Shetland literature has a short history. Or, more accurately, the long history of Shetland literature has been truncated — the result of a double disadvantage, as far as official histories are concerned: an oral culture, in which few people could read or write, and a language that died out before literacy became widespread.The Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland would once have been rich in songs, poems and stories, spoken and sung in Norn (the closest extant relative of which is Faroese). But after Shetland became part of Scotland, in the late fifteenth century, the language was gradually replaced by a distinctive local variant of Scots. And by the time cultural collectors began to take an interest in such things, a few hundred years later, Norn was pretty much gone. Only a single full-length ballad, ‘Hildina’, was ever transcribed.Romanticising the pastWhen writers from Shetland did begin to publish their work, in the early nineteenth century, the islands were already being written about by authors from elsewhere. Most significantly, Walter Scott used the islands as the setting for his 1822 novel The Pirate, in which he imagined a rather glamorous version of Shetland’s history, with a particular emphasis on its Norse heritage. That portrayal, by one of the world’s most famous authors, was influential, but it also highlights a conundrum for writers in the islands: A romanticised, exoticised depiction of Shetland may be more appealing to readers than one that shows the... Continue reading at 'British Council global'
[ British Council global | 2020-02-13 12:54:04 UTC ]
Mrs Hinch's memoir This is Me (Michael Joseph) has dusted off a second week in the UK Official Top 50 number one spot, selling 25,983 copies in its first full week on sale. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-12 18:35:40 UTC ]
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His memoir recounts his suspicions on Russia and has intriguing comments on Joe Biden. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-10-09 12:00:00 UTC ]
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“The road was a community in which we all pursued our destination at our own pace.” Lynne Sharon Schwartz on a lifetime in cars. | Lit Hub Memoir “People say I arrived in Trump’s America, but is it really Trump’s?” Ajibola Tolase making the move from Nigeria to the USA. | Lit Hub Politics “I’ve... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-10-09 10:30:37 UTC ]
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On this episode of Personal Space: The Memoir Show, Sari Botton interviews Maggie Smith, whose inspirational memoir, Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change, is published by Atria/One Signal Publishers. In the book, Smith intersperses bits of memoir — about moving forward after... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-10-09 08:48:58 UTC ]
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Michael Joseph has bought a memoir from Jake Tyler, the mental health advocate, adventurer, runner, walker and depression sufferer who made headlines when he embarked on a 3,000-mile journey around the UK. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-08 12:33:17 UTC ]
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Ebury Press has bagged Fleshpot, the second book by Cash Carraway, billed as a “powerful, politically-charged” coming of age memoir set in the last days of the Soho sex industry. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-07 22:53:30 UTC ]
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The last few days have brought two major pieces of surf literature news: one welcome, the other dispiriting. The first is that Barbarian Days—New Yorker staff writer and journalist William Finnegan’s Pulitzer Prize-winning surf memoir and one of the greatest books ever written about the greatest... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-10-07 14:11:57 UTC ]
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Mrs Hinch's This is Me (Michael Joseph) has jumped straight to the top of the Amazon Charts' Most-Sold: Non-Fiction top 20 in its first week on sale. The cleaning influencer's memoir earned the "all ears" tag, meaning it was more listened to on Audible last week than read on Kindle. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-07 08:08:06 UTC ]
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From memoir to young adult, there is a little bit of something for everyone on this list of audiobooks by Indigenous authors. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-10-06 10:31:00 UTC ]
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Verso is to publish the memoir of Korean novelist Hwang Sok-Yong, which details the years he spent in a Seoul Detention Centre. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-06 09:32:52 UTC ]
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Chatto & Windus has won a six-way auction for organic food grower Claire Ratinon's “beautiful and moving” memoir Unearthed: On Race and Roots, How the Soil Taught Me I Belong. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-05 23:59:18 UTC ]
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A new memoir and rarities collection show the powerhouse vocalist and songwriter’s evolution into a poised, boundary-blurring pop superstar. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2020-10-04 17:32:58 UTC ]
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When Sonja Livingston began to write about her life with an itinerant mother and six siblings in the raw corners of western New York, she wrote, she says, in snatches. “I wrote of living in apartments and tents and motel rooms. Of places where corn and cabbage grew in great swaths. Of the... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-10-02 08:48:29 UTC ]
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A federal judge this week denied former national security adviser John Bolton’s motion to dismiss the government's case against him, finding that the government has presented sufficient evidence to support its claim that Bolton breached his confidentiality agreements by publishing his memoir... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-10-02 04:00:00 UTC ]
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In his memoir Children of the Land, Marcelo Hernandez Castillo tells the story of growing up undocumented in California and having to navigate the convoluted and dehumanizing American immigration system. Hernandez Castillo captures the emotional and psychological toll that being both invisible... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2020-10-01 11:00:54 UTC ]
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Thread, Bookouture's non-fiction imprint, will publish Coconut, a memoir of "belonging, identity and finding home" by debut author Florence Olajide. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-09-29 21:34:05 UTC ]
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In "Unforgetting: A Memoir of Family, Migration, Gangs, and Revolution in the Americas," Roberto Lovato finally tells the full story of his rebel life. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-09-29 18:31:05 UTC ]
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Sphere has acquired The Secret Diary of a British Muslim Aged 13¾ from stand-up comedian Tez Ilyas. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-09-28 11:30:14 UTC ]
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Former national security adviser avoids criticism of his former boss and undermines the credibility he is trying to assert. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-09-25 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Ex-National Security Council official claims she was pressured her to say manuscript contained sensitive information after her department had cleared itA former National Security Council official who while working there reviewed John Bolton’s memoir for classified information before publication,... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-09-24 15:10:36 UTC ]
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