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The Leipzig Book Fair: A German Student's Perspective

As a German university student interning here at Quay Books, in the heart of Limerick City in Ireland, my passion for literature knows no bounds. Last year, I attended the Leipzig Book Fair. And as yesterday marked the beginning of the Leipzig Book Fair 2024, I find myself reminiscing about the atmosphere and literary treasures that awaited me last April. The Leipzig Book Fair is the second largest book fair in Germany and a sanctuary for readers, writers, and enthusiasts alike. Each year, the fair hosts a new host country to give readers new insights into different countries, languages and communities. Last year’s host country was Austria. This year, the Netherlands & Flanders will bring inspiration to Leipzig through their...

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Hosting events at Quay Books

Quay Books are happy to host for you a book launch, or a literary event, or a reading from a previously published book.The ideal date for a launch in the Quay Books shop is any Friday night.The event should commence at 6.30 pm or 7.00 pm.As it would be a standing event, the preferred duration of a launch (introduction plus reading) should be about 20 minutes.The shop is small. Hence the number attending would have to be limited to 30 persons, almost all standing.All events would be a free ticketed events. We will arrange that tickets may be booked via Eventbrite. As well as promoting the event on Eventbrite, we will also promote the event on social media.However, we would expect...

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Against Amazon: seven reasons. A manifesto, written by Jorge Carrión.

I: Because I don't want to be complicit in symbolic expropriation.Amazon is not a bookstore, but a hypermarket. In their warehouses the books are placed next to toasters, toys or skateboards.II: Because we are all cyborgs, but not robots.Amazon has progressively eliminated the human factor.Because for us a book is a book is a book.And its reading - attention and gift - is a rite, the echo of the echo of the echo of what was sacred.III. Because I reject hypocrisy.The truth is that Amazon censors or privileges books according to the interests of Amazon.There seems to be no mediation. Everything is automatic.IV: Because I don't want to be an accomplice of the neo-empire.There are no booksellers on Amazon. The...

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Les vœux de Jacques Brel.

  Les vœux de Jacques Brel, was  first broadcast on  Radio Europe 1, on January 1st 1968. (Below is an extract in translation) There are probably better translations. Watch Laurence Vielle read the full poem here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=870185194199263 I wish for you I wish for you desire. I wish you endless dreams and the furious desire to realize some of them. I wish you to love what must be loved and to forget what needs to be forgotten. I wish you passions, I wish you silences. I wish you birdsong on awakening and the laughter of infants. I wish you to respect the differences of others, because the worth and value of each are often to be discovered. I wish you...

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