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 ]
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WikiLeaks founder a mercurial character who could not bear his own secrets, according to writer Andrew O'HaganThe ghostwriter who collaborated with Julian Assange on his abortive 2011 autobiography has broken his silence to describe his months working with the WikiLeaks founder, which culminated... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A digital publishing house is conducting a semi-legal, large-scale search for the next great incarcerated author. The reaction from authorities isn't what you'd expect.Jack London, Ken Kesey, William Burroughs, Oscar Wilde, Malcolm X, Voltaire, Cervantes, E.E. Cummings, Martin Luther King, Mark... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2014-02-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Writer to adapt her new novel, called Tennison, for TV in 2016, the 25th anniversary of the hit ITV drama starring Helen MirrenLynda La Plante is writing a prequel to Prime Suspect which she will adapt for TV in 2016, the 25th anniversary of the hit ITV drama.The prequel will be called Tennison,... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-02-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Chatto & Windus is to publish a memoir about daughterhood by social historian Juliet Nicolson... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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There is no need to turn to the US for great writers, the publisher of one of the Folio Prize-... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The group alleges that the Canadian definition of fair use is subject to an "excessively broad interpretation." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-02-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Duchess of Cambridge has written the foreword for a book which reveals “what life as an... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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While authors have appeared in person, via Skype or via telephone at book clubs before, Book the Writer has the clubs pay for the author's appearance. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-02-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster's new science fiction imprint, Simon451, has launched a writing contest for college students. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The singer will release a children's book later this year, based on her twins Moroccan and Monroe. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2014-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The anonymous figure behind the Twitter handle is reported to be releasing a book titled 'Straight to Hell: True Tales of Deviance and Excess in the World of Investment Banking' this October. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Advocates for women writers – working to counter what is seen as bias towards males in the literary community – suddenly seem to be everywhere. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A Digital Book World survey revealed that 54% of “traditionally-published” authors (and nearly 80% of self-published authors) earn less than $1,000 a year. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Xiaolu Guo warns that English-language mainstream has warped a broader 'reading habit', on panel with Jhumpa Lahiri and Jonathan FranzenAmerican literature is "massively overrated", the award-winning author and film-maker Xiaolu Guo told the Jaipur literature festival – and fellow panellist and... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In an eye-catching pairing, Man Booker Prize-winning novelist Roddy Doyle is to partner with ex-... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Booker-winning author to help legendary midfielder with 're-evaluation of the meaning of success'The Booker prize-winning novelist Roddy Doyle is to team up with Roy Keane to write a motivational memoir which, according to its publisher, "re-evaluates the meaning of success". The midfield... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Figures show the vast majority of authors, both traditionally and self-published, are struggling to make a living from their workThe publishing industry has never been so sharply divided. In the week when the erotica writer Sylvia Day signed a staggering eight-figure two-book deal with St... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Agent Scully actress will use her 'ingrained knowledge and rhythm' for SF to pen multi-volume EarthEnd SagaAfter delving into the paranormal for years as The X-Files' resident sceptic Dr Dana Scully, actor Gillian Anderson is set to create her own science-fictional universe – but this time in... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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If these are the end times for literature, then we must be traveling in circles, for the death of storytelling looks an awful lot like its birth. The novel itself isn’t all that old. Sure, we can find a handful of examples going back thousands of years, but you have to stretch your definition of... Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2014-01-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A Scribd executive acknowledged the problem of pirated content on Scribd and also outlined the company's efforts to prevent unauthorized uploads. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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