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Ben East

Contributor

Manchester, England

Ben East is an award-winning arts, culture, travel and sports journalist based in Manchester. He’s been covering the best books, television shows, artists and musicians for The National since 2009, and also works for The Observer, Metro and Monocle. He’s as much of a fan of literary fiction as he is Norwich City Football Club or the Tour de France, so if he could work out a dream job which somehow covered all three, he would.

'The Devil and the Dark Water': How Stuart Turton's latest murder-mystery was inspired by a ghoulish shipwreck

The author says his time as a travel journalist in Dubai informed him how he could move his characters around and what that meant

October 10, 2020

Abdulrazak Gurnah’s new book explores many of the same themes as 1994’s ‘Paradise’. Getty

Tanzanian author Abdulrazak Gurnah's 'Afterlives' explores the traumatic events of war and colonialism

'Colonialism obviously transformed everything, and in that process you can find good aspects,' says Gurnah

September 25, 2020

C Pam Zhang, right, author of 'How Much of These Hills is Gold'.

C Pam Zhang flips the script of Wild West narrative in wholly original novel

Her Booker Prize-longlisted novel is hard to pin down, but that's why it's brilliant

September 11, 2020

(Original Caption) Bombay, India: Municipal offices and Victoria Terminus view shows street scene with buildings and trolley cars.

Murder, mystery and 1950s Mumbai: Vaseem Khan's latest crime series is led by a strong female detective

The British author tells us why he chose the fearless Persis Wadia as his heroine

August 31, 2020

Naji Bakhti's debut novel, 'Between Beirut and the Moon', will be released this month. Courtesy Influx Press

'This is a moment of reckoning': How Naji Bakhti masterfully captures the anguish and indomitable spirit of Beirut in debut novel

The author manages to perfectly toe the line between trauma and comedy in a searing coming-of-age tale set in a post-civil-war city

August 23, 2020

A man, completely unconnected to the book, gives food to cats in the al-Khalidiya neighbourhood of Homs. Reuters / Yazan Homsy

'The Stray Cats of Homs': Why this true story of escaping Syria's war had to be written as a novel

Swedish journalist Eva Nour's debut hones in on the human cost of a tangled, intractable conflict

August 12, 2020

Author Sahar Mustafah is also a high school teacher. Photo by Rebecca Healy

Palestinian-American author Sahar Mustafah on telling all sides of a 'marginalised' story in 'The Beauty of Your Face'

'It’s unpleasant, it’s disturbing, it’s uncomfortable. But I couldn’t let readers forget the immediate threat of violence our community always faces'

July 13, 2020

Author Rolf Dobelli believes there is a healthy way to consume news right now. Courtesy Alamy

'Don't Read The News': how to stop 'doomscrolling' amid the Covid-19 pandemic

While we need to stay informed right now, there is a healthy way to do so

May 10, 2020

Author Colum McCann says he hopes his book appeals both to those who know little about the history of the Palestinian struggle and those who know its "nuts and bolts". Getty Images

‘Apeirogon’: why Colum McCann felt compelled to tell a story of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict

At the heart of the Irish author's novel are two real-life men – a Palestinian, Bassam Aramin, and an Israeli, Rami Elhanan – united by grief

March 28, 2020

Riyas Muhammed's photo has won him the national award at the Sony World Photo Awards this year. Riyas Muhammed

‘The Hero’ shot: Sharjah photographer on what it takes to produce a prizewinning Burj Khalifa snap

Sony World Photography Award recipient Riyas Muhammed explains what inspires his award-winning photos

March 28, 2020

AKRE, IRAQ: Men march with torches during the Newroz festival that marks Kurdish New Year. Photo by Sebastian Meyer

21 stunning images from a photojournalist's harrowing ordeal in Iraqi Kurdistan

Sebastian Meyer's business partner was shot and left for dead, but later called from captivity

March 24, 2020

'It feels like a very significant moment': how a UK festival is putting Arab comediennes centre stage

Arab Women Artists Now is carving a niche for female talents from the region. Ben East gets the lowdown on the event from its founder, Aser El Saqqa

March 4, 2020

Castillo was born in Mexico and now lives in California. HarperCollins

Review: 'Children Of The Land' is a powerful, grounded depiction of migrant life

Castillo's book achieves the rare feat of making the personal universal, making it impossible to read the stories and not feel the need to take action, Ben East writes

February 29, 2020

Deepa Anappara's ** may ofer a child’s view of society, but that doesn’t make it a children’s book. Liz Seabrook

'Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line': why Deepa Anappara's debut is about children, not for children

Anappara tells us about her debut novel, and why 'it’s a child’s view of society, but that doesn’t make it a children’s book'

February 15, 2020

Jasbinder Bilan won the Costa Children’s Book Award this month. Courtesy Chicken House

How Jasbinder Bilan turned her family legends into an award-winning children's book

Bilan's debut novel is no saccharine children’s book, there is real-world peril on Asha’s quest

January 24, 2020

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Ben East

'The Devil and the Dark Water': How Stuart Turton's latest murder-mystery was inspired by a ghoulish shipwreck

Tanzanian author Abdulrazak Gurnah's 'Afterlives' explores the traumatic events of war and colonialism

C Pam Zhang flips the script of Wild West narrative in wholly original novel

Murder, mystery and 1950s Mumbai: Vaseem Khan's latest crime series is led by a strong female detective

'This is a moment of reckoning': How Naji Bakhti masterfully captures the anguish and indomitable spirit of Beirut in debut novel

'The Stray Cats of Homs': Why this true story of escaping Syria's war had to be written as a novel

Palestinian-American author Sahar Mustafah on telling all sides of a 'marginalised' story in 'The Beauty of Your Face'

'Don't Read The News': how to stop 'doomscrolling' amid the Covid-19 pandemic

‘Apeirogon’: why Colum McCann felt compelled to tell a story of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict

‘The Hero’ shot: Sharjah photographer on what it takes to produce a prizewinning Burj Khalifa snap

21 stunning images from a photojournalist's harrowing ordeal in Iraqi Kurdistan

'It feels like a very significant moment': how a UK festival is putting Arab comediennes centre stage

Review: 'Children Of The Land' is a powerful, grounded depiction of migrant life

'Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line': why Deepa Anappara's debut is about children, not for children

How Jasbinder Bilan turned her family legends into an award-winning children's book

Europe

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Health

Family

MENA

AUTHOR

Ben East

'The Devil and the Dark Water': How Stuart Turton's latest murder-mystery was inspired by a ghoulish shipwreck

Tanzanian author Abdulrazak Gurnah's 'Afterlives' explores the traumatic events of war and colonialism

C Pam Zhang flips the script of Wild West narrative in wholly original novel

Murder, mystery and 1950s Mumbai: Vaseem Khan's latest crime series is led by a strong female detective

'This is a moment of reckoning': How Naji Bakhti masterfully captures the anguish and indomitable spirit of Beirut in debut novel

'The Stray Cats of Homs': Why this true story of escaping Syria's war had to be written as a novel

Palestinian-American author Sahar Mustafah on telling all sides of a 'marginalised' story in 'The Beauty of Your Face'

'Don't Read The News': how to stop 'doomscrolling' amid the Covid-19 pandemic

‘Apeirogon’: why Colum McCann felt compelled to tell a story of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict

‘The Hero’ shot: Sharjah photographer on what it takes to produce a prizewinning Burj Khalifa snap

21 stunning images from a photojournalist's harrowing ordeal in Iraqi Kurdistan

'It feels like a very ­significant moment': how a UK festival is putting Arab comediennes centre stage

Review: 'Children Of The Land' is a powerful, grounded depiction of migrant life

'Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line': why Deepa Anappara's debut is about children, not for children

How Jasbinder Bilan turned her family legends into an award-winning children's book

Europe

Money

Health

Family

MENA

'It feels like a very significant moment': how a UK festival is putting Arab comediennes centre stage