Discussion

Le jour du soleil.

Près des
brouillards les
souffles des
vents perpétuels
inventent une
joie, avec
une chanson
qui brille dans
la mer.

Francesco Sinibaldi

I feel that Urdu literature be it prose or poetry loses its flavour in the process of translation.

With hair falling over the shoulders.

In the soft
chirping of
the new day
there's a delicate
quietness, and
even a fantasy,
like a velvety
flight in the
sound of a word.

Francesco Sinibaldi

The characters in Mueenuddin’s stories are suffused with carefully-chosen details. Their speech, diction and dialog reverberate with the setting they are a product of.

I also really enjoyed that as well as Kseniya's tip on starting the day with some reading of the classics.

Loved this. Beautifully written. Thoroughly enjoyed the interview too!

This was so truly written. Very, very beautiful.

Absolutely fantastic. I love the poetic feel! I should try this style soonish!!

En el abismo.

El sonido del
universo aparece
constante, cuando
el canto del
sol me llama
dichoso: siento
el fervor pasar
suavemente
donde muere
la noche regalando
el amor....

Francesco Sinibaldi

Bloggers are indeed lucky in that respect. And yes, I wouldn't venture to say whether or not that particular anecdote's true, but it was an interesting decision to use Muldoon's real name... There's a NYT review with an interesting point about the book's focus on the New Yorker in general here - http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/06/books/review/Orr-t.html

i loved reading it :)
nice Article...

Ollie, I know exactly how those podcasters feel. The only difference is that bloggers don't actually have to hear the sound of their own voices! The Muldoon anecdote has the ring of autobiography about it, don't you think...?

La nieve delicada en primavera.

Como una
sonrisa que brilla
en la ternura
de un niño triste
y desolado, como
la muerte de
un sol silente
y lleno de pasión,
como la nieve
en el invierno frío
y penetrante....

Francesco Sinibaldi

The bridge of the darkness.

In the dust
there's a ray
of light and
the first feeling
of a sadness,
and there, in
your eyes,
there's a delicate
movement...

Francesco Sinibaldi

You might find this interesting. An international photographic review, Private, published an issue on Pakistan three years ago. http://www.privatephotoreview.com/en/review/private.php/riv/61
All photographs & text contributed by Pakistanis. Text was obviously (and unfortunately) not touched by an editor. But the main thing, the photographs, are certainly worth a look-see.

DRIVING GRANTA 112 PAKISTAN

You drive through or fly over, and you presume you know the territories, can tell it all or show it. As if that fond and much fondled English-Arab lad the Lawrence of Arabia could have sat easy on the back of a camel in the London Zoo and written his reportage, poetic adventures and memoirs. Do we know Brixton? But Pakistan is not Brixton. 'Pakistan' remains unseen, unfelt, untold in these 300 pages. How to slip off the superfices of a self-indexed text rafting on exotic shores? Do look up GRANTA 112 PAKISTAN.

It should read "cratered peaks" not "cratered peeks" in the second paragraph.

Loved reading these powerful, evocative memories. Beautiful.

Clarté.

Je me sens
très las, quand
le son de la
neige doucement
disparaît comme
la voix mélodique
d'un chant très
heureux: j'écoute
l'atmosphère,
l'amour et la vie.

Francesco Sinibaldi

I must admit that when I first began reading The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, I was annoyed out how different the flow and structure of the book was. The unfamiliar construction of the book made me uncomfortable and made me question my ability to comprehend...The footnotes, the flow of the words, the pace....but after a while, I found myself so intrigued with the uniqueness of the book and by the time I was done reading the book I was like : man, now this is what I call a work of art. This art taught me, challenged me, frustrated me, it made me reflect and deflect, it made me relate and not want to relate...etc etc etc. Many thanks to Junot Diaz for sharing his talent and art...

what a wonderful list mostly new names to me ,I ll be sure too keep a eye out for these in coming years ,all the best stu

hmm...I really like the way Granta has published Pakistan's truck art and would like to read more.

The pictures made and painted by Islam Gul is awesome.

Douceur.

Marcher avec
toi est le
tendre cadeu
qui rappelle,
dans le son
du soleil, le
naturel chant
et la docile
doctrine.

Francesco Sinibaldi

Great article but you neglected the Caribbean. There are great young writers in the Caribbean. Remember there are already four Nobel laureate from the Caribbean: Gabriel Garcia Marquez, V.S. Naipaul, Derek Walcott, Saint-John Perse.

Auspicio de amor.

Al final de
una larga caminata
siento un suspiro,
el canto del
sol y la triste
poesía que llama
el eterno de un
sueño dichoso.

Francesco Sinibaldi