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View Poll Results: Multiple Choice - Which region should we use for nominations this month? | |||
South Asia |
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2 | 16.67% |
The Korean Peninsula, Mongolia & China |
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3 | 25.00% |
Japan |
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1 | 8.33% |
Southeast Asia |
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4 | 33.33% |
The South Pacific |
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0 | 0% |
Ireland & The U.K. |
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6 | 50.00% |
North & Central Europe |
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3 | 25.00% |
Portugal, Belgium, The Netherlands, Spain & France |
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3 | 25.00% |
Southeast Europe |
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6 | 50.00% |
North Africa & The Middle East |
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6 | 50.00% |
Sub-Saharan Africa |
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2 | 16.67% |
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 12. You may not vote on this poll |
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#1 |
languorous autodidact ✦
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Region Nominations • November 2013
Boo!
![]() Help us select what the MR Literary Club will read for November 2013! The category for this month is: Region North Africa & The Middle East, as chosen in the poll & tie-breaker vote This month is a two-part process: The first part begins with a one-day poll to determine the region we will use. It is multiple choice and you may choose as many options as you like when voting. This voting is separate from your nominations. There are no nominations during the poll, only voting. I will not vote in the poll, and if there is a tie, I will break it. As soon as the poll is over and the region is determined, then the second part (nominations) starts and you can begin nominating like normal. This will run for four days until 6th November. We no longer aim for a certain number of fully nominated works; rather, we now only aim for a certain length of time for nominations (four days). Nominations can be set in any region, but they should be written by an author from that region. Notes: -Regions are named in the poll and colour-coded on the map. Region names are generalities and not exact. -If a country or territory is too small to show regional colour on the map, it will be part of the region closest to it physically and culturally. If you are unsure, just ask. -I had help making the regions list that was much appreciated. -Previously chosen regions currently ineligible: Latin America Central Asia, East Europe & Russia Canada & the U.S.A. Once the poll is over and nominations begin: In order for a work to be included in the poll it needs four nominations - the original nomination plus three supporting. Each participant has four nominations to use. You can nominate a new work for consideration or you can support (second, third or fourth) a work that has already been nominated by another person. To nominate a work just post a message with your nomination. If you are the first to nominate a work, it's always nice to provide an abstract to the work so others may consider their level of interest. What is literature for the purposes of this club? A superior work of lasting merit that enriches the mind. Often it is important, challenging, critically acclaimed. It may be from ancient times to today; it may be from anywhere in the world; it may be obscure or famous, short or long; it may be a story, a novel, a play, a poem, an essay or another written form. If you are unsure if a work would be considered literature, just ask! The floor is now open! * Nominations are now closed. Final nominations: The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, Iran - Fully nominated Spoiler:
Leo Africanus by Amin Maalouf, Lebanon - Fully nominated Spoiler:
A Tale of Love and Darkness by Amos Oz, Israel - Fully nominated Spoiler:
Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz, Egypt - Fully nominated Spoiler:
Lyrics Alley by Leila Aboulela, Sudan - Fully nominated Spoiler:
In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar, Libya - Fully nominated Spoiler:
Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits by Laila Lalami, Morocco - Fully nominated Spoiler:
The Yacoubian Buidling by Alaa Al-Aswany, Egypt - Fully nominated Spoiler:
Damascus Nights by Rafik Schami, Syria - 1 Spoiler:
The Plague by Albert Camus, Algeria - 2 Spoiler:
Last edited by sun surfer; 11-06-2013 at 12:26 AM. |
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#2 |
Wizard
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I voted for Ireland and the UK. But (IMHO) I think that Ireland should be in a category of its own as it has not only a remarkable double tradition in English {Anglo-Irish and English works written from an Irish Cultural/Nationalistic perspective} but another equally significant corpus in the Irish Language.
Of course, I probably should have said that long ago! {red face} Last edited by fantasyfan; 11-01-2013 at 08:36 AM. |
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#3 | |
Nameless Being
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Quote:
![]() ![]() I actually did not vote for Ireland & The U.K. At this time because looking back over the selection for 2013 to date three of the ten were in that category. Last edited by Hamlet53; 11-01-2013 at 09:51 AM. |
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#4 |
Grand Sorcerer
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Hoping this one doesn't blow away a good option for my reading challenge this year.
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#5 |
Grand Sorcerer
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On the idea of Ireland, I think every country should get their chance. The Australian theme from last month was brilliant. It made it easy to go look at a country and learn about some of the recurring themes.
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#6 |
Grand Sorcerer
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As I've been doing quite a bit of research on regions, I think that the South Pacific needs to disappear as an option in itself. The number of available books is pretty slim and the eBook availability is tragic. It's on my list to read some titles from there, but I've found so little from native authors.
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#7 | |
Nameless Being
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#8 |
Snoozing in the sun
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There's New Zealand too, and some fine writers from there.
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#9 | |
o saeclum infacetum
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#10 | ||
languorous autodidact ✦
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A three-way tie so far and not too long to go. I wonder if there will be any last-minute vote to break it.
Quote:
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![]() Oh, sounds interesting! |
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#11 | |
languorous autodidact ✦
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Quote:
Ireland & The U.K. Southeast Europe North Africa & The Middle East The guidelines are that if there is a region tie that I will break it. So...all three great choices, and I will go with North Africa & The Middle East. The floor is now open! |
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#12 | |
Wizard
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so let me open the proceedings by nominating Naguib Mahfouz's Palace Walk, which is the first book in his "Cairo Trilogy". Mahfouz got the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1988, and is considered a towering figure in Arabic literature.
The trilogy chronicles the life of a family over three generations, with the first volume spanning from the short period of the Egyptian revolution against the Brits. Blurb from Random house: Quote:
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#13 |
Wizard
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I’ll nominate The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (1048-1131).
The Rubaiyat is a collection of quatrains using an aaba rhyme scheme examining aspects of life from an Epicurean, Fatalistic, and Agnostic point of view. By far the most famous English translation of these remarkable poems is that of Edward Fitzgerald, first published in 1859 and later expanded in four further editions. It would seem that Fitzgerald was attracted to the dark life-view of the Persian poet and this shows in the brilliance of the translation. Davis in his introduction to the poem describes it as “the most famous verse translation ever made into English. . . . In the 1953 edition of The Oxford Book of Quotations there are 188 excerpts from the Rubaiyat (of which 59 are complete quatrains)--this is virtually two-thirds of the total work. Not even Shakespeare or the Authorized Version of the Bible are represented by such massive percentages.” Here’s a sample of it: “Up from Earth’s Centre through the Seventh Gate I rose, and on the Throne of Saturn sate. And many knots unravell’d by the Road; But not the Master-knot of Human Fate.” or "Oh, come with old Khayyam, and leave the Wine To talk; one thing is certain, that Life flies; One thing is certain, and the Rest is Lies; the Flower that once has blown for ever dies." There are other translations, of course. But the Fitzgerald translation is freely available in Project Gutenberg, Many Books, Feedbooks, Amazon, Kobo etc. Last edited by fantasyfan; 11-02-2013 at 07:16 AM. |
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#14 | |
Snoozing in the sun
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I'll second Palace Walk - The Cairo Trilogy is on my TBR list.
I'll pass on the Rubaiyat as I know it well, and would really like the opportunity to explore writers new to me - sorry fantasyfan! I would like to nominate A Tale of Love and Darkness by Amos Oz. From Goodreads: Quote:
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#15 | |
Indie Advocate
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I can at least find A Tale of Love and Darkness in a library even if I'm not particularly interested in biographies. At least it will cover kibbutz. I'm going to second this one. |
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