By A.J. Griffiths-Jones – Renowned late-night radio presenter Xinran has encountered many tragic stories of women living in the People’s Republic of China, but one in particular brought back memories from her childhood and laid open the fascinating rituals of sky burial in Tibet. At the time of hearing about this unusual tradition, in 1963, a…
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By A.J. Griffiths-Jones – Last month the world commemorated the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz. It was a dark time in history that will forever be a blot on Europe’s campaign for human rights, yet one that should be remembered so that such a terrible place…
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By A.J. Griffiths-Jones Hidden in the heart of the old city of Barcelona is the ‘Cemetery of Forgotten Books’, a labyrinthine library of obscure and forgotten titles overseen by a caretaker with an equally mysterious past. It is to here that bookshop owner Senor Sempere brings his ten-year-old son, Daniel, on a freezing cold morning…
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By A.J. Griffiths-Jones It is the nineteenth century, and the kingdom of Persia is at a turning point. The world is a place of invention, revolution and forward-thinking, with the race to connect cities, countries and governments gathering pace at an incredible speed. Told almost in fairytale fashion, The King is a powerful and unforgettable…
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Here, we delve into the impressive works of two renowned artists, Elif Shafak’s book and Yılmaz Erdoğan’s film. Get ready for a literary and cinematic journey that’ll leave you intrigued. Elif Şafak: 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World Elif Shafak’s 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World is a profoundly moving exploration…
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I feature Abbas Kiarostami, one of my favourite film directors, and whose death anniversary was marked recently, and that of writer Samed Behrengi. Both of these hold a special place for me – and they offer a holistic approach to cinema and literature from the same country. Samed Behrengi – The Little Blakck Fish “…I…
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It is believed the Seven Sleepers Cave near Ephesus is where the “Seven Sleepers” narrative found in Islam and Christianity took place. The Zeus Cave, at the entrance of the Dilek Peninsula Büyük Menderes Delta National Park, is believed to be the place where the Virgin Mary stayed during her trip to Ephesus. The caves…
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This week, the subject I want to focus on is the child. For literature and cinema, the child and childhood have been interesting topics that deserve treatment. Let alone books and movies that see the child as a symbol or object of innocence, I would like to look at an example that deals with the…
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Book & Film Review In this piece, we delve into the impressive works of two renowned artists, Elif Shafak’s book and Yılmaz Erdoğan’s film. Get ready for a literary and cinematic journey that’ll leave you intrigued. Elif Şafak – 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World Elif Shafak’s 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This…
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Book & Film Review This week, we embark on an intriguing journey into the impactful work of writer Aslı Erdoğan and director Zeki Demirkubuz. Aslı Erdoğan – The Stone Building and Other Places Contemporary Turkish writer and journalist Aslı Erdoğan’s short story collection “The Stone Building and Other Places”, which won Turkey’s prestigious short story…
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