To Autumn
"The russet hue of fields left bare, and all / The tints of leaves and blossoms ere they fall." Actor Patrick Stewart reads John Clare's poem at the poet's historic cottage, located in the village of Helpston.
A curated selection of videos, including book trailers, brief interviews, and other literary curiosities updated daily.
The Narrow Road to the Deep North
“Horror can be contained within a book, given form and meaning. But in life horror has no more form than it does meaning. Horror just is.” Richard Flanagan reads from his latest novel, for which he was awarded the 2014 Man Booker Prize yesterday.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on Beauty
"I'm drawn to the beauty of sentences, I'm drawn even to the beauty in how emotion is portrayed in fiction." The award-winning author meditates on the idea of beauty in literature, as well as in life, and how it inspires her writing.
Patrick Modiano Awarded Nobel Prize
French novelist Patrick Modiano was awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in Literature yesterday. Known for his detective mysteries and brief novels, Modiano focuses on the themes of memory and loss.
Poetry Projection
During the 2012 Nelson Arts Festival in New Zealand, artist Klaasz Breukel turned his van into a mobile projector to share poetry. In this video filmed by Daniel Allen, animated poems are projected onto walls in various locations.
How to Fly a Horse
"Creating is not magic, but work. And anyone can create. Necessity is not the mother of invention. You are." In this forthcoming book from Doubleday, debut author Kevin Ashton explores humanity's greatest creations, and the seemingly unremarkable individuals, gradual steps, multiple failures, and ordinary acts behind them.
Words
"Words, dear companions! / As the spirit grew / I loved you more and more with every hour." A poem by Mary Elizabeth Coleridge performed by Alexandra Burton as part of Poetry Upload, a video project focused on sharing poetry of the Victorian period written by women.
Rooms
Author Lauren Oliver discusses the inspiration for her novel Rooms (Ecco, 2014), a story about the secrets that haunt the living and the dead, and how they are intertwined with an old home.
Gone Girl
Author Gillian Flynn discusses the structure of her novel Gone Girl (Crown Publishing Group, 2012), and how it reflects the tug of war between a couple entwined in a troubled marriage. Flynn wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation released today.
Ask Lena
Actress and author Lena Dunham offers advice to young writers who may feel insecure about writing from their own life experiences. Dunham's essay collection, Not That Kind of Girl, was published this week by Random House. Read more about her book tour in Daily News.