Podcasts about literary affairs

In the ninth and currently final episode of Current Literary Affairs, Lisanne Snelders speaks with Indonesian author Ayu Utami and Dutch poet and musician Robin Block. With Indonesia's election of former general Prabowo Subantio as its new president, they revisit Utami's debut novel, Saman, from 1998. The book was published just before the fall of Suharto's military regime, a period marked by human rights violations and limited freedom. Does the choice of Prabowo signify a potential return to this period, which is scarcely taught in schools? Which histories are remembered, which ones are forgotten? What role does literature play in this? And how do Block and Utami address these themes in their work? Ayu Utami (1968) is a writer, journalist, and organizer. In 1998, she made her debut with the highly acclaimed novel Saman, just before the fall of the Suharto regime. She studied Russian literature, worked as a journalist, and is one of the founders of The Alliance of Independent Journalists. She has published several novels, such as Larung (2002) and Bilangan Fu (2008), in which she addresses sensitive topics like religion and female sexuality. Utami is the director of the Literature & Ideas Festival at the Salihara Art Centre in Jakarta. Robin Block (1980) is a poet and musician. Much of his work deals with the colonial past of the Netherlands in Indonesia and contemporary Indonesian culture. His collection Handleiding voor ontheemden (2023), in which he explores his Indo roots, was awarded the Herman de Coninck Prize. Current Literary Affairs is a podcast about current events through the lens of literature, featuring conversations with writers from around the world. How does the political situation in their country influence their lives and work? What do we really need to discuss? Urgent conversations about fear and hope, anger and pride, the personal and the political. Current Literary Affairs is a production of SLAA and Read My World. This podcast was made by Cultuurfonds and Productiehuis Noord, the media channel of Verdedig Noord.

In the eighth episode of Current Literary Affairs, Lisanne Snelders speaks with South African writer Ronelda S. Kamfer and professor of South African literature Margriet van der Waal. They discuss their relationship with the language Afrikaans given its complex historical perspective and Afrikaans' position in South Africa's literary landscape. Lisanne also talks with Ronelda about her poetry collection Chinatown and her recently published novel Compound, exploring themes like feminism and the complexity of patriarchal structures in her work. Ronelda S. Kamfer (Cape Town, 1981) is one of South Africa's foremost authors. She writes in Cape Afrikaans, a dialect blending English and street slang. Her debut poetry collection "Noudat Slapende Honde" (Now That Sleeping Dogs, 2008) paints a vivid picture of life in poverty. "Santenkraam" (2012) features verse stories about a fishing village displaced by a military base. "Mammie" (2017) is a raw yet affectionate tribute to her mother. "Chinatown" (2021) hits hard, with Kamfer skillfully blending intimacy and dark humor to tackle themes of violence, women's roles, love, and parenthood. She translates Kirsty Applebaum's Princess Minna children's books into Afrikaans, including "Die eenhoring-gedoente" and "Die betowerde woud" (2023), and curates "Die maan is zwart" (2022), a poetry anthology by Adam Small. Her debut novel "Kompoun" (2021) was translated into Dutch by Alfred Schaffer, who also translated her poetry. Margriet van der Waal (born in Pretoria, South Africa) is a cultural scholar at the University of Groningen, where she is also Director of Studies of the Erasmus Mundus Master program Euroculture. Additionally, she holds the endowed chair in South African Literature, Culture and History at the University of Amsterdam as an endowed professor because of the Stichting Zuid-Afrikahuis Nederland. For her research, Van der Waal analyses European and South African cultural (colonial and postcolonial) imaginaries and how these imaginaries form part of the public sphere. Current Literary Affairs is a podcast about current events through the lens of literature, in which we engage in conversation with writers from all over the world. How do the political circumstances in their country of residence influence their life and work? What are the topics we really should be talking about? CLA brings urgent conversation about fear and hope, outrage and pride, the personal and the political. Current Literary Affairs is a podcast by SLAA and Read My World. This podcast was realized thanks to Cultuurfonds and Productiehuis Noord, the media channel of ‘Verdedig Noord'.

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In deze bonusaflevering praat Read My World-redacteur Canan Marasligil met Hengameh Yaghoobifarah over trauma en veerkrachtigheid, racisme en white fragility, en het leven van een queer-migrantenleven in Duitsland. Hengameh Yaghoobifarah is een in Berlijn gevestigd journalist en schrijver. Hen is bekend vanwege hun columns in krant Taz, waarin hen het Duitse zelfbeeld van een tolerant en kleurenblinde samenleving betwist op zowel grappige als vlijmscherpe wijze, zonder angst voor controverse. Deze aflevering werd opgenomen tijdens de boekpresentatie van de Nederlandse vertaling van Hengameh's roman Ministerie van dromen, een boek dat alom bejubeld werd in de Duitse pers. In het boek volgen we Nas, een jonge queer vrouw, wiens wereld plotseling in duigen valt als haar zus Nushrin overlijdt door een auto-ongeluk. De zussen hebben samen veel doorstaan: hun vlucht naar Duitsland vanuit Iran, het verlies van hun vader, en hun emotioneel afstandelijke moeder. Na Nushrins dood neemt Nas de tienerdochter van haar zus in huis en probeert te begrijpen wat er gebeurd is. Was het ongeluk van haar zus een ongeluk, of was het zelfmoord? Had haar zus geheimen voor haar? * Current Literary Affairs is een podcast over de actualiteit door de lens van de literatuur, waarin we in gesprek gaan met schrijvers van over de hele wereld. Hoe beïnvloedt de politieke situatie in hun land hun leven en werk? Waar moeten we het écht over hebben? Urgente gesprekken over angst en hoop, woede en trots, het persoonlijke en het politieke, boeken en kunst. Current Literary Affairs is een productie van SLAA en Read My World. De podcast is in het Engels. Dit is de vierde aflevering. Deze podcast is tot stand gekomen met dank aan Productiehuis Noord, het mediakanaal van Verdedig Noord. * Presentatie: Canan Marasligil Redactie podcast: Maya Shamir Audioproductie: Kerem Özilhan Omslagillustratie: Astrid Martirossian — In this bonus episode Read My World's editor Canan Marasligil speaks with Hengameh Yaghoobifarah about trauma and resilience, racism and white fragility, and living a queer migrant life in Germany. Hengameh Yaghoobifarah is a Berlin based journalist and author. They are famous for their columns in newspaper Taz, in which they challenge the German self-image of a tolerant and colorblind society, being both funny and razor sharp, not shying away from controversy. The episode was recorded at the book launch of the Dutch translation of Hengameh's novel Ministry of Dreams, which was universally lauded in the German press. In the book we follow Nas, a young queer woman, whose world suddenly shatters when her sister Nushrin dies in a car crash. The sisters survived a lot together: their flight to Germany from Iran, the loss of their father, their emotionally distant mother. Now that Nushrin is dead, Nas takes in her sister's teenage daughter and tries to understand what has happened to her. Was it an accident, was it suicide? What secrets did her sister keep from her? Current Literary Affairs is a podcast in English by SLAA and Read My World. This is the fourth episode.

(Scroll down for English) Hoe geef je een stem aan de mensen die zo vaak onzichtbaar blijven in literatuur? Kun je schrijven in de taal van de onderdrukker? In de derde aflevering van Current Literary Affairs gaat Lisanne Snelders in gesprek met de Marokkaanse schrijver en regisseur Abdellah Taïa over de macht van taal, homofobie en de doorwerking van koloniale verhoudingen. En over zijn moeder. * Current Literary Affairs is een podcast over de actualiteit door de lens van de literatuur, waarin journalist we in gesprek gaan met een schrijvers van over de hele wereld. Hoe beïnvloedt de politieke situatie in hun land hun leven en werk? Waar moeten we het écht over hebben? Urgente gesprekken over angst en hoop, woede en trots, het persoonlijke en het politieke, boeken en kunst. Current Literary Affairs is een productie van SLAA en Read My World. De podcast is in het Engels.  Deze podcast is tot stand gekomen met dank aan Productiehuis Noord, het mediakanaal van Verdedig Noord.  * Abdellah Taïa werd in 1973 geboren in Rabat en woont in Parijs. Hij publiceerde verschillende Franstalige romans, waaronder de gay coming-of-age-roman L'Armee du Salut, die hij in 2013 verfilmde en die op het filmfestival van Venetië te zien was. Zijn boeken zijn in vele talen vertaald, waaronder in het Nederlands en Engels. Zijn laatste boek in Engelse vertaling is A Country For Dying, dat werd bekroond met de PEN America Literary Award 2021. Taïa staat bekend als de eerste Arabische schrijver die openlijk uitkwam voor zijn homoseksualiteit en is een boegbeeld voor een generatie Marokkanen die zich willen bevrijden van strikte culturele normen. Presentatie: Lisanne Snelders Redactie: Maya Shamir  Productie: Kerem Özilhan Omslagillustratie: Astrid Martirossian English: How do you give a voice to people that so often remain invisible in literature? Is it possible to write in the language of the oppressor? In this third episode of Current Literary Affairs, Lisanne Snelders speaks with Moroccan writer and director Abdellah Taïa about the power of language, homophobia and the continuation of colonial power relations. And about his mother. * Current Literary Affairs is a podcast about current events through the lens of literature, in which we engage in conversation with writers from all over the world. How do the political circumstances in their country of residence influence their life and work? What are the topics we really should be talking about? CLA brings urgent conversation about fear and hope, outrage and pride, personal and political topics, books and art. Current Literary Affairs is a podcast by SLAA and Read My World. The podcast is in English. This is the third episode. This podcast was realized thanks to Productiehuis Noord, the media channel of ‘Verdedig Noord'. Special thanks to OBA, the Amsterdam Public Library. *  Abdellah Taïa was born in 1973 in Rabat and lives in Paris. He published several novels written in French, like the gay coming of age novel L'Armee du Salut. He adapted the book to a movie in 2013, which was screened at the Venice Film Festival. Taïa's books have been translated into many languages, including English and Dutch. His latest book in English translation is A Country for Dying, which was awarded the PEN America Literary Award 2021. Taïa is known as the first Arab writer to come out as homosexual and is a source of inspiration for a generation of Moroccans who want to free themselves of strict cultural norms. www.slaa.nl

Jessica Piazza is the author of three poetry collections and a children's book. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Jessica now lives in Los Angeles where she is a writing professor at the University of Southern Californiaand a book club facilitator for Literary Affairs. She co-founded Bat City Review and Gold Line Press, and is the 2019 recipient of the Amy Clampitt Residency Program award. To learn more, visit www.jessicapiazza.com. The books  mentioned at the end of the interview are: Bree Rolfe, Who's Going to Love the Dying Girl / Unsolicited Press, 2021, and Kazuo Ishiguro, Klara and the Sun / Knopf, 2021. The books pictured below by Jessica Piazza are Interrobang / Red Hen Press, 2013, This is not a sky / Black Lawrence Press, 2014 and Obliterations / Red Hen Press, 2016.  

The first question to ask when you're preparing your pitch is, what do you want them to understand? Next is what's your hook, your personal story that will get and hold their attention. In this powerful episode, Devo Cutler-Rebenstein answers these questions as well as discussing how to get buyers to want to work with you, gap financing, digital marketing tools and more.Devo Cutler-Rubenstein's passion for storytelling and artistic expression brought her to California Institute of the Arts where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Television. While at Cal Arts she was selected to receive a grant from the Scottish Arts Council to attend Edinburgh Arts. Her documentary about this unique educational setting inspired her documentary film EDINBURGH ARTS, which aired in part on Grampian Television. Returning to Cal Arts, she had an opportunity to study with Alexander MacKenrick, where she wrote, produced and directed PEACOCK BLUES, a short film casting the as yet unknown Ed Harris and Annie Potts.Upon graduation Devo launched her career in the entertainment industry at Twentieth Century Fox, rising quickly up the ranks in story development. She was Director of Story Department for Sir Lew Grade's Marble Arch productions at CBS Studios. She helped design a new story department as Director, Literary Affairs at Columbia Pictures TV, and not long after became VP of Marketing and Promotion for Connoisseur Video. Simultaneously, she began to develop projects for theater under her banner New Play Productions and then partnered with Mary Saxon to form Cutler-Saxon Productions, with an eye to leverage small theatre as a vehicle for larger budget television and feature film projects.Currently as CEO and President of Noble House Entertainment, she continues to develop and produce multi-platform projects, in a career that has spanned over thirty years working within all aspects of the entertainment industry. She has developed over 500 projects under various production banners, including producing the feature film franchise THE SUBSTITUTE, for MGM, Live Entertainment and HBO, starring Tom Berenger and Treat Williams, respectively. Inspired by work she did with stand-up comedians coaching them on the development of one-person shows, she won a grant to co-produce and co-write with her husband, Scott Rubenstein (Star Trek: TNG, MacGyver, Night Court) the documentary NOT AFRAID TO LAUGH, about using comedy to heal cancer. The intimate documentary won The Communicator Award and was nominated for a Peabody Award, now archived in the Chicago Museum of Broadcasting for its "artistic excellence, social relevance and historical significance." As a narrative director, she helped out on another award-winning documentary, TELL ABOUT THE SOUTH, which aired on PBS; she helped cast and the documentary was shot entirely on locations in South Carolina and Virginia. Adapting a John Irving short story, she competed and won a grant from Chanticleer Films/The Discovery Program to write and direct a narrative short, which she co-wrote with her husband, Scott Rubenstein, who also exec produced; the short film starred Poppy Montgomery, Bill Forsythe and Tony Plana and won Best Film at Moondance Film Festival and aired on Showtime Television. A writer at her core, Devo continues to pursue a creative outlet as a published poet, short story writer, and as a member of the Writers' Guild of America, West. She has written and/or produced film and television projects for ABC, Columbia Pictures, FX, Showtime, MGM, Live Entertainment, Fries Entertainment, Interscope Entertainment, among others. Her desire to promote cultural diversity was acknowledged by a NALIP Screenwriting Fellowship, and in 2015, Devo fulfilled a lifelong dream and received a Master's in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences.

Hoe is het om Aziatisch te zijn in Frankrijk? Waarom is het in het land van égalité en universalisme zo moeilijk om over ras en racisme te praten? In de tweede aflevering van Current Literary Affairs gaat Gülden Ilmaz in gesprek met de Franse schrijver en podcaster Grace Ly over literatuur, culturele identiteit en de toename van anti-Aziatisch racisme tijdens de coronapandemie. En over eten. Live opgenomen tijdens Read My World Festival. * Current Literary Affairs is een podcast over de actualiteit door de lens van de literatuur, waarin journalist Gülden Ilmaz in gesprek gaat met een schrijvers van over de hele wereld. Hoe beïnvloedt de politieke situatie in hun land hun leven en werk? Waar moeten we het écht over hebben? Urgente gesprekken over angst en hoop, woede en trots, het persoonlijke en het politieke, boeken en kunst. Current Literary Affairs is een productie van SLAA en Read My World. De podcast is in het Engels. Dit is de tweede pilot-aflevering. Daarna hopen we bij je terug te zijn. Productie: Kerem Özilhan Omslagillustratie: Astrid Martirossian Deze podcast is tot stand gekomen met dank aan Productiehuis Noord, het mediakanaal van Verdedig Noord. * Grace Ly is een schrijver en podcaster gevestigd in Parijs. Haar debuutroman Jeune fille modèle (Model Teenager) (2018, Fayard) volgt de zoektocht van een jonge Franse vrouw van Chinees-Cambodjaanse afkomst naar een gevoel van zijn en erbij horen in het zogenaamde Chinatown in Parijs. De podcast “Kiffe ta race” (door Apple Podcasts genoemd als een van de beste Franse podcasts van 2020) die ze samen met journalist, schrijver en regisseur Rokhaya Diallo maakt, onderzoekt hoe ras het dagelijks leven beïnvloedt in Frankrijk, dat zich graag als een kleurenblind land ziet. [engels] What is it like to be Asian in France? Why is it so hard to talk about race and racism in the country of egalité and universalisme? In the new episode of Current Literary Affairs, journalist Gülden Ilmaz speaks with the French writer and podcaster Grace Ly about literature, cultural identity and the rise of anti-Asian racism in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic. And about food. Recorded live at Read My World Festival! * Current Literary Affairs is a podcast about current events through the lens of literature. Reporter Gülden Ilmaz engages in conversation with writers from all over the world. How do the political circumstances in their country of residence influence their life and work? What are the topics we really should be talking about? CLA brings urgent conversation about fear and hope, outrage and pride, personal and political topics, books and art. Current Literary Affairs is a podcast by SLAA and Read My World. The podcast is in English. This is the second pilot episode. We hope to back with more. Production: Kerem Özilhan Illustration: Astrid Martirossian This podcast was realized thanks to Productiehuis Noord, the media channel of ‘Verdedig Noord'. * Grace Ly is a writer and podcaster based in Paris, France. Her debut novel “Jeune fille modèle” (Model Teenager) (2018, Fayard) follows the quest of a young French woman of Chinese-Cambodian heritage for a sense of being and belonging in the so-called Chinatown in Paris. Her webseries “Ça reste entre nous” (Just between us) focuses on the diversity of paths, communities and common identities of French Asians along 6 episodes. The podcast “Kiffe ta race”, listed among best French podcasts of 2020 by Apple Podcasts, co-hosted with journalist, writer and director Rokhaya Diallo explores how race affects everyday life in France, an officially colorblind country (Binge audio, 2018-2020).

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Today's guest is Deborah Kaufmann, VP of Literary Affairs at Legendary Entertainment. Translated into lay, non-Hollywood terms, this means that Deborah is some sort of in-house scout for Legendary, in charge of finding literary properties that can be adapted to the big or small screen. As you'll find out, such properties can include books, but also unpublished short stories, podcasts, and news and magazine articles. It was fascinating to get to know Deborah's work a bit more in depth, and to hear her thoughts on the current state of the movie business and the revolution brought about by streaming giants such as Netflix and Amazon. Show Notes Deborah's book recommendations: - Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro - Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker - Weather by Jenny Offill About Deborah: Since 2014, Deborah Kaufmann has been overseeing acquisitions of literary properties for Legendary Entertainment's film and TV divisions, and working in New York. Previously, she was a senior editor based in Paris, publishing award-winning and international bestselling authors for 15 years – including Jenny Offill, Howard Jacobson, Claire Vaye Watkins, John Jeremiah Sullivan, Malala Yousafzai, Tana French, Anthony Horowitz, Walter Kirn, Elizabeth Gilbert, Audrey Niffenegger, Jeff Lindsay, and many others. She also ran the Orbit France science-fiction and fantasy imprint.

Dania Kassim and Emily Hurmizi, Lit and Lib’s equity and diversity officer and co-chair, respectively, join Alex to discuss equity, diversity, and inclusion in literary affairs and what Lit and Lib is doing to support these principles in our programming this year.  For the book list, transcript, and links for this episode, visit hhlitandlib.ca/endnote.

A very special Beyond the Book Conversation recorded Live with Dani Shapiro about her memoir Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love. Literary Affairs own Julie Robinson sat down with her friend Dani Shapiro for an intimate book club discussion about her memoir, her writing life, identity, and family secrets. Our Beyond the Book podcast is the full live and in-depth conversation, that took place at our exclusive Books & Breakfast event on February 12, 2019.

Devorah (“Devo”) Cutler-Rubenstein’s passion for storytelling and artistic expression brought her to Cal Arts where she earned her BFA in Film and Television.  Upon graduation Devo launched her career in the entertainment industry, which included a stint as Director of Literary Affairs at Columbia Pictures Television and Exec Producing features.  Devo received a Masters in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences. As CEO of The Script Broker®, Devo helps writers get their material ready to market. She was named Best Pitching Coach 2012 by “Hollywood & Vine Magazine.” As a poet and author her short stories have won awards and her book, DATING YOUR CHARACTER… A Sexy Guide to Screenwriting for Film & TV was published in 2016 by Stairway Press.  Devo lives in West Hollywood, California, with her husband, Scott; dog, Jumper Jackson; cat, Tsunami and four koi fish, Joseph, Noah, Samuel and Gefilte – the best swimmer of the bunch!

Devorah (“Devo”) Cutler-Rubenstein’s passion for storytelling and artistic expression brought her to Cal Arts where she earned her BFA in Film and Television.  Upon graduation Devo launched her career in the entertainment industry, which included a stint as Director of Literary Affairs at Columbia Pictures Television and Exec Producing features.  Devo received a Masters in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences. As CEO of The Script Broker®, Devo helps writers get their material ready to market. She was named Best Pitching Coach 2012 by “Hollywood & Vine Magazine.” As a poet and author her short stories have won awards and her book, DATING YOUR CHARACTER… A Sexy Guide to Screenwriting for Film & TV was published in 2016 by Stairway Press.  Devo lives in West Hollywood, California, with her husband, Scott; dog, Jumper Jackson; cat, Tsunami and four koi fish, Joseph, Noah, Samuel and Gefilte – the best swimmer of the bunch!

A Literary Affairs Beyond the Book Conversation with Rachel Kushner about her most recent novel The Mars Room. Literary Affairs own Julie Robinson called Rachel Kushner for a book club style discussion about her novel. This Beyond the Book podcast is the full in-depth conversation, we hope individual readers and book clubs enjoy.

A Beyond the Book Conversation with Lauren Groff about her most recent short story collection Florida. Literary Affairs own Julie Robinson called Lauren Groff for a book club style discussion about her book. This Beyond the Book podcast is the full in-depth conversation, we hope individual readers and book clubs enjoy.

A Beyond the Book Conversation with Mark Sarvas about his novel Memento Park. Literary Affairs own Julie Robinson sat down with Mark Sarvas for an intimate book club discussion about his novel answering a lot of the questions that were discussed in many of our Literary Affairs book clubs. Our Beyond the Book podcast is the opening of an hour long in-depth conversation, that took place in the hip bar at the Hotel Bel-Air, and was followed by a Q&A with the audience.

A Beyond the Book Conversation with NYT best-selling author Meg Wolitzer about her most recent novel The Female Persuasion. Literary Affairs own Julie Robinson sat down with Meg Wolitzer for an intimate book club discussion that takes readers beyond the headlines surrounding the release as they discuss female friendships, coming of age, mentors, sexuality, power, and ambition. Their in depth discussion about the book is followed by a Q&A. 

A Beyond the Book Conversation with Mohsin Hamid about his internationally acclaimed novel Exit West. Literary Affairs own Julie Robinson sat down with Mohsin Hamid for an intimate book club discussion about his novel answering a lot of the questions that were discussed in many of our Literary Affairs book clubs. Highlights included the genesis of some of the beautiful passages in the novel, how he differentiated his story from other migrant stories, love, parenting, and maintaining hope in our world as it changes. Our first Beyond the Book podcast is a brief excerpt from an hour long in depth conversation, that took place in the hip bar at the Hotel Bel-Air, and was followed by a Q&A with the audience. 

Author Lisa See discusses her latest book, "Shanghai Girls," with Julie Robinson of Literary Affairs.