Great Regulars: "We do not advocate censorship or

burning but we would like it acknowledged, clearly and unambiguously, that in the Divine Comedy there is racist, Islamophobic and antisemitic content," said Valentina Sereni, president of Gherush92, to the Adnkronos news agency. "Art cannot be above criticism."

from Alison Flood: The Guardian: Divine Comedy is 'offensive and discriminatory', says Italian NGO

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"Seems that the US Justice Dept wants to destroy the world of books," Rushdie wrote on Twitter. "Anyone who thinks that fair pricing that allows authors to make a living is a cabal or cartel system is deep in the grip of Napsterism--the belief (fostered by Napster in the music world) that it's OK to acquire people's work for almost nothing."

At stake is the power to set prices for ebooks, with publishers defending the controversial agency model, which sees the publisher determining ebook prices instead of the retailer.

from Alison Flood: The Guardian: Salman Rushdie attacks planned Justice Dept lawsuit against publishers

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According to local press, she [Toni Morrison] was asked if she intended to write an autobiography about her childhood in the area, and admitted that she had gone so far as to sign a contract for her next book to be a memoir.

"But then I cancelled it," she said. "My publisher asked me to do it, but there's a point at which your life is not interesting, at least to me. I'd rather write fiction."

from Alison Flood: The Guardian: Toni Morrison cancels memoir contract due to 'not interesting' life

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Armchair traveller? Here, then, is a fantastic new project to brighten your day: the Scottish Poetry Library is in the process of choosing a poem from each of the 204 Olympic nations, one that captures "a slice of life and culture from that particular country", giving "a glimpse of the nation". The Written World project will see the poems broadcast daily from now until the Paralympics closing ceremony on BBC Radio Scotland and other BBC radio networks, starting tomorrow with Grace Nichols's "Like a Beacon", representing Guyana.

from Alison Flood: The Guardian: Which piece would you pick for the poetry Olympics?

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