I recently stumbled upon Five Dials, a small literary journal from the British publisher Hamish Hamilton, itself part of the larger Penguin group. The first issue is a very tasteful assortment of authors and topics, but the standout, I think, is an advice column by noted penseur Alain de Botton, author of How Proust Can … Continue reading Agony Uncle

The Financial Times has an update from Mutanabi Street, the main bookselling district of Baghdad. They profile Nabil al-Hayawi, owner of Renaissance bookstore. The news isn't great, but al-Hayawi is undaunted. He still sees customers clamoring for books: “I was happy that I discovered the people still reading,” he told the FT.If you're of a … Continue reading Plus ça change…