Great Regulars: For those who like their poetry translated,

and missed this last week--the shortlist for the Popescu prize was announced last Friday. The Corneliu M Popescu Prize for Poetry Translated from a European Language into English, to give it its proper (and marvellously baroque) handle, has been going since 1983, is awarded biennially, and has been won in the past by the likes of Tony Harrison and David Constantine, so is worth paying attention to.

from Sarah Crown: The Guardian: Popescu prize shortlist announced

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Before looking at the books one ought to read when languishing, however, we should tackle the issue of books to avoid. Firstly, and most importantly, do NOT attempt to read anything new. Just as the point at which you're lying feverish and fretful in your bed is not the moment to send out to the brand-new super-spicy curry house round the corner, so it is not the moment to essay an untested novel, either. Who knows, after all, what you might find inside?

from Sarah Crown: The Guardian: Sick literature: what to read when you're ill

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The company was founded by brothers Mark and Paul Cameron, after Mark realised that "as he selected his own music-reading pairings" he was "choosing songs that emotionally corresponded to the words on the page". Inspired, the pair set about devising "movie-like soundtracks for digital books" (it only works for digital books, as the soundtrack needs to be linked to the page you're reading), combining sound effects and original music. They only have tracks for a handful of books so far, but if you click on the copy of Sherlock Holmes on the top shelf on this page, and watch the trailer, you get a sense of where they're going with it.

from Sarah Crown: The Guardian: Words and music: should books have soundtracks?

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