Women in science – Alison O’Neill at YPrime on thinking out loud and…

Science and Health

She brings her global experience across multiple therapeutic areas to her current role leading operations at YPrime. In this position, Alison oversees project management and all teams responsible for the quality of project delivery – she ensures the excellence of services provided to sponsors, sites, and patients.Could you give us an overview of your work?As the chief operating officer of YPrime, my job is to lead the teams that deliver projects for our customers. We have two platforms, an eCOA platform and an IRT platform. And once we are awarded a project by a customer – usually a sponsor or CRO – my team handles the project delivery. We configure the system for the particular protocol requirements. We launch that system. We then work through the maintenance phase, liaising with the sponsor team to ensure that the system continues to meet their expectations and to make sure it’s functioning appropriately and that they receive any support, data, reports, etcetera that they need.A lot of the people who report through me are project managers, but in addition, we have support services which include our customer-facing help desk, data management, and data services. There are more than 200 people on the operations team. We provide global coverage. There isn’t anywhere you can’t use our eCOA or IRT product. We have staff supporting them round the clock based predominantly in the US and the UK.We also work with a group of people who manage warehouses for us because we also provide devices for our eCOA projects for our sites and patients to use. Some prefer not to use provisioned devices and instead employ a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) method, using their own handhelds.When did you realize you were interested in science – as a young child, teen, or older?I don’t think I ever realized I was NOT interested in science. If you like, it’s in my genes. My father was a research chemist who, for most of his working life, conducted research into novel antibacterials and antivirals. My mother is a pharmacist who ran her own business.Science was always what I was going to do. I started my professional life as a bench chemist and worked for a large pharmaceutical company. I realized pretty quickly that whilst I enjoyed that at the time, I didn’t feel scientific enough to make chemistry my whole career, so I looked to find alternative careers in the pharmaceutical industry and the one I fell into happened to be clinical research.So, I suppose you could say I ended up in clinical research by accident because of my scientific background. I’ve progressed through the ranks from being a CRA to a project manager to running operations groups and ultimately to being the Chief Operating Officer of a software delivery company.Could you describe your personal journey bringing us to where you are now?Some people with careers in clinical research are here because they have had big moments in their lives, such as a personal experience with a disease or the loss of a loved one, that made them stop and think, ‘this is what I’m meant to do’. My experience, however, was more of a natural progression. And while I am in a leadership position today, I don’t consider myself ambitious.Everybody makes their own opportunities, but I don’t remember sitting down and thinking, ‘where do I want to be in three years or five years or 10 years?’ I have had several situations where people many decades younger than me have come to me and said, ‘Ali, how can you help? How can I get to where you are?’ And I find that really difficult because I never had such a plan myself. I never sat down and thought, ‘what do I need to do to get to where I want to go?’ So, it’s quite thought-provoking for me when people ask me this. I always tell them to make sure they do not ignore or dismiss any opportunities presented to them.That said, I’ve always strived to do my best in every role and to try to understand the wider picture, which undoubtedly has led to me taking a great deal of interest in my managers’ challenges and activities – I guess that has set me up as a natural successor for their roles.What challenges did you face – as a woman or otherwise – along the way and what is the most valuable lesson you have learned?The first thing to say is that I don’t believe that my challenges were because I’m female. Let’s look at my background. I was brought up in the UK and lived there until 20 years ago. The head of state was female, and for much of my life, the Prime Minister of the UK was a powerful woman.My mother was a scientist who ran her own business. I was not brought up to think that being a woman puts you at a disadvantage—probably the other way around.However, I can certainly speak to valuable lessons learned. One important lesson is to keep a very open mind and develop the art of being curious. Make sure you listen to every side of every story and learn from the people you work with. Even if you don’t like something about them or the way they work, you can learn from them. You can learn what you don’t want to be like. You can learn how you don’t want to interact with people or portray yourself. Don’t dismiss anything as a learning opportunity.Another valuable lesson I learned early in my management career was that I was a better leader when I couldn’t do my team member’s job. With roles I knew well, I’d just say, ‘do this,’ and they’d say, ‘hey, thanks Ali,’ and do it. But when the same issue arose later, they’d be back asking again because I hadn’t taught them the why or how. Contrast that with managing, say, a biostatistician. I’d have to ask them to walk me through options and pros and cons. We’d decide together, and they’d learn about decision-making. I ultimately applied this approach even when I knew the job and the next course of action. This meant I sometimes had to pinch my leg or bite my tongue to keep from blurting out, but the team member would learn!What ignites your passion in your current role?What I’m passionate about isn’t specific to my current role – it’s something I’ve been keen on throughout my career. I’m genuinely enthusiastic about mentoring, developing, and training people. Whether it’s someone on my team or someone seeking guidance, I take great pleasure in supporting their growth. There’s nothing more rewarding than watching people progress in their roles, especially those I’ve worked with early in their careers. Seeing them take on more senior positions and truly come into their own – that’s what really motivates me.What is your current work ethos or style?I don’t know whether I’m the best person to answer that or whether you should ask the people who report to me or have reported to me in the past! I would like to say I’m collaborative. Whether you report to me, whether I report to you or whether you are one of my peers, I’m collaborative. I like to think out loud and brainstorm, and I believe that if you get the right people together, you can always solve an issue. There’s no issue in our professional lives that can’t be solved just by talking to the right people, getting the right experience in the room, on the phone, on video calls, or whatever it is. With true brainstorming, you ignore whether or not something is actually possible. You ignore today’s reality and you work through what could be in an ideal world. And that, I think, is where the best solutions come from.Could you share some advice for young women starting to develop an interest in science or wanting to pursue a career like yours?My advice is for anyone interested in science, not just women. Do what really interests you – don’t do what other people think you should do if it doesn’t inspire you. Stay curious and open to all sorts of opportunities. I’d strongly recommend getting hands-on experience or shadowing someone in a role that’s intriguing to you. Schools are quite helpful with this today. You know, sometimes work experience is just as useful for figuring out what you don’t want as what you do. Pursue what you enjoy, be open and flexible, and the right experiences will come to you!

After the shock: Kingsolver and Everett win at hope-filled 75th National Book Awards

Arts & Culture, Books

Barbara Kingsolver and Percival Everett have been announced winners at the 75th National Book Awards (NBA), held in New York—but it was a year when, beneath the glitter, the shock and fear of recent weeks came back to the fore. With chaos knocking at the door, the job of the NBA seemed to be to provide rallying cries, consolation, hope and community, but also the challenges and discomforts of truth. The election, climate change, racism, refugees, Gaza and even Taiwan—all had their moment. Or two or three.
“Hard times are coming when we’ll want the voices of those who can battle and come together to stand up for books”, said Ruth Dickey, executive director of the National Book Foundation, the organisation that sponsors the awards and uses the benefit money to go inside schools, libraries and even public housing estates to spread the word about the power of books to change lives.
Percival Everett, who won the fiction prize to resounding acclaim for James (Doubleday), admitted that “the last two weeks, I’ve been feeling pretty low, and am still pretty low. As I look out at the excitement about the book, it gives me some hope,” but quickly added that “hope is no substitute for strategy”.
Jason De Léon, winner of the non-fiction award for Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling (Viking), declared: “I will not accept this dystopian American future of all this garbage the incoming administration wants to propagate and profit from. Let’s all go read some banned books!”
Poetry winner Lena Khalaf Tuffaha, author of Something About Living (University of Akron Press), whose father was born in Palestine, insisted: “I don’t want to console, I want us to be uncomfortable, to demand any administration we pay for should stop funding genocide.”
Young people’s literature winner Shifa Saltagi Safadi, whose verse tale, Kareem Between (Putnam Books for Young Readers), concerns a middle-school Muslim American boy, wanted to fight “the dehumanisation” of Muslims by writing a story “where we’re the heroes”. Translated literature winner, Taiwan Travelogue (Graywolf), by Yang Shuang-zi, translated from Mandarin by Lin King, was in part, Yang said, “a recognition for the place we come from, Taiwan”.
Prior to the event, controversy erupted about the choice of W Paul Coates (father of Ta-Nehisi Coates and a former Black Panther) as winner of the Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community. The award acted as recognition for his work founding and running Black Classics Press and BCP Digital Printing, specialising in “republishing obscure and significant works by and about people of African descent”. Two articles had accused some BCP books of having racist, antisemitic, homophobic content. The NBA stood by its choice, and Coates, receiving his award from Walter Mosley, spoke of his mission “making Black narratives known”, curating “radical and less popular voices” and being “supported by my community since 1972”.
However, it was Kingsolver’s acceptance speech for the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters that contained a passion to match the red of her dress.
The self-described “country girl from Kentucky in the disguise of a sparkly dress” said: “I have written through crises; administrations rose and fell; I’ve seen total eclipses. I know when all goes dark, the sun is still up there… Writers have to ask the big, scary, uncomfortable questions for the people who really need us. We’re at our best when we’re disrupters, when we rattle self-absorption, when we lure people into letting go of themselves so they can look into the soul of another. That empathy is our salvation. We are still each other’s only hope, as James Baldwin said… Truth and love have been struck down so many times… but truth is like the sun behind the eclipse. It’s still there, and love stays alive if you tend it… Our job is to invent a better ending. There are so many of us to do it. We are not erased. We are still here, like the sun behind the eclipse.” 

Chito Roño helms Quantum Films’ 20th-year offering ‘Espantaho’

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Nathalie Tomada – The Philippine StarNovember 22, 2024 | 12:00am

Master horror storyteller Chito Roño initially didn’t want to venture into horror again, but there’s a compelling reason why he’s returning to the genre with the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2024 entry “Espantaho,” produced by Quantum Films.

Direk Chito, whose last horror film was “Ang mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan,” admitted that he’s been getting script offers, including for submission to this year’s 50th MMFF, and “lahat sila gusto horror ang gawin ko.”

He said that he’s been vocal about wanting to do drama. “Nakalimutan na nila na meron akong ‘Private Show,’ ‘Olongapo,’ ‘Dekada 70,’ ‘Yamashita,’ ‘Bata, Bata… Paano ka Ginawa?’ lahat yun. Ang naalala nila ‘Feng Shui’ (laughs),” he said, referring to his now-iconic horror movie, during an intimate media interview, including The STAR.

When asked what type of film he would prefer to do instead of horror, he said, “Gusto ko musical, charing! Pero nagawa ko na rin yun (‘Emir’). I really want to do drama. Or horror comedy, but more of a comedy. Natatakot ka, sisigaw ka pero matutuwa ang mga tao.”

However, he couldn’t turn down the opportunity to direct Espantaho, primarily because it was his own brainchild.

“Idea ko yung project,” he shared. “Gusto ko naman siya, wala naman pumilit sa akin.”

Based on the synopsis, “Espantaho” tells the story of Monet (Judy Ann Santos) and her mother Rosa (Lorna Tolentino) who are mourning over the death of the family patriarch Pabling (Emil Sandoval). The harvest from Pabling’s rice land helped them survive all these years, but when a drought came, Monet had to put up a small business, buying and selling antiques.

After the burial, Pabling’s legal wife Adele (Chanda Romero) arrives with her children Roy (Mon Confiado) and Andie (Janice de Belen) to claim the land property. But as arrangements are being made during the nine days of pasiyam, dark secrets and a malevolent plot unravel. Monet and Rosa must confront past traumas and a supernatural evil to save their family.

‘Espantaho’ tells the story of Monet (Judy Ann Santos, left) and her mother Rosa (Lorna Tolentino), who are mourning over the death of the family patriarch Pabling. During the nine days of pasiyam, dark secrets and a malevolent plot start to unravel. Photo shows the lead stars with co-actor Mon Confiado.
QUANTUM FILMS

According to direk Chito, the concept for the film stemmed from his own fascination with antiques.

“I’m into antiques, but may takot talaga ako sa antiques kasi baka mamaya may dalang mumu sa banga. If there’s an antique with a very long history, takot talaga ako. I have things at my house which I bought pero ang lalim ng pag-aaral ko bago ko siya kinuha,” he said.

“That’s where the idea came from. It’s like, consciously, you have this fear that something might be coming with the item. I don’t know if you have that same thinking or feeling that when you buy something na may pinanggalingan na ‘di maganda, mapupunta din sayo yung malas.”

But that’s as much as he’s willing to reveal about the plot. “O nga pala, shut up na tayo,” he quipped, drawing laughter.

The film boasts a powerhouse cast led by Judy Ann and Lorna.

Direk Chito explained, “Matagal na kami magkaibigan ni Juday. She wasn’t married yet. She was just a teenage star. I’ve always promised that I will give her a project, but palagi kaming ‘di natutuloy — ewan ko ba. So now, I told her — I call her ‘Curacha’ — Curacha, gusto mo ba itong pelikula ko? Padala ko yung script. I sent it to her and she liked it.”

“She’s more mature and a lot different now,” he said of Judy Ann, whom he last worked with during her pre-“Esperanza” series days. “She’s very cooperative. She’s very professional. She comes in early. If the call time is 12 noon, she’ll be there at 10 a.m. All of them actually.”

The veteran filmmaker said of the rest of the cast, “They’re my friends. Lalo na si LT (Lorna Tolentino), we’ve done many projects together since ‘Patayin sa Sindak si Barbara,’ etc. My task was to make her a different character. It’s always a pleasant experience kapag ka-trabaho ko sila. There’s familiarity and better communication. And you already know the capacity of the actor.

“Same with Janice. I was able to work with Janice since Gabby Concepcion days. I was able to work with Chanda Romero in ‘Olongapo.’ Actually, she was the one who reminded me (laughs).”

He confessed to being weary of the horror genre. “Nagawa ko na halos lahat. Ay, nagawa ko na yan sa ‘Feng Shui,’ ay nagawa ko na yan sa ‘Sukob,’ pagod na ako,” he admitted candidly.

Despite that, he’s determined to offer something fresh with “Espantaho” because he’s not a fan of “repetition.”

“It’s very hard to compare (it with my past works). I always have this… how would I do it differently? Because I’ve done it several times already. Kailangan ibahin ko naman. Okay, may scene na nanakot. I try harder to come up with something new,” he said.

“Hindi ako mahilig sa umuulit eh. So, I try something new in filming some horror scenes so that there will be something unique in this picture. We try to do it differently every time. No (I don’t watch other films), for me, it comes organic, it comes with the script. It has to be not far from where we are.”

Produced by lawyer Joji Alonso’s Quantum Films for its 20th anniversary, with Cineko Productions and Judy Ann’s Purple Bunny Productions, “Espantaho” also stars JC Santos, Mon Confiado, Nico Antonio, Donna Cariaga, Kian Ko, Archi Adamos with Eugene Domingo and Tommy Abuel in very special roles. It opens on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, as part of the 10 MMFF entries.

Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo Pen Kids Book Inspired by Being Grandparents: ‘Our Dream on Steroids!’  (Exclusive)

Arts & Culture, Books

Musicians Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo are best known as the Grammy-winning collaborators and couple of over 40 years, but now, they’re co-authors too.PEOPLE can exclusively share the cover of My Grandma and Grandpa Rock!, the debut picture book by Benatar, 71, and Giraldo, 68. The book, which features illustrations by Tiffany Everett, will be published by Sourcebooks in fall 2025.The book, per its publisher, is an ode to the special bond between grandparents and grandchildren. Its lyrical story highlights how grandparents can “rock” in a variety of ways — through singing, dancing or just being themselves.

‘My Grandma and Grandpa Rock!’ by Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo.
Sourcebooks

For the couple, who are proud parents to daughters Haley, 39, and Hana, 30, and grandparents to Stevie, 6, Lola, 4, and Cash, 2, the book is also a personal one.

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!“Everything they said about having grandchildren is true,” Benatar and Giraldo tell PEOPLE. “When we met in 1979, having children was one of our dreams. We were blessed with two beautiful daughters and now have three darling grandchildren ― our dream on steroids!”

“Our grandbabies know that we are musicians and songwriters,” they continue. “They’ve seen our live concerts and watch our videos. To them, we’re simply grandma and papa.”

Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo in 2023.
Jamie McCarthy/Getty

The book also celebrates all grandparents and the variety of backgrounds they come from.

“We believe diversity is a superpower!” say Benatar and Giraldo. “We love that My Grandma and Grandpa Rock! embodies that ideal.”Benatar and Giraldo have been professional collaborators for over 40 years. Since the couple married in 1982, Giraldo has served as Benatar’s lead guitarist and together, they’re four-time Grammy winners, with 36 million albums sold worldwide. Benatar and Giraldo were also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

Benatar and Giraldo also aspire to share a meaningful message with readers through their new book.

“We hope grandparents and grandchildren everywhere will see themselves in the pages of this book and love reading it as much as we loved writing it,” they say.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. My Grandma and Grandpa Rock! will be published on Sept. 9, 2025 and is now available for preorder, wherever books are sold.

Editor’s Journal: The Georgia film industry is changing alongside Hollywood

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Filming on set of Stranger Things season 2Photograph by Jackson DavisA few years back, I ran into an old colleague who had been a designer for a publication where we had both worked. I asked him what he was up to now. “I’m doing film work,” he replied. “I’m an interactive motion graphic artist.”A what?“Have you ever seen a shot where someone is sitting at a computer and you can see their screen?” he explained. “I design what’s on their screen.” I didn’t even know that was a job.In recent years, thanks to generous tax credits, Georgia has become known as the “Hollywood of the South,” and it has changed the landscape of the state. Some people, like my friend, have forged new film-related careers. The Atlanta area is suddenly rich in film soundstages. And it’s no longer a rarity to stumble upon an on-location film shoot, as I did a few times when Black Panther used The Woodruff Arts Center as a backdrop.Georgia has come a long way since the 1970s, when Deliverance was the first film of note to use the state as a location. The star of that movie, Burt Reynolds, then shot Sharky’s Machine and Smokey and the Bandit here, and state leaders began to hype Georgia as a filming destination. But the industry exploded when the tax credits took hold. The state went from having 45,000 square feet of soundstage in 2010 to 4.1 million square feet today.As Jewel Wicker reports in this month’s cover story, however, Georgia’s film industry is resetting. The heights of the prepandemic era are gone, perhaps never to return. State lawmakers seem to have an itchy trigger finger to weaken the tax credits. The industry has endured strikes by screenwriters and actors, along with a pullback of projects from streaming services. Everyone awaits a new normal, and no one is certain what that will be.Film has been a significant part of popular culture for more than a century. From Harold Lloyd and Charlie Chaplin to George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, filmmakers have created new canvases that charm and thrill audiences. It’s hard to imagine a world without The Wizard of Oz, Casablanca, or Star Wars.Watching the annual broadcast of The Wizard of Oz on television was a childhood ritual. I can remember my sense of wonder when the film opened in black-and-white, then switched to Technicolor when Dorothy opened the door of her house after the tornado set it down in the land of Oz.I was introduced to many classic films for the first time at The Silver Screen repertory movie house at Peachtree Battle Shopping Center. Before cable television, before videotapes, before DVDs, and before streaming, movie houses like the Silver Screen flourished. The Silver Screen was known for its inspired double bills: Bogie and Bacall in To Have and Have Not and The Big Sleep; Bette Davis in Now, Voyager and Dark Victory; Alfred Hitchcock’s Spellbound paired with Notorious. There were also weekend showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.The film industry has undergone massive change over the last 50 years. First, cable television, videotapes, and Blockbuster killed the need for repertory movie houses. Then Netflix killed the video stores by delivering DVDs to your doorstep. The pandemic and the ability to stream current films at home are only the latest game changers. The recent closing of the Regal Hollywood 24 off I-85 is symptomatic of that evolving landscape.But there will always be a hunger for the escapism of a great film, no matter how it is delivered to the consumer. And Georgia—with its infrastructure and talent, both on-screen and off-screen—is set up to continue to attract film and television projects.As Shoeless Joe Jackson said in Field of Dreams: “If you build it, he will come.” And Hollywood has certainly come south.Read the full story: The Great Reset: When will Georgia’s film industry find a new normal?This article appears in our November 2024 issue.Advertisement

Rust Director Says Movie’s Premiere Is ‘Bittersweet’ 3 Years After On-Set Death of Halyna Hutchins

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Rust director Joel Souza is reflecting on the movie’s world premiere in Poland three years after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot dead on set.
On Wednesday, Nov. 20, the Western film premiered at the Camerimage Festival, and Souza, 51 — who was hit in the shoulder by a bullet during the Oct. 21, 2021 incident that killed Hutchins, 42 — described the event as “bittersweet,” per NBC News.

“I think we would all have preferred that the movie was finished a long time ago, that Halyna was there standing proudly talking about it,” Souza told the outlet after the premiere at the festival, which honors the work of cinematographers and directors of photography.

Hutchins died after the prop gun that Rust cast member Alec Baldwin was holding discharged while he was rehearsing a scene. The actor has said he did not pull the trigger of the gun or know why it contained live ammunition.

Joel Souza pictured following ‘Rust’ screening at movie’s Camerimage Festival premiere on Nov. 20, 2024.
Jakub Porzycki/Anadolu via Getty

After Baldwin was indicted by a grand jury in January, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer ended up dropping the involuntary manslaughter case against the actor on July 12 after Baldwin’s defense team argued that prosecutors buried relevant evidence that came to light mid-trial. 

Souza told NBC News of the premiere on Wednesday, “It’s been so long living with the movie and everything that happened and just all the sort of … insanity that kind of engulfed everything. There is a sense of relief, I think, in this moment finally having happened.”

“I doubt that [his attending] was ever even discussed. I mean, this is a cinematographers’ film festival,” the movie-maker added to the outlet of Baldwin not being in attendance.

Alec Baldwin in ‘Rust’.
Courtesy of Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office

The premiere came after PEOPLE reported that Hutchins’ mother, Olga Solovey, would not be attending Wednesday’s event.

In a statement shared through her attorney Gloria Allred, Solovey said, “It was always my hope to meet my daughter in Poland to watch her work come alive on screen.”

“Unfortunately, that was ripped away from me when Alec Baldwin discharged his gun and killed my daughter. Alec Baldwin continues to increase my pain with his refusal to apologize to me and his refusal to take responsibility for her death,” she added, per the statement. 

“Instead, he seeks to unjustly profit from his killing of my daughter. That is the reason why I refuse to attend the festival for the promotion of Rust, especially now when there is still no justice for my daughter,” Solovey’s message included.

Halyna Hutchins.
Mat Hayward/Getty

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Rust completed filming in May 2023. 

It was announced in October that the film would have its world premiere at the Polish festival on Wednesday. At that time, cinematographer Bianca Cline, who finished shooting the movie in Hutchins’ place, told PEOPLE in a statement that Hutchins’ mother and sister were “very excited” for the movie to release.

“Halyna’s mother was probably the biggest champion of the film,” Cline previously said. “She wanted it to be done because she knew how much it meant to Halyna. She told me how excited Halyna was to see the film.”

Rust does not yet have a U.S. release date.

Kate McKinnon Hosts 2024 National Book Awards: ‘Writing a Book Is Nothing Short of an Act of Kindness’

Arts & Culture, Books

The 2024 National Book Awards were presented to winners in fiction, nonfiction, young people’s literature and translated literature, as well as awards for lifetime achievement and service to the literary community.Comedian and author Kate McKinnon emceed the event and Jon Batiste performed as the musical guest.During their acceptance speeches, authors spoke about their commitment to resisting AI encroachment, supporting literature as a form of resistance and source of hope and standing together as a community.
The winners of the 2024 National Book Awards have been announced, and some familiar names graced the stage.

Winners in the fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translated literature and young people’s literature categories received their honors on Wednesday, Nov. 20 at the 75th National Book Awards Ceremony in New York City. Author and comedian Kate McKinnon emceed the event and Jon Batiste performed as the musical guest.

Jon Batiste at the National Book Awards.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Two lifetime achievement awards were also presented at the ceremony: Barbara Kingsolver was recognized with the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters and W. Paul Coates received the Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community.

“I wanted to be here because books do so many things. They inspire, they transport, they kill spiders when you can’t find a shoe,” McKinnon said in her opening address, after joking that she didn’t have the “necessary gravitas” to host the event.

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“Ultimately we tell stories because we want help. A book is an offering. It’s a hand in the darkness. A way of saying, ‘I know. Isn’t this crazy?’ And that’s something that a robot will never be able to do,” McKinnon continued. “Robots do not know what it is like to be certain you’re going to die one day. Robots do not experience racism or food insecurity. Robots do not lose their partners, weep over election results or receive a devastating diagnosis.”

“But we know these things. People know these things,” McKinnon concluded. “And so until we have solved the problems of death and loneliness and their byproducts, war and climate change, sensitive souls, we’ll continue to offer their thesis of how to make the most of our fragile and fleeting time on this burning planet surrounded by other red hearts. And in that way, writing a book is nothing short of an act of kindness.”

Author and lifetime achievement award-winner Barbara Kingsolver.
David Levenson/Getty

During her acceptance speech, Kingsolver also spoke about the importance of books as a guiding force during times of hardship. “I’ve written through crises that seemed unsurvivable to me,” she said. “So I know that when everything goes dark, the sun’s still up there.”

“Artists get called a lot of dreamy things. We’re lighthouses, we’re visionaries. We are soothers of the savage beast maybe, but I think we’re at our best as disruptors, when we challenge the lazy belief that my best interests are everybody’s best interests,” Kingsolver continued. “We get to crack people open … We use our best, beautiful tricks to lure people into letting go of themselves for a little while so they can look into the soul of another human. Because that empathy, my friends, is our salvation. As James Baldwin told us, we are still each other’s only hope.”

Here’s which books and authors won in each category:

FICTION: James by Percival Everett

‘James’ by Percival Everett.
National Book Awards

James, written by Percival Everett, puts a twist on Mark Twain’s classic Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by instead following the perspective of Jim, an escaped slave who is traveling with Huckleberry.

In his acceptance speech, Everett noted that the enthusiasm for books in the room did give him some hope for the future before adding, “It’s important to remember, hope is a strategy.”

Everett’s other books, Dr. No, The Trees, Telephone, So Much Blue, Erasure and I Am Not Sidney Poitier, have also won and been nominated for a range of awards. Everett is a Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Southern California, and lives in Los Angeles with his wife Danzy Senna.

NONFICTION: Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling by Jason De León

‘Soldiers and Kings’ by Jason De Leon.
National Book Awards

Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling, by Jason De León, is the author-anthropologist’s account of human smugglers — guides, or “the one who can potentially lead you through danger” — at the United States-Mexico border.

When accepting his award, De León joked that his sons would be disappointed he didn’t get to hug McKinnon. The comedian then sprinted onstage and wrapped him in a bear hug. “See, if you manifest it, it will come,” the winner added.

De León is a professor of Anthropology and Chicana/o Studies, and Director of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at the University of California, Los Angeles. His earlier book, The Land of Open Graves: Living and Dying on the Migrant Trail, won four awards since being published in 2015.

POETRY: Something About Living by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha

‘Something About Living’ by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha.
National Book Awards

Something About Living, by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha, captures both the unrivaled beauty and persistent struggle that is ingrained in the Palestinian collective experience, told through American language to highlight its history of erasure.

In addition to her work as a poet, Tuffaha is also an essayist and translator. She has published six books and is presently curating a series, Against Silence, for Words Without Borders about Palestinian writers.

TRANSLATED LITERATURE: Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ and translated by Lin King

‘Taiwan Travelogue’ by Yang Shuang-Zi.
National Book Awards

Taiwan Travelogue, by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ and translated by Lin King follows a young Japanese novelist who travels to Taiwan in 1938. She then befriends a local woman, with whom she forms a powerful bond. The novel was a smash hit upon its first publication in Mandarin Chinese in 2020 and also won Taiwan’s highest literary honor, the Golden Tripod Award.

King is a writer and translator of Mandarin and Japanese; another of her translations is The Boy from Clearwater, a historical graphic novel series by Yu Pei-Yun and illustrated by Zhou Jian-Xin.

YOUNG PEOPLE’S LITERATURE: Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi

‘Kareem Between’ by Shifa Saltagi Safadi.
National Book Awards

Kareem Between, written by Shifa Saltagi Safadi, follows young Kareem as he navigates seventh grade, stuck between countries, friends, football, parents “and between right and wrong.”

Safadi has authored multiple picture books, including The Gift of Eid, and reviews Muslim books on her self-run Muslim Mommy Blog. A Syrian immigrant herself, she came to the United States at a young age and now lives near Chicago with her family.

India News | Charaideo Maidam’s World Heritage Site Status Draws Global Travellers to Assam & Ahom Heritage: Union Minister Sonowal

Travel

New Delhi [India], November 21 (ANI): The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal visited the Charaideo Maidam after it was recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the first such honour for any cultural site of the Northeast.Speaking on the occasion, the Union Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal, said, “Charaideo Maidam, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, stands as a remarkable testament to the architectural brilliance of the Ahom era, embodying the legacy of the revered ancestors. This historic achievement was made possible through the visionary efforts of Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi.” Also Read | PM Modi on India-Guyana Similarities: ‘Democracy First, Humanity First Our Mantra’, Says PM Narendra Modi in Guyana’s Parliament (Watch Video).”The people of Assam remain deeply grateful to PM Modi for bringing global recognition to this heritage. May the rich tradition of Charaideo Maidam continue to shine brightly, inspiring us with the timeless ideals of the great Ahom rulers and guiding our path in building a prosperous and culturally vibrant state,” he added.Talking about the legacy of Ahom and its contribution is Assam’s history and culture Sonowal remarked, “The Maidams of Charaideo, carrying the legacy of the bravery, valour, & indomitable courage of the great Ahom ancestors, stand as enduring symbols of self-respect & pride for the greater Assamese nation. This global recognition as UNESCO World Heritage Site brings the rich history of the Ahom dynasty to the global stage. On behalf of the people of Assam, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, for playing a pivotal role in the achievement of this global honour which was long due.”Also Read | Pakistan Shooting: Death Toll in Gun Attack on Shias in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rises to 42.Making an appeal to tourists across the world Sonowal highlighted “cultural architectural brilliance” and said, “I would also like to take this opportunity to invite global travellers & tourists to visit the Charaideo Maidam to witness the unique cultural architectural brilliance & cultural traditions of the Ahom period. The tourists will also experience one of the greatest socio-cultural fabrics in a kaleidoscopic Assamese society that Ahom kings were successful in weaving through their illustrious 600 years of good governance.” “This legacy not only inspires all of us every day as Asomiya but also encourages us to showcase our rich heritage on the world stage. Today, the due recognition of Charaideo Maidams as UNESCO World Heritage Site has generated curiosity & inquisitiveness among global travellers & tourists from all over about Assam & Ahom heritage.” He added.Sonowal further added, “In the 13th century, Swargadeo Chaolung Sukapha laid the foundation of greater Assam by uniting various communities under the policy of ‘Saat Raj Saamari Ek Raj’ (seven kingdoms into one) and establishing good governance. Inspired by the same ideals, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, through his vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,’ has united the people of India to pave the way for a strong, developed, and self-reliant nation. “This journey of inclusive development, encompassing every community in India, is a journey of harmony, empowerment, and the strengthening of every citizen, bringing the nation together as one,” Sonowal said. In a significant step toward preserving Assam’s heritage, the ‘Charaideo Maidam’ was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a milestone built on years of meticulous planning and leadership under Sarbananda Sonowal during his tenure as the chief minister of Assam.In 2020, Sonowal participated in the state government-organised “Me-Dam-Me-Phi” celebrations at Charaideo, where he urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to elevate the site’s heritage to national and international prominence. Acting on Sonowal’s directives, the Assam government conducted several review meetings with relevant ministers to push for Charaideo’s UNESCO nomination.In 2017, Sonowal announced plans to develop Charaideo into a cultural hub during the Eastern Tai Literary Conference held in the region. Sonowal allocated an initial budget of Rs 5 crore, which was included in that year’s financial plan. The following year, Rs 25 crore was allocated in the state budget under the Archaeological Department to support the UNESCO nomination process.The initiative gained momentum with the formation of a high-level committee led by former Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India, Dr K.C. Nauriyal, alongside experts such as Dr. Yogendra Phukan, Dr. Dayananda Borgohain, Dr Dilip Burhagohain, Dr. Jaribul Alam, and Jiten Borpatra Gohain. This committee, acting under Sonowal’s instructions, overcame numerous challenges to prepare and submit a comprehensive dossier well ahead of schedule to UNESCO through the Ministry of Culture.During his tenure as a Union Cabinet Minister, Sonowal continued to advocate for Charaideo’s recognition. He presented the dossier to the Prime Minister’s Office and ensured its submission to UNESCO, marking a major step in securing the site’s World Heritage status.Charaideo Maidams, often referred to as the “Pyramids of Assam,” symbolise the rich cultural and historical legacy of the Ahom dynasty, a kingdom that ruled Assam for over 600 years. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)

Parthenope: release date, trailer, cast and everything we know about the Gary Oldman movie

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

US audiences have become a little more willing to embrace foreign language movies in recent years, with movies like Parasite, RRR and Anatomy of a Fall becoming solid hits. The next possible such movie is Parthenope, which comes from acclaimed Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino and stars Gary Oldman alongside a cast of Italian actors, including a newcomer in the titular lead role.Parthenope is going to feature plenty of Italian dialogue for sure, but with Oldman, the movie is going to be partly in English as well, which could help lower the barrier of entry for some. But if anyone knows how to turn this kind of movie into a hit it’s A24, who is distributing Parthenope. They did so with another movie that balanced English and a foreign language, Past Lives.To find out more about Parthenope — when it’s premiering, who’s starring in it and the trailer — read on for everything you need to know.Parthenope release dateA24 is going to release Parthenope exclusively in movie theaters on February 7, 2025, in the US. At this time we’re not able to confirm a UK release date for the movie.This is one of the early 2025 new movies that A24 is rolling out, as the indie studio/distributor also has The Legend of Ochi and On Becoming a Guinea Fowl hitting movie theaters in the first few months of 2025.Parthenope castGary Oldman is the big name in the cast, as the Oscar winner (Darkest Hour) and current star of hit spy series Slow Horses, plays real-life American novelist John Cheever.The movie’s main star though is newcomer Celeste Dalla Porta, as she plays the title character Parthenope. Dalla Porta had a bit part in Sorrentino’s previous movie The Hand of God and a role in the Italian limited series Red Mirror.The rest of the Parthenope cast is made up of Stefania Sandrell, Silvio Orlando, Luisa Ranieri, Isabella Ferrari, Silvia Degrandi, Lorenzo Gleijeses, Daniele Rienzo, Dario Aita, Marlon Joubert, Alfonso Santagata, Biagio Izzo and Peppe Lanzetta.Parthenope plotAs he does with most of his movies, Sorrentino also wrote the script for Parthenope. Here is the movie’s official synopsis:“Parthenope, born in the sea of Naples in 1950, searches for happiness over the long summers of her youth, falling in love with her home city and its many memorable characters. From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino comes a monumental and deeply romantic story of a lifetime.”The movie is inspired by a legendary siren that became a Neapolitan deity.Parthenope trailerThe trailer for Parthenope is here. It looks like another gorgeous movie from Sorrentino that may have you wondering how much a flight to Italy is right now. Watch right here:

Parthenope | Official Trailer HD | A24 – YouTube

Watch On
Parthenope reviewsParthenope first premiered back at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. As a result, there are a handful of reviews for the movie already out. There’s a bit more debate among critics than with some of Sorrentino’s previous movies. Find out what critics are saying about it on Rotten Tomatoes.Paolo Sorrentino moviesPaolo Sorrentino is an Italian filmmaker who, despite his clout in international cinema growing, hasn’t made the full leap to Hollywood. He still primarily chooses to shoot in his home country and, mostly, in his native language. A couple of exceptions include indie movies This Must Be the Place with Sean Penn and Youth starring Michael Caine, as well as the TV series The Young Pope and The New Pope.Here is a complete look at Sorrentino’s feature directing credits to date, per IMDb:One Man Up (2001)The Consequences of Love (2004)The Family Friend (2006)Il Divo (2008)Napoli 24 (2010)This Must Be the Place (2011)The Great Beauty (2013)Rio, I Love You (2014)Youth (2015)Loro (2018)Loro 1 (2018)Loro 2 (2018)The Hand of God (2021)Parthenope behind the scenesSorrentino shot the movie in Naples, Italy, marking the second time he used his childhood home as the location for one of his movies, after The Hand of God.In addition to A24’s participation, the movie is a production by Fremantle Film, Piper Film and Pathé. Sorrentino also produced the movie along with Lorenzo Mieli, Anthony Vaccarello and Ardavan Safaee.