

in Fiction

The shortlist for the annual International Dublin Literary Award for 2023 was published in late March. Among the six books on the list is a book by the East German writer Katja Oskamp, Marzahn, Mon Amour. The title stands out for East Berliners in particular, who immediately recognise Marzahn as…

Saturday, 29 April 2023 16:49

The Precinct with the Golden Arm

Written by Michael Eaude

in Fiction

Michael Eaude reviews The Precinct with the Golden Arm, by Dennis Broe, Pathmark Press 2020 This noir novel is the third of a trilogy set in Los Angeles in the late 1940s, the golden place and age of the P.I. novel, and featuring private investigator Harry Palmer. If the title…

Noir novel Nelson Algren Raymond Chandler

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Wednesday, 12 April 2023 09:50

The Invaders: Alien Beings From A Dying Empire

in Fiction

Written by Dennis Broe

The Invaders: Alien Beings From a Dying Planet. Their Destination: The Earth. Their Mission: To Make It Their World. It began with a landing of a craft from another galaxy. Now David Vincent knows that the invaders are here, that they have taken human form. Somehow, he must convince a…

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Friday, 24 February 2023 19:56

'Siblings': the search for a new humanity through socialism in the GDR

in Fiction

Written by Jenny Farrell

“Siblings” by German Democratic Republic writer Brigitte Reiman has just been published in English translation by Penguin, in its series of classic international literature. It comes sixty years after the original German novella appeared. Why is a text like this of interest to the modern Western reading public? Its primary…

GDR Brigitte Reiman

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Sunday, 15 January 2023 15:42

'Liberties', by Peter Bennett: a riveting tale and a political and aesthetic achievement

in Fiction

Written by Jim Aitken

Liberties by Peter Bennett does what E.M. Forster, in his Aspects of the Novel (1927), says a novel must invariably do: ‘The novel – oh dear yes – the novel tells a story.’ While Forster wishes the novel could be ‘something different’ like ‘melody or perception of the truth,’ he…

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Thursday, 29 December 2022 17:26

Enlightenment for All!

in Fiction

Written by Paul Victor Tims

Fran Lock introduces a 'Gypsy Futurist' science fiction story called 'Enlightenment For All!', available to download as a pdf below. Image above courtesy of Jack Varnell Realistic Irrealities: On ‘Enlightenment for All!’ An Lucht Siúil or ‘the walking people’ is the Irish name for those of ethno-cultural nomadic heritage. I…

Friday, 18 November 2022 16:43

A Book for Christmas: The Sikh Snowman

Written by Culture Matters

in Fiction

Some snowmen had topknots. Some wore football scarves and skull caps. Some had veils over their faces. One had fairy wings. They all began to sing...... Snowfall, friendship and feelings combine in this heartfelt and celebratory story about coming together. There's a relatable and joyous sense of wonder as the…

Wednesday, 29 June 2022 16:24

The working class liberates itself: Review of 'Joe Stafford: A Tale of Revolution', by Charles Andrews.

Written by Jenny Farrell

in Fiction

When is the last time you read an exciting story about the working class engaged in determined and successful struggle? This is just what Charles Andrews sets out to do in his newly published novelette Joe Stafford: A Tale of Revolution. Not only is the working class largely excluded from…

Sunday, 10 April 2022 09:21

Culture for All: Why Children's Literature Matters

Written by Kim Reynolds

in Fiction

As part of the Culture for All series we're proud to present a short film about children's literature by Kim Reynolds, followed by the text of her talk Why Children’s Literature Matters People often ask me why I study children’s literature. The question comes from the misconception that children’s books…

Hans Christian Andersen Black Lives Matter classism Jacqueline Wilson

Sunday, 03 April 2022 09:42

The purest light attracts the most impenetrable darkness: Hex, by Jenni Fagan

Written by Jim Aitken

in Fiction

Jim Aitken reviews Hex, by Jenni Fagan, published by Birlinn There can be little doubt that part of the success of Jenni Fagan’s previous novel, Luckenbooth (2021), can be attributed to the way she managed to evoke Edinburgh’s Old Town with its grey tenements, cobbles and closes. In her recent…

Witchcraft communism