Elizaveta Podkolzina and Yuri Saprykin talk with the poet and writer Oksana Vasyakina about her second novel, The Steppe . The book is dedicated to her trucker father, stigmatized illnesses, and the virus of masculinity that has infected society .
Yuri Saprykin and the editors of the Polka project are discussing one of the main Russian books . "A Hero of Our Time" as a colonial novel, can Pechorin be called a perverse narcissist, toxic relationships in the time of Lermontov .
In this issue, the editors of "Shelf" answer questions from listeners . How to understand if you have a bad text or a good one? Why is the novel better than the series? When did literary awards appear in Russia? Does the author have the right to squeeze a tear out of the reader?
The Possessed is a novel that some understand as a political pamphlet, others as a terrible and come true prophecy about the Russian revolution . Some understand it as a space where the writer’s favorite metaphysical ideas collide. The editors of Polk decided to discuss Dostoevsky's novel on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of his birth .
The editors of "Shelf" talk about the books that are most remembered last year: "The End of the World, My Love" by Alla Gorbunova and "The Seventh Alkaline" by Polina Barskova . They also talk about "Departure into the Forest" by Ernst Junger and Leonid Yuzefovich's novel "Ph
Welcome to our cultural program. Today our guest is the Egyptian novelist Mohamed Barki, who will be talking about his latest novel "Throne on Water." The novel revolves around two controversial characters, a religious preacher and a sheikh in Cairo. Mohamed Barki has written three novels in less than five years, each exploring different worlds. The common thread among these works is the theme of removing sanctity, apparent in his depiction of the famous singer Umm Kulthum in "Night of the Six" and his portrayal of the afterlife in "Throne on Water." The character of the religious preacher, who wears traditional Islamic attire, uses his spiritual authority for personal gain, showing a contrast between his moral corruption and religious zeal. Barki's novels delve into societal transformations in Egypt over the past half-century, examining the rise of extremist ideologies and the decline of tolerance. Through the character of Sheikh Mashur Al-Wahsh in "Throne on Water," Barki explores how an individual can evolve from a young man in religious garb to a symbol of societal conservatism. Barki's works reflect on the changing dynamics in Egyptian society and the erosion of traditional values, leading to radical ideologies. He emphasizes the importance of preserving cultural heritage and promoting artistic and literary expression as tools for challenging extremist beliefs.
Welcome to episode 29 of Yalla Taqafa! Today marks the podcast's first anniversary, as the first episode was recorded in 2018. In this episode, we will be discussing the novel "Kahal wa Habahan" by the author Omar Taher, which is his first novel. I hadn't planned on doing another book review so soon after the last one, but when Omar Taher released this novel earlier this year, I fell in love with it and felt compelled to share my thoughts on it. The novel is a sensitive work that immerses readers in the memories of traditional Egyptian families, evoking sensations of taste, smell, and sound. It beautifully captures the essence of Abdullah, the protagonist, both as a teenager in his family home and as a young man navigating the streets of Cairo from 2008 to 2017. The novel is rich in imagery and explores themes of love, food, and culture. Overall, "Kahal wa Habahan" is a well-crafted novel and a promising start for Omar Taher. It is like a sweet dessert enjoyed with tea after a long and tiring day. Thank you, Omar Taher, for this wonderful literary work.