
Europe
Copenhagen Denmark
The Colours of the Absurd
Through observations of this carnivalesque fever dream, European Editor Anja Gogo reviews Pirandello’s play, its linguistic landscape and its permeating nostalgia.
Does Michel Houellebecq Still Matter? Part II: The H.P. Lovecraft biography
In this article, Geordie Cheetham looks at Houellebecq’s first published work, a biography of the American author H. P. Lovecraft. How does disgust with the modern world become a fitting object of literary study, when Houellebecq approvingly cites Lovecraft’s disdain for all forms of realism? And what does a corpse surrounded by shopping trolleys Nouvelles Galeries have to do with it?
Bas(qu)ing in difference: the Beauty of the Basque identity II: Pin(tx)ch me, a life changing food experience
In this entertaining excursion of an article, CLC columnist Freya John takes us on a culinary tour of Bilbao as she recounts her love affair with the ‘incredible, edible, small delights: pintxos.’
“Rok en Rol Jugoslavija !” - Yugorock: Yugonostalgia meets social commentary at the end of an era
In this whistle stop tour of Yugorock, European Staff Writer Kirsty Turnbull delivers an enthusiastic and engaging introduction to the Yugoslav rock scene of the 1980s. From politics to playlists, this article covers it all.
RSL Remembers: Paula Rego
In this illustrative article, columnist Soraya Shakibi reflects on her evening spent at the Royal Society of Literature and the Royal Drawing School, exploring the life of virtuoso Portuguese artist Paula Rego. From history, to feminism, to fairytales, Shakibi takes us on an engaging tour of Portuguese culture as portrayed by Rego.
Protecting or persecuting the French language? The unpleasant underbelly of France’s linguistic watchdog, L’académie française
From regional language policy, écriture inclusive, to linguistic evolution and xenophobia, European staff writer Chiara Lewis offers an eloquent and probing critique of the famed Académie Française.
Von Preisverleihungen und Hinterhoflesungen: Ein Bericht über die Leipziger Buchmesse
In her thoughtful account, Michelle Schreiber describes the Leipzig book fair— from its unannounced backyard readings, to its awards, she covers it all, and does so both in German and in translation.
Strangers I Know: a process of disentaglement
Harriet Gilbert Savage frames the unique aliveness of Strangers I know, reviewing and exploring the complex paradox of simultaneous proximity and distance.
‘Fake News : Art, Fiction, Mensonge’ Exposition (Fondation EDF, Paris)
The French section’s staff writer Joe Wherry reviews the ‘Fake News : Art, Fiction, Mensonge’ exposition at the Fondation EDF in Paris.
Modern Fiction in Translation II: Drive Your Plow by Olga Tokarczuk
Columnist Alice Wright reviews Olga Tokarczuk’s 2009 novel Drive Your Plow, an astonishing amalgam of murder mystery and dark feminist comedy.
In search of German-language pop music - a review of the album Primetime by Strandhase
Daphne Pleming reviews the album Primetime by Strandhase, an upcoming German band who could might be able to raise the profile of German pop music.
‘Linda’, a Pretty Pop Track With Ugly Implications
Isabella Fahey reviews ROSALÍA and Tokischa’s track Linda, and the controversies which surround it, arguing the need for social awareness when consuming creative content.