Let us revisit important literary, cultural and archaeological moments of 2022, including the 100th anniversary of Ulysses, India's first International Booker, UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation, and the highest-grossing movies of the year.
1. 100 years of Ulysses
Irish novelist James Joyce's Ulysses is often referred to as one of the 20th Century's most daring works of literature. Set on a single day June 16, 1904, in Dublin, Ireland, it records the movement of two main characters, a young poet named Stephan Dedalus and Leopold Bloom. This experimental novel is lauded as one of the earliest literary works to showcase the writing technique called stream of consciousness, where the readers get a chance to see the inner and intimate thoughts of characters unfold on the page. February 2, 2022, marked the 100th anniversary of the publication of this masterpiece.
2. Shirley Hughes is no more
February 2022 saw English children's author and illustrator Shirley Hughes breathe her last at the age of 94. Hughes was a beloved figure in her native England, honoured by Queen Elizabeth II and showered with awards. Over a career that spanned around 70 years, she illustrated and wrote more than 70 books, winning Book Trust's inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. Her best-known works include the picture book Dogger and the Alfie series. In 2017, she was named Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her literary contribution. Her stories captured the drama of children's lives in a changing world.
3. Trending picture books
Fun, inspiring, educational and beautiful illustrated picture books were a major trend for 2022. The year saw a boom in the publication and distribution of contemporary picture books that catered to a global readership and depict everyday life experiences and concerns of children. Books like Alice Melvin's Mouse's Wood and The Zebra's Great Escape by Katherine Rundell were some of the bestsellers of this category. The success of books like The Boy Who Dreamed Dragons by Caryl Lewis and Jarvis's The Boy With Flowers in His Hair reflected the boom in books exploring emotions for the reader aged under ten.
4. India's first International Booker
May 2022 saw Geetanjali Shree become the first Indian to win the prestigious International Booker Prize for her novel Tomb of Sand, which was originally published in Hindi in 2018 as Ret Samadhi. This novel follows an 80-year-old woman who is travelling to Pakistan to confront her unresolved trauma of the 1947 Partition of India. "This is not just about me, the individual. I represent a language and culture and this recognition brings into larger purview the entire world of Hindi literature in particular and Indian literature as a whole", said the Delhi-based author.
5. Shelley's 200th anniversary
English poet P.B. Shelley was an influential contributor to the Romantic movement in literature. This movement was a reaction against rationalism that dominated the philosophy of the 18th Century and promoted a return to the untamed spirit of nature and embraced its hold on one's imagination. July 8, 2022, marked the 200th death anniversary of the poet. Many international events like the Shelley Conference in London and exhibitions inspired by the key moments in the poet's life were held last year to demonstrate his lasting appeal and influence. Shelley's major poems include Prometheus Unbound and Ozymandias.
6. Attack on Rushdie
The news of the attack on Indian-born British-American novelist, Salman Rushdie sent a shock wave through the literary community. The author of the critically acclaimed Midnight's Children was brutally attacked and stabbed by Hadi Matar, a 24-year-old from New Jersey at Chautauqua Institution in New York on August 12, 2022. While giving an update on Rushdie's health, his agent said the author had suffered severe wounds and lost sight in one eye and the use of a hand. Incidentally, one of the most anticipated books of 2023 is his Victory City, written before the attack.
Picture Picture : Google