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Literature

In this photo provided by The Federation Council of The Federal Assembly of The Russian Federation Press Service, lawmakers of Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation listen to the national anthem at a session in Moscow, Russi

In Russia, a novel about a summer romance between two men sparks outrage

LGBTQ

Novels about queer topics have been pulled from bookstores in Russia under a recent law that bans all mention of LGBTQ life in popular culture. It’s part of a regional crackdown against novelists and poets.

The Gaiety theatre in Shimla is a fine example of British colonial-era architecture

‘It is a legacy’: How British-era ghosts are kept alive in India’s hill towns

The cover of "Alma and How She Got Her Name"

This children’s book author explores themes of immigration and identity

Writer Olga Tokarczuk appears at a book fair.

Olga Tokarczuk destined to win Nobel Prize, says Jennifer Croft, her translator

Chinese sci-fi blockbuster The Wandering Earth is coming to Netflix.

The sci-fi of another language

The World in Words
Books are shown in stacks, one of them is by Peruvian-Spanish writer Mario Vargas Llosa, winner of the 2010 Nobel Prize in Literature.

What author would you pick for a Nobel Prize in literature this year?

Arts, Culture & Media

The Swedish Academy will not award a Nobel Prize in literature this year, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been excellent books. So, we asked for your nominations.

Michael (Pierre Png) and Astrid (Gemma Chan)

How to get beyond a tourist fantasy of Singapore

Media

Watching ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ this week? Here are some other perspectives on the island — that go beyond the uber-rich narrative.

A young man dressed in blue denim sits on a grey sofa near a large plant with a slight smile on his face.

Gaël Faye’s best-selling ‘Small Country’ grapples with history and identity

Arts, Culture & Media

The rapper’s novel, not quite a memoir, was a bestseller in France. Now he’s bringing the story to English-speaking audiences.

Sci-fi motherhood.

How I learned to stop worrying and love the mom

Arts, Culture & Media

When it comes to the intricacies of pregnancy, sometimes truth can be stranger than fiction.

Author Asne Seierstad

The journey of two sisters into the Syrian jihad, and a father’s efforts to rescue them

Books

Somali-Norwegian teenagers Ayan and her younger sister Leila leave their affluent neighborhood outside of Oslo to travel to Syria and marry ISIS fighters. Author Asne Seierstad’s latest book, “Two Sisters: A Father, His Daughters and Their Journey into the Syrian Jihad”, shares the family’s story including the father’s efforts to bring his daughters home.

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Banned Books: A Tool For Prison Control