Every Friday, the staff at Literary Traveler gathers up relevant book news from around the web, bringing it together in a handy post for book lovers to peruse. Enjoy!
- Today is a day of great literary importance: April 23rd is not only the generally accepted date of William Shakespeare’s birth, it is also the day both William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes died. Because of the historical significance, UNESCO has declared today “World Book and Copyright Day.” Celebrate this as you best see fit.
- One possible way: check out Tony Tanner’s Prefaces to Shakespeare. Or, better yet, read one of our many pieces on Shakespeare and travel. Here is my personal favorite: An Indian Epiphany at Stratford-upon-Avon.
- If that is too highbrow for a Friday, you might be interested in Salon‘s piece on crime fiction and comic books. Or, as some of us like to call them “graphic novels.”
- And while we’re on the topic of illustrated books, it can be fun to remember our favorite books for childhood (or our children’s favorite books!). American author George Saunders reviews Kashtanka by Anton Chekhov. He writes: “Kashtanka is, it seems to me, the most accurately drawn dog in literature.”
- Attention aspiring poets: The Small Press Distribution Bad Poetry contest ends today! Categories for bad poems hilariously include “worst poem titled ‘Unicorns In Fog'” and “worst poem in the form of a Facebook status update.”
- The Guardian published a fascinating piece on the celebrity-chief memoir. This new genre may just produce my Beach Read Of Choice for this summer.
- And finally, those of you in the Boston area may do well to check out Off The Shelf‘s guide to Boston area author readings. Have a wonderful weekend!