Len Deighton Remembered - Media Scan - 200326

LitRadar March 19, 2026 - “Small Comfort,” by Ia Genberg; translated from Swedish by Kira Josefsson

From an interview with a child-star-turned-thief to the mysterious death of an employee at a drug manufacturer – or the couple feigning marital bliss to keep their inheritance, Ia Genberg carefully unravels the value we place on both money and people. What does it really mean to be in debt to someone? How does our financial worth permeate the ways we think and feel? And what do we lose when we supposedly win?  An original and thought-provoking short-story collection, Small Comfort skewers its characters, slyly implicating the reader along the way. It was longlisted for the International Booker Prize 2026. Intricately built and wickedly humorous, these five interconnected short stories are all about one thing: money. A brilliantly original and thought-provoking collection from the author and translator of The Details, shortlisted for the 2024 International Booker Prize.

 

LitRadar March 18, 2026 - The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson

Margareta Magnusson, the Swedish author who popularized the concept of “death cleaning,” passed away at the age of 91 in Gothenburg, Sweden on March 12, 2026. Her widely celebrated book, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning (2018), introduced readers around the world to the Swedish practice of döstädning—the thoughtful process of decluttering one’s belongings later in life. Magnusson wrote the book in her eighties, drawing on a cultural tradition that encourages people to organize and reduce their possessions as they grow older. While the phrase may sound somber, Magnusson framed death cleaning not as a morbid task but as an act of care for loved ones. By sorting through belongings, sharing stories attached to them, and letting go of what is no longer meaningful, individuals spare family members the emotional and practical burden of doing it later. As she gently advised: even those who love you deeply should not be left with that responsibility.

 

Part memoir and part practical guide, the book offered simple strategies for beginning the process. Magnusson suggested starting with less sentimental items—such as forgotten objects in cupboards or attics—before tackling photographs or letters. She encouraged people to give items away, invite friends to choose meaningful objects, and share the stories behind them. In this way, decluttering becomes a way of passing on memories as much as possessions.

 

Born in 1934, Magnusson first pursued a career as an artist before becoming a writer. Her book became an international bestseller, translated into more than 30 languages and inspiring a television series. Ultimately, Magnusson’s message extended beyond tidying up. Death cleaning, she believed, helps people reflect on their lives, confront mortality with calm acceptance, and appreciate the everyday pleasures that remain—even as life moves toward its inevitable end.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/13/books/margareta-magnusson-dead.html

“The only thing we know for sure is that we will die one day. But before that we can try to do almost anything. You have probably been given this little book by one of your children, or as a gift from someone in the same situation as you and me. Or perhaps you’ve picked up a copy for yourself, because it struck a chord. There is a reason for this. You have collected so much wonderful stuff in your life—stuff that your family and friends can’t evaluate or take care of. Let me help make your loved ones’ memories of you nice—instead of awful.”

 

Excerpt from ‘The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning’ by Margareta Magnusson

 

 

Media Scan - 17-03-26

 

LitRadar March 17, 2026 - “We Are Green and Trembling,” by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara; translated from Spanish by Robin Myers

                         

We Are Green and Trembling is a novel by Argentine writer Gabriela Cabezón Cámara. The book is the English translation of her Spanish novel translated by Robin Myers. Set in the landscapes of colonial South America, the novel follows Antonio as he recounts his extraordinary life while writing a letter to his aunt, the prioress of the convent he once fled. After abandoning religious life, he takes on many roles—mule driver, shopkeeper, soldier, cabin boy, and conquistador—moving through the turbulent world of the Spanish Empire. Central to the narrative is Antonio’s care for two Guaraní girls he rescues from enslavement, even as he is pursued by the army he deserted. Through this journey, the novel explores themes of gender identity and transformation, colonial violence and resistance, environmental consciousness, Indigenous survival and solidarity, and the idea of continual metamorphosis and reinvention. 

 

“My beloved aunt,

I am as innocent and forged in the image and likeness of God as any other, as every other, though I have been a cabin boy, shopkeeper, and soldier, and before then, long before, a small girl at your skirts. “Daughter,” “little daughter,” so did you call me, and not even now, not even with my martial shoulders and my mustache and my calloused sword-wielding hands, would you think to describe me otherwise. Dear aunt, I would ask you if I could, are you still alive? For I believe you are, and I believe you are waiting to bestow upon me what is yours, what was ours; the convent of Saint Sebastián el Antiguo, whose construction was commanded by your grandfather, the father of the father of my father, the Marquis Don Sebastián Erauso Pérez Errázuriz de Donostia. Give it to some other girl, and, I beg of you, pray do keep reading these words.”

Excerpt from ‘We Are Green and Trembling’ by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara

LitRadar March 16, 2026 - The Nights are Quiet in Tehran by Shida Bazyar; translated from German by Ruth Martin

The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran by Shida Bazyar, translated by Ruth Martin, is a 2025 polyphonic novel (longlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize) following an Iranian family's, specifically revolutionaries Behzad and Nahid, journey of flight to Germany and return over four decades. The novel, published by Scribe UK, deals with themes of exile, memory, and political resistance. Long-listed for the 2026 International Booker Prize, the book is described as a "quietly beautiful" yet powerful exploration of the trauma of losing one's homeland.

“Since the Revolution, we have been venturing into buildings we didn’t know before. Before, we were in living rooms, sometimes in secret offices, sometimes on buses, visiting the movement in other cities. Since the Revolution, all doors seem to have opened, to let everyone in everywhere. Evin Prison, open to visitors. The place to which we lost our brothers and sisters in all those years of struggle against the monarchy — a place that was actually never a place, but a parallel world, a parallel hell. The people who came out didn’t talk about what had gone on inside; the people who came out had done their talking inside, and perhaps that was the most sinister thing about it. Evin Prison, a place that consumes people, a place almost too much discussed to be true. Suddenly the doors were open. Suddenly we were going in. Suddenly it was no longer a place of torture, but of the greatest derision. This Shah isn’t coming back, every wall, every door screamed out.”

 

Excerpt From The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran Shida Bazyar (Translated by Ruth Martin)

Media Scan - 15-03-26

The Hindu 15-03-26

Jürgen Habermas was one of the most influential philosophers and sociologists of the modern era. He died at the age of 96 in Starnberg near Munich, Germany. He was regarded as one of the most important philosophers of the 20th century. His ideas significantly influenced philosophy, sociology, and political theory. Jürgen Habermas is best known for developing the concept of the public sphere, which describes a space where individuals engage in rational discussion on matters of public concern. Habermas became a key intellectual figure in post-World War II Germany. His best-known work is the two-volume book The Theory of Communicative Action, which explores communication, rational debate, and modern society. He worked across several academic disciplines, including philosophy, sociology, and political thought. Growing up during Nazi Germany and witnessing the collapse of Nazism in 1945 shaped his intellectual and political outlook. He engaged with the left-wing student movement, but also warned about the danger of extremist tendencies, calling them “left-wing fascism.” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz praised Habermas as one of Germany’s most significant thinkers and said his voice would be greatly missed. 

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/14/books/jurgen-habermas-dead.html 

LitRadar March 15, 2026 - Universality by Natasha Brown

 

Set on an abandoned farm in Yorkshire, a group of hippie-anarchists attempt to create a new alternative community. When their leader is violently killed with a solid gold bar, a young journalist begins investigating the incident. Her long investigative article quickly goes viral, bringing public attention to the mysterious event. However, the story proves more complex than it first appears. Universality by Natasha Brown explores the aftermath of the exposé through the viewpoints of several key figures involved in the case—a troubled banker, a secretive columnist, an idealistic cult leader, and a desperate fugitive. The novel examines themes of media influence, class divisions, power, and truth, offering a sharp portrait of contemporary British society. 

 

Natasha Brown’s debut novel Assembly (2021) was shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize, the Folio Prize, and the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction, and has been translated into 17 languages. Her second novel, Universality, was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize and longlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize. Before becoming a novelist, Brown studied Mathematics at University of Cambridge and worked for more than a decade in the financial services sector. She was named one of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists in 2023 and one of The Observer’s Best Debut Novelists in 2021. Critics have praised her as an important and intelligent new voice in contemporary British literature. She is also serving as the Chair of Judges for the International Booker Prize 2026, supported this year by Bukhman Philanthropies. 

https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/features/natasha-brown-interview

 

LitRadar - March 14, 2026 - The Deserters by Mathias Enarad

                                

The Deserters by Mathias Enard follows two interconnected narratives shaped by war and memory. One story centres on a soldier fleeing an unnamed war in the Mediterranean landscape, questioning the value of life and his own choices. The other takes place on 11 September 2001 during a conference near Berlin honouring Paul Heudeber, an East German mathematician and former concentration camp survivor. Through these parallel stories, the novel reflects on themes such as war, loyalty, truth, and betrayal, revealing how conflict deeply affects human identity and personal lives.

 

Mathias Enard, born in 1972, studied Persian and Arabic and spent many years in the Middle East. His novel Zone received several major awards, including the Prix du Livre Inter and the Prix Décembre. His book Street of Thieves also won multiple prizes such as the Liste Goncourt/Le Choix de l’Orient, the Prix littéraire de la Porte Dorée, and the Prix du Roman-News. Enard later won the prestigious Prix Goncourt in 2015, the Leipziger Book Award for European Understanding in 2017, and the Premio Gregor von Rezzori. His novel Compass was also shortlisted for the 2017 International Booker Prize. 

LitRadar - March 13, 2026, The Remembered Soldier by Anjet Daanje

Set in Flanders in 1922, this moving novel explores the power of memory, identity, and imagination. After fighting in the First World War, a soldier named Noon Merckem has lost his memory and is living in a psychiatric asylum. Many women visit the asylum in response to a newspaper advertisement, hoping that the unidentified patient might be their missing husband. One day a woman named Julienne arrives and claims that Noon is actually her husband, the photographer Amand Coppens. Despite medical advice, she takes him home. However, their reunion is not as perfect as she presents it to others. Gradually, the two begin to grow closer as Julienne reconstructs Amand’s past through her stories. Yet doubts arise—how can he know whether her version of his life is true? In The Remembered Soldier, Anjet Daanje delves into the troubled mind of a war-traumatized man searching for his identity, drawing the reader into a powerful and unsettling exploration of memory and truth.  

Anjet Daanje, the pen name of Anjet den Boer, was born in 1965. She writes novels, short stories, and screenplays. Her novel The Remembered Soldier has received several major literary awards in the Netherlands, including the 2020 F. Bordewijk Prize and the Best Book of Groningen Prize, and it was also longlisted for the 2020 Libris Literature Prize

 

Media Scan 12-03-26

 

LitRadar, March 12, 2026 - Women Without Men: A Novel of Modern Iran by Shahrnush Parsipur

Shahrnush Parsipur, born in 1946 in Iran, began her career as a fiction writer and producer at Iranian National Television and Radio. She was imprisoned for nearly five years by the Islamist government without formal charges. After her release, she published Women Without Men but was arrested again because of its bold depiction of women’s sexuality. Although the novel remains banned in Iran, it became an underground bestseller and has been translated into many languages worldwide. Parsipur is also the author of Touba and the Meaning of Night and Kissing the Sword, among several other works. She currently lives in exile in Northern California. Banned soon after its publication because of its portrayal of women’s independence, Women Without Men presents a powerful allegorical vision of life in modern Iran. This acclaimed novella by Shahrnush Parsipur follows the interconnected lives of five women—a wealthy middle-aged housewife, a prostitute, a schoolteacher, and others—who arrive separately at a lush garden on the outskirts of Tehran and begin living together. Blending elements of Islamic mysticism with reflections on Iran’s recent history, the novel portrays women seeking freedom from the restrictions of family and society. Through this imaginative narrative, Parsipur explores the possibility of women creating new lives and identities beyond the dominance of men.

 

Media Scan - 11-03-26

 

LitRadar, March 11, ,2026 - Why I Killed my Husband by Anita Nair

 

Anita Nair is one of India's most acclaimed authors whose oeuvre ranges from literary fiction to noir to poetry to children's literature to translation. Her books have been translated into thirty-three languages around the world and have been adapted for audio, the stage and the screen. Anita Nair is the recipient of several prizes and honours, including the Central Sahitya Akademi Award, the Crossword Prize and the National Film Award. A High-Profile Supporter of the UNHCR, Anita Nair is the founder of the creative writing mentorship programme Anita's Attic which has mentored over 125 writers.

 

This powerful collection of six stories explores a turbulent decade in India’s recent social and political life. Each story highlights the connection between personal experiences and larger political realities, portraying the everyday lives of people from different social backgrounds. The narratives include a landowner who dismisses political activism until it reaches his own family, a couple whose vacation changes unexpectedly during a role-playing game, and life in a traditional akhara where caste tensions shape events. Another story follows a woman whose marriage becomes a series of humiliations before she decides to take control of her life. Set across diverse locations—such as a small town in Karnataka, a temple town and village in Kerala, the cities of Chennai and Bengaluru, and a farm near Hathras in Uttar Pradesh—the stories address themes like gender violence, pandemic lockdowns, and cyber fraud. Through sharp social observation and emotionally powerful storytelling, the collection offers a compelling and thought-provoking reading experience.

Media Scan 10-3-26

 

Answers

1. English collective nouns for animals are called the terms of venery.

2. A group humorously called a “congress” refers to baboons.

(“A congress of baboons”; the normal term is a troop of baboons.)

3. The ominous birds described are ravens.

Collective noun: an unkindness of ravens.

4. A group of rhinoceroses is called a crash.

(“A crash of rhinoceroses”.)

5. The collective noun for apes is a shrewdness of apes.

Visual Question:

The birds forming the phenomenon shown are starlings, and the collective noun is a murmuration.

LitRadar - March 10, 2026 - Departure (s) by Julian Barnes

Julian Barnes is the author of twenty-five previous books, for which he has received the Man Booker Prize, the Somerset Maugham Award, the E. M. Forster Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Prix Médicis and Prix Femina in France, and the Jerusalem Prize. In 2017 he was awarded the Légion d’honneur. His work has been translated into more than forty languages.  

Departure(s) will be the last book from the author and declares it in the beginning of the novel. “This will be my last book.” The book blends fiction and autobiography, reflecting Julian Barnes’s own experiences with illness, ageing, grief, and love. It centres on the love story of two university friends, Stephen and Jean, whom the narrator once tried to bring together. After their relationship fails, he reconnects with them forty years later and observes their renewed relationship, which brings both joy and disappointment. Through memories, diary-like reflections, and storytelling, Barnes explores the unpredictable nature of life, love, and memory. Although he had promised not to write about the couple, he ultimately breaks that promise, turning their story into a thoughtful and poignant reflection on memory and storytelling. 

 

The Hindu Sunday Magazine 1-03-26

https://scroll.in/article/1090947/departure-s-julian-barness-final-novel-is-an-emotionally-charged-farewell-to-readers

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/19/books/review/julian-barnes-departures.html

LitRadar - March 9, 2026 - Empire of AI by Karen Hao

 

Karen Hao is an award-winning journalist who focuses on the social impact of artificial intelligence. She has worked as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal and as the senior editor for AI at MIT Technology Review. Her reporting is widely used in universities and has also been cited by governments, making her an important voice in discussions about AI and society. Her book Empire of AI (2025) traces how OpenAI evolved from an idealistic nonprofit organisation into a powerful company valued at around $157 billion. The book explores the internal struggles, major decisions, and partnerships that shaped the race to develop ChatGPT, while also examining the broader power dynamics behind today’s AI industry. The research for this book draws on more than 300 interviews with about 260 people, along with a large collection of correspondence and documents. Many of these interviews were conducted specifically for the book, while others come from Hao’s seven years of reporting on OpenAI and the global AI industry for publications such as MIT Technology Review, The Wall Street Journal, and The Atlantic. A significant portion of the interviews includes conversations with current and former OpenAI executives, employees, and contractors.

Visit the author's website - https://karendhao.com/

Watch the interview with Karen Hao - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd8ZTI2Ft0w

Follow in X : https://twitter.com/_karenhao

Visit https://www.theatlantic.com/author/karen-hao/ to read more articles by Karen Hao. 

 

Life in Frames, March 8, 2026

 

Guest Lecture Update - February 28, 2026

I had the privilege of delivering a Guest Lecture on “Memory Matters: Why the Past Refuses to Stay Past” at Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R&D Institute of Science and Technology, organized by the Department of English, School of Science and Humanities, as part of their Knowledge Nexus initiative.

The session explored how memory operates not merely as a record of the past but as an active force shaping identity, culture, and narrative. Through examples from literature and cultural studies, the discussion highlighted how personal and collective memories continue to influence the present and the ways in which societies remember, reinterpret, and sometimes contest the past.

I am grateful to Dr. P. Revathi (HoD, English) and the organizing team for the warm invitation and thoughtful coordination. The enthusiasm and engagement of the students made the interaction particularly rewarding, with insightful questions and reflections on memory, history, and storytelling.

Academic conversations like these reaffirm the importance of interdisciplinary dialogue between literature, history, and memory studies, and I look forward to more such meaningful engagements.

Thank you to the faculty and students of Vel Tech University for the warm hospitality.

The English Conundrum - Article Summary

 

The article by Shailaja Chandra, former Secretary to the Government of India and former Chief Secretary of Delhi, reflects on the long-term impact of Thomas Babington Macaulay’s 1835 education policy. Recent remarks by Narendra Modi about Macaulay and the “mindset of slavery” have renewed debate on the role of English in India.

Chandra explains that Macaulay intended to create a small English-educated class to assist the British administration. Over time, however, English became a practical tool that helped Indians connect with the world while keeping their cultural identity. She notes that family traditions, language, and everyday life at home shaped identity more than schooling.

 

She also points out that school curricula in the 1950s had major gaps, neglecting topics such as ancient Indian governance, South Indian history, and the trauma of Partition. At the same time, English education helped Indians succeed globally in fields like science, medicine, and space research, while regional languages remained central to daily life.

 

Chandra further highlights that important thinkers like Jyotirao Phule and B. R. Ambedkar were long ignored in education, leaving many unaware of caste oppression. She concludes that while Macaulay’s policies affected support for some Indian languages, English should be seen as a bridge to the world. The Prime Minister’s remarks, she argues, should encourage Indians to deepen their understanding of India’s history and heritage.

This is an AI-generated summary of an article by Shailaja Chandra.

 

Life in Frames, March 7,2026

 

Life in Frames, March 6, 2026

 

Life in Frames, March 5, 2026

 

Re-searching Research

 

India’s PhD system must shift from publication pressure to solving real-world problems.

Quality research should matter more than the number of publications.

Reducing bureaucratic delays can make doctoral research more efficient and impactful.

PhD scholars should be mentored as researchers, not treated as academic labour.

A meaningful thesis should focus on contribution and innovation, not length.

Doctoral research should create real societal impact, not remain in university archives.

Universities must encourage innovation instead of rigid academic procedures.

China’s “practical PhD” model shows how research can focus on prototypes and real-world applications.

India can learn from the Chinese model by valuing industry relevance and applied innovation.

Reforming doctoral education can help India address national challenges through impactful research.

Top ten ideas from the article which appeared in today’s (4-03-26) Hindu e-paper authored by Biju Dharmapalan is the Dean of Academic Affairs at Garden City University, Bengaluru, and an Adjunct Faculty Member at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru.

The summary was created with AI assistance (ChatGPT, OpenAI) and edited by the author.

Life in Frames, March 4, 2026

 

Life in Frames, March 3, 2026

 

Life in Frames - March 2, 2026

 

Life in Frames, March 1, 2026