guardian.co.uk — A journey through Egyptian fiction starts with the 1919 revolution against the British and ends with the Arab springPalace Walk by Naguib MahfouzPalace Walk is the first novel in Mahfouz's sumptuous Cairo trilogy, a three-generation saga set in the early 20th century. The trilogy, regarded as his masterwork, runs from...
paulocoelhoblog — Ever since we are children, we are asked: do you love daddy? Do you love auntie? Do you love your teacher? Nobody asks: do you love yourself? And we end up spending a good deal of our life and energy trying to please others. But what about ourselves? Anthony Mello...
guardian.co.uk — The Sandman author answers some questions we didn't have time for on Monday: is his work political, and where do his personal allegiances lie?At Monday's live appearance by Neil Gaiman, we tried to put as many of your questions to the author of The Sandman, American Gods and The Ocean...
jwikert.typepad — BusinessWeek is all hyped up about a new service they're offering print subscribers. It's called "expedited morning delivery." I first heard about it a couple of issues ago and didn't think much about it. Then when I went out to grab the morning paper late last week I found my...
guardian.co.uk — Outside the established, metropolitan-style literary festivals, small cultural initiatives are the lifeblood of our countryI live and work in London, and have done for years. This makes me inescapably a member of the metropolitan literati, an abused minority. Still, if you're based in London, especially during this great recession, your...
guardian.co.uk — According to Neil Gaiman, writers should be less mammalian. But can you build a literary career by casting your work into the wind?You might have noticed the Books site going a little strange last week, after we handed the keys to Neil Gaiman. But it wasn't his weird podcast, or...
guardian.co.uk — Live coverage as acclaimed graphic novel, fantasy and children's author Neil Gaiman talks to Guardian's Claire Armitstead tonight from 7pm BSTPaul Owen
guardian.co.uk — With its melodious free verse, this love poem's imagery extends beyond an individual woman to wider natureAmong the publications marking the centenary of RS Thomas's birth in 1913, especially interesting is an edition by Tony Brown and Jason Walford Davies of 138 rediscovered poems. Published recently by Bloodaxe, Uncollected Poems...
paulocoelhoblog — The code of the desert Two men were crossing the desert when they saw a Bedouin’s tent and asked him for shelter. Even though he did not know them, he welcomed them in the way that the conduct of nomads dictates: a camel was killed and its meat served in...
guardian.co.uk — It wasn't quite a book, it wasn't quite a cartoon, it wasn't quite a game – but it was quite boringEarlier this week Winnie-the-Pooh was launched into the digital world. His publisher, Egmont Press, told us that Pooh is a "pioneer", an animal, who, in spite of his questionable intelligence, sits at the...
paulocoelhoblog — Em 1996 realizei, junto com minha mulher Christina Oticica, um grande sonho. A criação do Instituto Paulo Coelho, uma instituição sem fins lucrativos, financiada exclusivamente por meuss direitos autorais Em seguida, veio aquela pergunta de sempre: caso o meu trabalho ainda seja lembrado no futuro, o que fazer com todo...
guardian.co.uk — George Saunders, Javier Marias and Irfan Orga are among the writers under review this weekThe latest collection of from George Saunders raises some interesting questions for swithering about the short story. How much does it matter if some of the stories are good and others aren't, he/she wonders: In this...
omnivoracious — Look, up on the screen! It’s a film. It’s a well-coifed hero. It’s Man of Steel! In his 75th anniversary (Great Scott!), Superman returns to the movies via producer Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight trilogy), director Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen, and more), writer David S. Goyer...
guardian.co.uk — Neil Gaiman has given us the opening line of a new story – now it's up to us to finish it. Add your contribution and come back to see which ideas are the author's favouritesNeil GaimanGuardian readersHannah Freeman
guardian.co.uk — I'm in charge of the Guardian Books site for one day only – the power's already going to my headHullo world.Even as I write this the power is starting to go to my head. I get to edit the Guardian Books site for a day. This is a position of...
paulocoelhoblog — Follow your destiny, Water your plants, Love your roses. The rest is shadow Of unknown trees. Reality is always More or less Than what we want. Only we are always Equal to ourselves. It’s good to live alone, And noble and great Always to live simply. Leave pain on the...
jwikert.typepad — I spent the last six weeks taking on some consulting projects and exploring full-time job opportunities. I've had the luxury of being very selective on both, but especially on the latter. My primary goal has been to find a role where I can have a significant impact on the organization's...
guardian.co.uk — Many people hail DH Lawrence's Sons and Lovers as a masterpiece, but how many have tried reading it …Geoff Dyer starts Out Of Sheer Rage with a description of the time he has spent not writing a study of DH Lawrence, and agonising about not writing a study of DH...
guardian.co.uk — From a taboo-breaking biography of a Victorian patriarch to stories of scapegrace swindlers and closeted gay men, here are the richest and most rewarding books on fathersThe concept of father memoirs is a fascinating one. Confronting fathers directly and publicly is not, and never has been, easy: the patriarch should...
paulocoelhoblog — By Paulo Coelho The Rabbi Elimelekh had delivered a wonderful sermon and now he was returning to his native land. To honour him and to show their gratitude, the faithful decided to follow Elimelekh’s carriage out of the city. At one point, the Rabbi stopped the carriage and asked the...
guardian.co.uk — Nineteen Eighty-Four depicts a society in which liberty was impossible – so how should we respond to this new threat?The NSA Prism surveillance scandal has been good news for George Orwell, and in particular for his dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, which was originally published in 1949. Sales of the centennial...
jwikert.typepad — Last May I decided to stop buying Kindle ebooks. I had already amassed a nice Kindle library but I felt it was time to move on, particularly since B&N was about to release the industry's first eInk device with built-in lighting. I bought their Nook with Glowlight on day one...
guardian.co.uk — The multiple award-winning novelist and comic writer Neil Gaiman will be joining us for a live webchat on Friday 14 June 2013. Post your questions nowThe Books site will be a strange place on Friday 14 June 2013, as Neil Gaiman takes over for a day. He'll be taking some...
guardian.co.uk — The space to talk about the books you are reading, and find out which ones we are reviewingGood day book people. As requested, TLS has now moved to a Monday slot. A great deal has happened in the books world since the last blog: The Women's prize for fiction was...
paulocoelhoblog — EM PORTUGUES AQUI: Por que não dou entrevistas? _____________ Como ya deben haber notado, hace tiempo no doy entrevistas cuando publico un nuevo libro. Y esto no se debe, de ninguna manera, a una actitud arrogante o de irrespeto a los periodistas. Junto con las librerías y los lectores, ellos...