‘A smorgasbord of unlikability’: the authors helping ‘sad girl lit’ grow up

In this post-Fleabag world, publishing has become obsessed with the inner turmoils of messy millennials – but isn’t it time they pulled themselves together? Meet the novelists subverting the clichesYou’ve probably come across this woman: she is unfulfilled in her career, has been abandoned by at least one man, she is aimless and lamenting the obstacles in her life (of which, in reality, there don’t appear to be many). She is not just miserable, she’s a mess; self-absorbed and full of self-loathing.If you’ve read a book by a woman, about a woman, that has been published in the last five years, then it’s overwhelmingly likely that this woman was the protagonist. The narrative likely circled around this character’s sadness, her passive struggle to overcome it, and little else. Typically, such stories have notes of darkness but will rarely deliver the actual thing. Usually the main character (like the author) will be middle-class, if not incredibly wealthy. Almost always she will be white. The book’s cover will probably feature a devastated-looking woman with her hair covering her face or her head cradled in her hands. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2023-08-08 15:19:43 UTC ]
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Author proposes WBN alternative

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Mon, 28/02/2011 - 15:43 A Carnegie-nominated author has proposed an alternative to World Book Night, suggesting readers buy one book from a bookshop this week and give it away. Writing on her blog, Nicola Morgan said she believed there were better... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Atwood takes stage at TOC and tells publishers to keep feeding their authors

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors calls for moratorium on library closures

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Fri, 11/02/2011 - 08:28 An open letter to culture secretary Jeremy Hunt and culture minister Ed Vaizey calling for a halt to library closures after the success of last weekend's protests has been signed by high-profile authors including Sarah... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barbara Cartland is latest author to be wooed by digital

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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UK bestsellers help Hachette prove resilient as ebooks rise in the US

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Debut author wins Waterstone's Children's Book Prize

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Digital and Kobo help push sales at Indigo

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Non-agency authors are Amazon UK’s bestselling ebooks

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Writers Are Asked Not to Talk About Author of ‘O’

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[ The New York Times | 2011-01-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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