Joining André Deutsch in the late 80s, I saw a great editor at the top of her game, tirelessly working to bring good writing to perfectionIndependent publishing was at a dangerous moment in 1987 when I was ushered at the age of 26 into a lowly place in the publicity department of André Deutsch Ltd. But the company was flourishing. Deutsch had Gore Vidal, Molly Keane and John Updike. Penelope Lively won the Booker for Moon Tiger in my first week and the backlist-bookshelves lining the corridor to the dim publicity offices were a treasurehouse of the boldest and the best in fiction, from Don DeLillo to Jean Rhys, Jack Kerouac, Wole Soyinka and VS Naipaul. But most significant for me was the unparalleled commitment and intelligence of an editorial department led by Diana Athill.It is hard to overstate the importance of those editors – who were almost all women – as role models in my life. Diana stands for them all. At 70, she was still working at the top of her game, her subtle gifts for precision, diplomacy, deftness and clear-sighted calm in the face of writerly impatience (or worse) quite undiminished – as will come as no surprise to anyone who knew her to be quite as sharp 30 years later. In editorial meetings she was beady-eyed and ruthless where poor writing was concerned, but also unstinting in championing writers she loved. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2019-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
Joining André Deutsch in the late 80s, I saw a great editor at the top of her game, tirelessly working to bring good writing to perfectionIndependent publishing was at a dangerous moment in 1987 when I was ushered at the age of 26 into a lowly place in the publicity department of André Deutsch... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2019-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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"I've spent a decade in Silicon Valley," said Randi Zuckerberg. "Innovation is everywhere. It's supposed to be the center of forward thinking. [So] why can I count the number of women executives on one hand? Or people of color?" At Thursday's premiere event for Zuckerberg's new television show... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2016-10-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The crowdfunding site is now launching more books than all but the very largest publishers. Richard Lea finds out how a resource for small enterprises is making some big changesFour months after launching on Kickstarter, a children’s book that tells the stories of 100 inspiring women has raised... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-09-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Book Doctor goes right back to beginnings of YA and teen fiction in the 1950s and 1960s to investigate whether author age has anything to do with reader experienceI saw several really young writers at the Young Adult Literature Convention (Yalc) who seem to know just what their readers are... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-07-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Oyster, a fledgling mobile service for Spotify-style on-demand books, has raised $3 million in funding led by Peter Thiel's Founders Fund. Oyster, which is still a work in progress, will let users of its mobile app access, discover, and read an ever-growing range of titles and genres, all on... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2012-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publication Date: Wed, 28/09/2011 - 14:09 Ali Smith, Jeanette Winterson and film director John Waters have all been longlisted for the Green Carnation Prize, now in its second year. The prize, open to all LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) writers celebrates the best of modern gay... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Oh boy, do I have a contest for you long-winded Facebookers and personal bloggers. It's called, "Your Life: The Reader's Digest Version." The venerable magazine is willing to shell out $25,000 if you can keep The Story of You to a crisp and compelling 150 words (words, not charactersthis isn't... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2011-08-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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