the extraordinary rosie hardy

Rosie Hardy is a teeny little thing with a big laugh. She smiles a lot. She’s super sweet and witty and just one of the most darling people you’ll ever meet. She also takes phenomenal photographs.

Rosie is in love with her art. If you didn’t know it from her 365 you’d know it when, over lunch, she picks up a stick of sugar crystals and says “If I had to photograph this, you know what I’d do?” before describing, in fine detail, a scene like something from Alice in Wonderland. It’s extraordinary.

If you’re in Manchester or London this Summer, and you know how to carry a camera, you should go to one of her workshops. (They start on 2 May!) If you can’t make it, keep an eye out for her online tutorials. And if you just love pretty things, there’s always her prints. And her mad retouching skills.

impac prize. world’s richest literary award

The shortlist of the 2010 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award was announced today. The 8 titles were selected from a total of 156 novels nominated by 163 public library systems in 123 cities worldwide and includes three British writers and American author Marilynne Robinson.

1. The Twin by Gerbrand Bakker (Dutch) in translation.
2. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (Moroccan / French) in translation.
3. In Zodiac Light by Robert Edric (British)
4. Settlement by Christoph Hein (German) in translation.
5. The Believers by Zoë Heller (British).
6. Netherland by Joseph O’Neill (Irish)
7. God’s Own Country by Ross Raisin (British)
8. Home by Marilynne Robinson (American)

The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award is the largest and most international prize of its kind. It involves libraries from all corners of the globe, and is open to books written in any language.

The complete list of eligible titles can be viewed here.