Manus Island Detention Author Freed
Behrouz Boochani, Kurdish Iranian refugee and journalist who wrote No Friend But the Mountains, has been freed after forcibly being held for six years by Australia’s offshore processing regime. He transmitted his book via the WhatsApp while detained and it went on to win the Victorian prize for literature. “Everyone in Manus carries so many painful memories, we can never leave them on that island … but I am happy in my heart: I feel free.”
Fantastic Longlist
So many amazing books published this year, I love seeing them on all these fantastic roundup and prize lists. Like the Aspen Words Literary Prize, which announced its longlist: “It is one of the few focused exclusively on fiction with a social impact.” The shortlist will be announced in February 2020 and the winner in April 2020. Plenty of time to read these twelve novels and four short story collections!
Getting Books Into Kids Hands
After Columbia County Schools’ pulled Nic Stone’s Dear Martin from the recommended reading list she decided to hold a community event to speak up and hand out free copies of her book. “It is my aim with every book I write to show children of color, specifically African American children, as heroes of the stories they’re a part of,” she said.