The novelist and short story writer on her new book about Azrael, the angel of death, her encounters with Raymond Carver and Richard Yates, and why fiction should be uncannyJoy Williams, 80, has written five novels and four story collections and is the recipient of numerous awards. Her most recent book of short stories, Concerning the Future of Souls: 99 Stories of Azrael (Tuskar Rock), was published earlier this year. Her work ranges from the philosophical examination of being, belief and morality to urgent engagements with environmental catastrophe; James Salter wrote of her that she belongs in the company of Céline and Flannery O’Connor. Born in Massachusetts, she now lives in the Sonoran desert.An earlier collection of yours was called 99 Stories of God, and now you’ve moved on to Azrael (the angel of death and transporter of souls) as the subject. What drew you to him?I read in a WS Merwin collection his translation of Hadrian’s deathbed poem to his soul – Animula vagula blandula – so sorrowful and succinct. The soul, a worthy subject. And Azrael has always fascinated me: he was death, but not death exactly. He was more a gorgeous creation of Islam. I picture him as responsible for all the souls of this ensouled Earth. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2024-10-19 17:00:20 UTC ]
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Hutchinson has signed the new novel from award-winning author Carys Bray about the impact of climate change on mental health. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-28 15:45:29 UTC ]
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It was a rainy, snuggly night in November 2018, perfect for making mushroom barley soup or stuffed cabbage. I was walking home from the train when I saw it, inexplicably abandoned at the Little Free Library on my block. There, lying on its side as if after a long day of work, was that... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2019-11-27 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Serpent’s Tail has acquired an "irresistibly surreal" debut short story collection by Alice Ash. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-26 21:39:09 UTC ]
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Candice Carty-Williams, Malorie Blackman and Rowan Hisayo Buchanan are among the 20 authors shortlisted for this year’s Costa Book Awards. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-26 21:14:59 UTC ]
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Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi won the Man Booker International Prize this year for its beautifully rendered portrayal of a family’s tangled history in the village of al-Awafi in Oman. The novel was the first book translated from Arabic to win the prize, and more surprisingly, it was the... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2019-11-26 11:59:00 UTC ]
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In a sign of more regional activity to come, the International Publishers Association has entered a new partnership with UNESCO's CERLALC. The post IPA and CERLALC Sign Latin American and Caribbean Publishing Deal appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-11-26 04:05:39 UTC ]
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Authors have discussed the importance of perspectives on mental health when considering diversity and inclusion, with Rose Cartwright revealing she walked away from a traditional publishing deal for fear of being “compromised”. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-26 00:58:31 UTC ]
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Thanksgiving is this week, which can only mean one thing: we’ve entered high You’ve Got Mail season. I’ve seen the movie at least a dozen times, so when today I endeavored to find an exact quote—for a blog post about Barnes & Noble, the IRL Fox Books-turned-lone-reed—I was not expecting my... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-11-25 17:58:34 UTC ]
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W H Smith's trading director for books, news and impulse Al Aldous will move across to W H Smith's online personalised greeting cards and gifts business next month. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-25 00:40:53 UTC ]
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“UNLIKE MOST JEWISH BOYS from New Jersey, I have a Jamaican accent,” writes Ross Kenneth Urken in Another Mother, his memoir in which he goes in search of both his recollections of the Jamaican nanny who raised him and all of the things he never knew about her before she died. He writes,... Continue reading at Los Angeles Review of Books
[ Los Angeles Review of Books | 2019-11-24 20:00:33 UTC ]
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Events should be used to build long-term audiences for writers and their books rather than just being built around publication dates and sales, a Futurebook panel has heard. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-24 19:17:49 UTC ]
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The founder of Tapas Media touts the benefits of mobile-centric online publishing. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-11-22 05:00:00 UTC ]
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From student workshops and academic conferences to literary awards and book clubs, African American literary organizations work to support writers and readers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-11-22 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Raina Telgemeier and George Takei were among the creators whose stand-out books mined traumatic real-life experiences. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2019-11-21 14:08:00 UTC ]
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Murdoch was responding to a question at AGM about time given to ‘climate deniers’ by News Corp outlets in AustraliaNews Corp executive chairman Rupert Murdoch has said “there are no climate change deniers around I can assure you” after he was asked at the corporation’s AGM why his company gives... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2019-11-21 01:47:18 UTC ]
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‘Gay adults grew up reading straight romances,’ says writer Daniel Haack after US library withdraws Prince & Knight from shelvesThe author of a rhyming picture book removed from the shelves of a West Virginia library has hit back at protesters, suggesting that anyone concerned the book could... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2019-11-20 12:31:16 UTC ]
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A jury of advertising journalists from around the world is convening in Amsterdam this week to select the best ads of the year--an honor distinct for two reasons. It's the only show judged by an impartial jury, meaning no brands or agencies vote. And it comes at both the end and the beginning of... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2019-11-19 22:51:24 UTC ]
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Ian Williams, winner of this year’s $100,000 Scotiabank Giller Prize for his debut novel Reproduction, began his acceptance speech Monday night with an emotional tribute. “Margaret Atwood over there is the first book I bought with my own money at a bookstore in Brampton,” he told the audience.... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-11-19 20:30:03 UTC ]
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Congratulations to Beth O'Leary! Her debut novel The Flatshare was recently announced as 2019 Fiction Book of the Year by the British retailer WHSmith—an honor previously bestowed on books such as Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman and The Girl on the Train by Paula... Continue reading at Writer's Digest
[ Writer's Digest | 2019-11-19 11:00:22 UTC ]
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Ian Williams has won the C$100,000 Scotiabank Giller Prize, Canada's most prestigious and richest award for fiction, for his debut novel, 'Reproduction,' published by Random House Canada. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-11-19 05:00:00 UTC ]
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