In Other Words

The West has long enjoyed romanticizing notions of Central Asia's so-called Great Game. But few are familiar with how the region's people view their own culture and literary scene. FP sat down with Alii Muhammadi Khorasoni, author, poet, and critic at the Tajik Academy of Sciences, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, to discuss what Central Asians are reading.

Few cities in the world enjoy a richer literary history than Dublin. So what are the Irish reading these days? FP spoke with Vincent Cahill of Waterstone's bookstore, and found that the reading list looks much the same as it did half a century ago.

A columnist for Milan's daily Corriere della Sera and author of the forthcoming La Bella Figura: A Field Guide to the Italian Mind, Beppe Severgnini is a keen observer of the Italian culture and character. In a conversation with FP, he discussed American bestsellers, the failure of Italy's politicians, and why Italians would rather write a book than read one.