Showing 1 - 10 of 14
Indie booksellers pit passion against rumoured death throes
Nannalin Tiengtae, Published on 30/03/2026
» Independent booksellers are relying on passion and perseverance as they confront long‑term challenges that keep many of them precariously close to the edge.
The world beat goes on
Life, John Clewley, Published on 04/01/2023
» This year the entertainment business returned to some form of normality after the hard slog of lockdowns and lack of customers. It was good to see music lovers back at festivals and clubs. And the best festive season present of all was the performance of Ethiopian legend Hailu Mergia and his trio at Studio Lam on Dec 21.
A literary feast
Guru, Worada Elstow, Published on 22/04/2022
» Books have been intertwined in human history in one form or another, being the product of our culture, traces of our existence, stories that we tell and ways that we transfer knowledge through generations. As April 23 is World Book and Copyright Day or International Day Of The Book, Guru celebrates it with a list of things to do and places where reading is appreciated.
Read all about it
Guru, Eric E Surbano, Published on 23/04/2021
» A blogger a number of years ago cited an alleged Unesco statistic stating that Thais only read eight lines per year compared to the five books a year Singaporeans and Vietnamese read. I couldn't find the statistic anywhere but a former editor for Guru also wrote in one of her past editor's note that the National Statistic Office reported in 2005 that Thais read an average of just seven lines a year. However, the Unesco site which you can check out has traced that illiteracy has begun declining in 2015 so perhaps the seven-lines-per-year has improved. But why in the world am I talking about Thailand's literacy rates when we usually talk about food or Uncle Tu's latest blunders in this magazine? Well, today is actually World Book Day, and we're listing out a few things you can do to celebrate the occasion -- and perhaps also keep that upward trajectory on the Unesco stat going. So choose a cozy spot and get ready to bury your nose in a few pages as we celebrate World Book Day 2021.
No ordinary wedding singer
Life, John Clewley, Published on 02/03/2021
» In 2016, World Beat featured an album, Bahdeni Nami (MonkeyTown Records, Germany), by the prolific Syrian wedding singer Omar Souleyman.
Blowout for bibliophiles at Dasa Book Cafe
Life, Tatat Bunnag, Published on 20/11/2020
» Bookworms that missed the recent 20% discount event as part of Dasa Book Cafe's reopening celebration need not worry. The store is still running its discounted "Blowout" sale until the end of November and there is still plenty of opportunity to find your favourite books from only 9 baht each.
A whole different sonic vibe
Life, John Clewley, Published on 09/06/2020
» Sega is the traditional and popular music of the island of Mauritius, which sits in the vast Indian Ocean; some call sega the blues of the Indian Ocean but I think of it as the soundtrack to the sea.
Return to (new) normal
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 15/05/2020
» Ahead of the possible second wave of Covid-19 curb easing, more businesses have announced their comebacks. Here are some of the noteworthy reopenings for your weekend agenda.
Special sale at Bangkok book haven
Life, Tatat Bunnag, Published on 23/05/2019
» There's just over a week left for bookworms to browse the nearly 20,000 second-hand titles available at discount prices at Dasa Book Cafe, which is hosting a big sale until the end of the month.
Creating a buzz
Life, John Clewley, Published on 19/02/2019
» Some years ago, I reviewed Colin McPhee's marvellous book, A House In Bali, about life and gamelan music (traditional Balinese music -- mainly percussive and driven by metallophones or gongs) in Bali during the 1930s. Published in 1947, the book details how a young man, after hearing some rare gamelan music on old records, journeys to Bali in 1929 to seek the music that will change his life. It is an enchanting book, well worth reading.