The Buddha Collapsed out of Shame

Baktay, die and you will be free!

The Buddha Collapsed out of Shame is a beautifully shot film by the younger Makhmalbaf film-maker, Hana. It tells the story of a young Afghan girl wanting to learn how to read and the struggle she undertakes to purchase a notebook by selling eggs. On her way to school she [...]

Trudi Canavan

Growing up with Enid Blyton never made me much of a reader! Being as slow at reading as I am never much helped the situation either. I’m slow, I’m lazy and bore easily. If a book doesn’t capture my wandering mind within the first couple of pages I probably won’t bother picking it up again. [...]

First came the arrests, then came the executions

Am I looking in the wrong places or are people remaining unusually quiet about the execution of Yaghoob Mehrnehad? He was accused of being involved in an armed Sunni-Muslim group active in the south-east of Iran called the Jundallah (God’s brigade), who are blamed for attacks on Iranian troops near to the Pakistan/Aghanistan borders. Details [...]