A family against the Sicilian Mafia
Andrea Camilleri, author of the Inspector Montalbano series, writes about a family pit against the Sicilian Mafia of the early twentieth century in The Sacco Gang.
Books
Whether you love to praise prose or roast reading lists, the Books Section has a space for you. You don't need to be a bookworm to have an opinion. If you have thoughts on anything to do with the literary world, we want to hear them.
Drop us an email at books.felix@ic.ac.uk to register interest or send us a piece. All voices are welcome, seriously.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: The woman who is not afraid to speak her mind
In her first autobiography, activist, feminist and former politician Ayaan Hirsi Ali writes about her life growing up from Somalia to Holland. Infidel: My Life charts her personal journey and relationship with Islam, to the founder of AHA foundation today, which promotes liberty from honor killings, female genital mutilation, and
Felix recommends autumn reading
Overwhelmed by the huge selection of books released this fall? Books editor Jingjie Cheng selects five of the best.
The Iliac Crest – An unsettling tale of disappearance and mystery
This surreal novel from Mexican author Cristina Rivera Garza explores the nature of boundaries, in a haunted tale that sticks in the imagination.
Jennifer Tseng brings a freshness to well-worn tropes in this engaging debut
Mayumi and the Sea of Happiness benefits from a lyrical writing style, and a twist on the near-exhausted story of forbidden love.
Felix recommends – reading for summer days
Jingjie Cheng and Fred Fyles take you through their books for the perfect summer day, as well as brand-new titles for you to check out over the break!
Disoriental – A multi-generational study of identity
Négar Djavadi’s debut novel explores the history of a single family living through revolutionary Iran, mediating on how language can help carve a space of belonging.
Theory of Bastards: the short distance between man and animal
Audrey Schulman’s novel explores a dizzying array of topics, from modern technology to primal relationships. It doesn’t always hit the mark, but when it does it soars.
Pure Hollywood: a long-anticipated UK debut proves to be worth the wait
Christine Schutt’s short story collection is unsettling and haunting, with her mastery of language used to perfectly portray her lonely, isolated subjects.
Philip Roth: Mourning the loss of an American literary giant
We take a look back at the great author's achievements.
One Hundred Shadows leaves us in the dark
This short novel from Hwang Jungeun promises a magical exploration of post-industrial Korea, but falls short when it comes to giving us answers.
Mistaken Identity – how should the left move forward from identity politics?
Asad Haider’s new book neatly skewers the problems with modern identity politics, but doesn’t go far enough in offering us a solution.