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| | | Top 10 world-spanning novels | CA Davids | | by CA Davids Mar 2, 2022 | | Writers from David Mitchell to Graham Greene and Rachel Kushner tell stories that seek out interconnectedness, testing and pulling at the idea of nationhood Think global … think local, no? It feels strange to write it because of course, everything on our planet is interdependent: our oceans, weather systems, knowledge systems, politics, certainly people. So, the idea that we should categorise anything as global literature seems counterintuitive; as if everything is not at once local and global. In my novel, How to Be a Revolutionary, I seek out interconnectedness, testing and pulling at the idea of nationhood. The following are 10 books that view the world in a similar way, giving meaning and shape to what it means to be human. 1. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
Few can cross the centuries, bending genres and language, so that it works effortlessly on the page. From the South Pacific in the mid-19th century to a dystopian, ultimately consumerist future Korea, Cloud Atlas presents a case for the universality of human nature. It’s a joyful, poignant re-read, 18 years after the novel was first published and especially when this notion of what binds us appears to be in question again. Continue reading... | | | | | Rebel Dread review – the eloquent self-making of punk film-maker Don Letts | | by Peter Bradshaw Mar 2, 2022 | | An eloquent cultural evangelist, the raconteur talks through his creative career since recording the 1970s punk scene on his Super-8 camera It’s an intense, 86-minute pleasure to be in the company of Don Letts: DJ, film-maker, musician, social commentator and thoroughly engaging raconteur. Every word that comes out of his mouth is a manifesto for humanity and creativity. “Punk rock’s a living thing,” he says, “something to look forward to, not look back on.” Letts became part of the punk scene in late-70s London, befriending everyone from Malcolm McLaren to Bob Marley; he was DJing at the Roxy in Covent Garden, and with his pioneering choice of reggae records, Letts almost single-handedly made allies of punk and Jamaican music and struck a powerful cultural blow against racism. He also, with his Super-8 camera, shot vivid and intense footage of bands including the Sex Pistols and the Clash playing live which has become an indispensable archival resource for anyone making films or TV programmes about punk. From there, he had a thriving career as a music video director, worked with Mick Jones to set up Big Audio Dynamite and carried on making feature films. Continue reading... | | | | | |
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