The literature world has lost two giants in the last few days –

Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird and Go set a Watchman passed away on 19 Feb 2016 aged 89.  To Kill a Mockingbird has become a classic of modern American literature. Compassionate, dramatic and deeply moving, the book had a strong impact on social justice for African Americans in fifties and sixties America and still affects people today.

Umberto Eco, an Italian novelist, essayist, literary critic, philosopher and semiotician, also passed away on 20 Feb aged 84. His first novel, The Name of the Rose, won him instant recognition and critical acclaim. His vast knowledge and academic credentials made him a very different writer compared to others and his imaginative style and humorous plots are full of historical events but also fun to read.