Romanians mark somber anniversary

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The people of Romania are marking the 20th anniversary of the revolution which brought down communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. Small commemorations have been held at cemeteries and sites associated with the revolution. Ceausescu and his wife were executed by firing squad on Christmas Day 1989. Matthew Brunwasser looks at how Romanians have been dealing with their recent past. Download MP3

• BBC coverage
• 1989 – Europe’s revolution

World Books: Herta Müller, Memory, and the Nobel

Now that the predictable “who is she?” brouhaha over this year’s winner of the Nobel Prize for literature has ended, it is time to explore the artistry of Herta Müller, whose books consistently denounce the corruption of language and memory, often by reworking her own past experiences in innovative, lyrical, and evocative prose.