As Russia’s War Rages On, Kyiv Hosts A Busy Literary Festival
Kyiv’s annual literary festival proceeded this June despite Russia’s ongoing invasion, turning city squares into stages for both authors and active soldiers. The event featured dozens of readings, panel discussions, and a new “War Voices” program that showcases works written on the front lines. Organizers reported record attendance, with over 15,000 visitors and participation from more than 30 foreign publishers. The festival underscores Ukraine’s determination to keep cultural life alive amid relentless conflict.
Flamboyance by Jack Parlett Review – a Serious Study of the Spectacular
Jack Parlett’s new memoir‑cultural history Flamboyance: The Art of Burning Brightly (Granta, $24.30) argues that flamboyance should be a political aesthetic rather than mere surface style. Drawing on Oscar Wilde, flamenco, 1990s rapper Big L, Lil Nas X and even Donald Trump, the book maps a wide‑ranging...
Dave Eggers on 'Contrapposto' And Supporting the Next Generation of Writers
Bestselling author Dave Eggers has released his long‑awaited novel *Contrapposto*, a story of two art‑obsessed friends spanning decades. Simultaneously, he is spearheading Art + Water, a 100,000‑square‑foot arts‑education hub on San Francisco’s Pier 29 aimed at removing economic barriers for creators. Eggers also highlighted...
A Deadly Episode by Anthony Horowitz
Anthony Horowitz’s sixth Hawthorne novel, *A Deadly Episode*, turns the series on its head by killing off the actor portraying detective Daniel Hawthorne on the set of a film adaptation of an earlier book. The murder is staged as a...
Unauthorized Book About Rise Of SLIPKNOT And Creation Of 2001 Album 'Iowa' To Arrive In August
Little, Brown Book Group will publish Dan Franklin’s “Somewhere Between Screaming And Crying: Slipknot, Nu Metal And 9/11” on August 6, 2026. The book marks the 25th anniversary of Slipknot’s 2001 album “Iowa” and offers the first comprehensive account of...
Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer Review – Fun in the Tuscan Sun
Pulitzer‑winning author Andrew Sean Greer’s latest novel, Villa Coco, is billed as a “charm novel” set amid the sun‑drenched Tuscan hills. The narrative follows a nameless young man hired as an adjutant to the eccentric 92‑year‑old Baronessa Lisabetta, navigating a cast...
A British Childhood by Frank Cottrell-Boyce Review – Are We Raising a Bookless Generation?
Frank Cottrell‑Boyce’s memoir A British Childhood blends personal anecdotes with a stark look at Britain’s growing literacy gap. Drawing on his Waterstones Children’s Laureate work, he details the Reading Rights campaign that found nearly half of primary pupils have never...
![[Video] Sunday Book Review: June 7, 2026, The Top Books Ursula Le Guin Edition](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://jdsupra-static.s3.amazonaws.com/profile-images/og.2237_4849.jpg)
[Video] Sunday Book Review: June 7, 2026, The Top Books Ursula Le Guin Edition
In the June 7, 2026 edition of Sunday Book Review, compliance specialist Thomas Fox recommends four Ursula Le Guin classics—A Wizard of Earthsea, The Dispossessed, The Left Hand of Darkness, and The Word for World is Forest—as essential reading for compliance officers and business leaders....
An Edith Wharton Short Story Is Published About 100 Years Later
A previously unreleased Edith Wharton short story, “The Men Who Saved the World,” has been published posthumously in The Strand Magazine. Written no earlier than July 1918, the manuscript was held at Yale’s Beinecke Library and abandoned by Wharton. The...
Coastal Time: New Fiction by M. John Harrison
M. John Harrison, the acclaimed British science‑fiction author, releases his new novel *The End of Everything* on 18 June through independent publisher Serpent’s Tail. The narrative envisions a bleak, post‑apocalyptic Kent coastline after a mysterious “iGhetti” war, chronicling crumbling tourism villages, shifting...
Five of the Best Books About the World Cup
The article spotlights five standout books that explore the FIFA World Cup’s history, drama, and cultural impact. It notes that a YouGov poll predicts 42 % of adults worldwide—about 2.6 billion people—will follow the 2026 tournament. The selected titles range from tactical...
Make Thick My Blood by Toni Viola
Toni Viola’s third Meroni novel, *Make Thick My Blood*, thrusts detective Luca Meroni into a harrowing investigation set against Rome’s ancient landmarks. After journalist Teresa Conti is brutally attacked, Meroni is arrested as a suspect, forcing the narrative to unfold from...
Marjane Satrapi’s Masterpiece Persepolis Transformed the World’s Understanding of Iran
Marjane Satrapi, the Iranian‑French graphic novelist behind the memoir and film Persepolis, died at 56. Her black‑and‑white graphic memoir, first published in 2000, transformed how global audiences understand the Iranian Revolution and exile, selling millions and being translated into dozens...
The Best Recent Poetry – Review Roundup
The latest poetry roundup spotlights six new collections from leading UK and international presses. Anthony Joseph’s "Haunting the Black Air" expands his avant‑garde lyricism, while Leontia Flynn’s "Selected Poems" re‑asserts her sharp wit and political acuity. The anthology "You Must...
Here’s Everything ‘Infinite Jest’ Got Right 30 Years Ago About Life in 2026
David Foster Wallace’s 1996 novel *Infinite Jest* has turned 30, and its satirical vision of a hyper‑connected America mirrors many realities of 2026. The book imagined a single “teleputer” that blends computing, entertainment, and phone calls, gig‑economy grocery delivery, remote...