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Books and literature

Kaia Gerber is just one A-lister helping make literary merch from the likes of London bookshop Idea fashionable, from Dua Lipa’s ‘Winona’ cap to “Keanu” and “I don’t work here” tees. Photo: @kaiagerber/Instagram

Why bookshop tees and caps are flying off the shelves

Tote bags from London’s Daunt Books or New York’s The Strand, The New Yorker, Shakespeare and Co or The Paris Review bookshops were the original lit merch, but Idea raised the bar.

The design secrets of Hong Kong’s private housing estates

Being Chinese | English took me out of a Chinese factory, but not China out of me

5 must-see music and arts events in Hong Kong this weekend, November 15-17

From an auction where you can bid with stories to a night of dreamy classical music under the stars, here is what is happening this weekend.

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra perform during Swire Symphony Under The Stars in 2020. The event returns for another concert this year at the Central Harbourfront. Photo: Hong Kong Philharmonic/Christine Cheuk

UK writer Samantha Harvey’s Orbital wins Booker Prize for fiction

In her novel set aboard the International Space Station, six astronauts circle the Earth, looping through 16 sunrises and sunsets in a day.

How Hong Kong’s Repulse Bay Hotel became a haven for the famous

Once the pinnacle of opulence and grandeur, the Repulse Bay Hotel hosted guests like Ernest Hemingway, George Bernard Shaw and Wallis Simpson.

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British chef pulls children’s book from sale after causing offence in Australia

Jamie Oliver’s ‘Billy and the Epic Escape’ was criticised for employing tropes and stereotypes about Indigenous Australians.

British chef Jamie Oliver. Photo: Picture Alliance / Axel Heimken / dpa

‘Text hip’ trend makes books cool in Korea, and a bar catches on

K-pop stars like NewJeans’ Minji are making reading cool again. Chaeg Bar in Seoul is lined with books to read and serves literary cocktails.

Copy of The Little Prince worth US$1.25 million for sale at art fair

For sale in the UAE, the typescript, one of only three known to exist, contains handwritten corrections by author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

5 arts events to catch in Hong Kong this weekend, November 8-10

Digital art, the annual India by the Bay festival, choral concerts and a post-apocalyptic musical are among the highlights for arts fans.

Kādal Kaḍal: Endless Love, a dance choreographed, directed and performed by Rukmini Vijayakumar (pictured), is part of the 2024 India by the Bay festival programme in Hong Kong. Photo: courtesy of India by the Bay

Who’s controversial commentator Megyn Kelly’s husband, Douglas Brunt?

The pair met on a blind date in 2006 and now have 3 children – Brunt has said that the former Fox News anchor is the ‘secret sauce’ in their 16-year marriage.

Controversial American commentator Megyn Kelly has a low-key and steady hubby, Douglas Brunt. Photo: @megynkelly/Instagram

John Banville on ‘eerie’ masterpieces at Spain’s Prado museum

The Booker Prize winner talks about Old Masters’ pictures that ‘look at you’ and AI in art as he takes writing inspiration from the Prado.

Tributes pour in for bookshop owner, but he’s very much alive

His landlord thought he’d died. People shared fond memories of him. A clearance sale was arranged. But Bill Fiedler had simply retired.

The bookstores where anyone can rent a shelf to sell books, new or used

In Japan, where many conventional bookstores have closed, a new business model sees people rent shelves in a store to sell their books.

A rented shelf at the Honmaru bookstore in Kanda Jimbocho, Tokyo. Photo: AFP

Literary but not literal, translator introduces Korean writers to the world

Award-winning translator Brother Anthony ponders Nobel Prize hype and the complexities of translating Korean poems and novels into English.

Korean literature translator and naturalised South Korean citizen Brother Anthony says “readability is all that counts” when it comes to translation. Photo: Instagram/@notsokoreanpodcast

Jodi Picoult, Margaret Atwood, Alice Walker books top banned list in US

Once recommended for young adults, Picoult’s Nineteen Minutes leads among 4,200 titles banned in schools, writers’ group PEN America says.

Meet Amy Griffin: the G9 Ventures founder’s cut deals for Spanx, and Goop

Her husband John Griffin was the founder of major hedge fund Blue Ridge Capital, but Griffin carved her own niche in venture capital by focusing on female-led unicorn start-ups and building relationships.

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Game of Thrones movie said to be in the works, or talked about at least

After hit HBO series, Warner Bros is reported to have been ‘quietly developing at least one film’ about the feuding noble clans of Westeros.

Kit Harington as Jon Snow and Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen in a still from the HBO series Game of Thrones. Warner Bros has been “quietly developing at least one” Game of Thrones film, but no stars have yet been attached to the project, reports say. Photo: HBO

Where’s the cast of Glee now? From Broadway triumphs to untimely deaths

Fox musical drama Glee became a sensation when it was released in 2009 and put its cast firmly in the spotlight – nearly 10 years after the show’s end, only a few are still acting regularly

Nick Harkaway on stepping into dad John le Carré’s shoes

Author talks about reviving spymaster character George Smiley for Karla’s Choice, and how he got over his terror of writing the thriller.

Cookbook takes stress out of sharing kitchen with recipes for bonding

A Couple Cooks: 100 Recipes to Cook Together has recipes from pizza to sides in which the labour is split to make things ‘more fun together’.

A recipe for salmon piccata in A Couple Cooks: 100 Recipes to Cook Together, in which married food bloggers Sonja and Alex Overhiser take the heat out of sharing the kitchen and promote “bonding moments”. Photo: Chronicle Books via AP

Nobel winner Han Kang’s book faces backlash from South Korean parents

More than 10,000 people have signed a petition demanding the book’s removal from school libraries.

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Books by South Korean author Han Kang on display at an outdoor library event in central Seoul on October 11. Photo: AFP

Novelist Nicholas Sparks on Counting Miracles, its Bible connection

The author talks about where his ideas come from, how characters in his new book compare to those in earlier ones, and being a visual writer.

Who is American weatherman Al Roker’s foodie daughter, Courtney Roker Laga?

Courtney Roker Laga has an extensive culinary background, working at Michelin-starred restaurants and Google HQ – she and her dad will host a masterclass in New York City to promote their cookbook.

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Han Kang wins Nobel Prize for Literature

South Korean author Han Kang has made history as the first Asian woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Author Han Kang hopes to ‘continue as always’ after Nobel Prize win

Han Kang, South Korea’s first Nobel Literature laureate, says win was a ‘joyful moment’ she ‘quietly celebrated’, but now it’s back to work.

Han Kang is working on finishing a novel she started in the spring. Photo: AP/Pool

How the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra transformed for a new generation

Former general manager John Duffus, in his memoirs Backstage in Hong Kong, recalls the challenges of leading the orchestra into the 20th century

Who are Al Pacino’s children? The Hollywood great has 4 kids, aged 1 to 35

Pacino’s Shrek phone case was spotted when he was out and about with Jason Momoa – and Scarface has held on to it after making a promise to his kid.

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Books and literature
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Books and literature. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
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