GILLER WINNERS

For the first time, Canada’s Giller prize has been awarded to two writers – “David Adams Richards and Michael Ondaatje both won the $25,000 Giller Prize. The judges, Margaret Atwood, Jane Urquhart and Alistair MacLeod, all senior deans of Canadian literature, huddled for just a few hours before announcing their decision.” – Ottawa Citizen

A PRODUCTION TO MAKE ELEPHANTS LOOK SMALL

Shanghai is planning the largest production of “Aida” ever mounted. With 2,250 performers, herds of elephants, camels, lions, tigers, a panther, a boa constrictor and 1,650 People’s Liberation Army soldiers dressed as Egyptian legionnaires all presented in an 80,000-seat stadium, the scale is enormous. But there’s only one performance scheduled, and it’s been raining fiercely all week… – New York Times