Being a crime writer doesn’t mean I condone murder. Do I even have to say it? | Garry Disher

Every now and then I encounter people who can’t suspend disbelief. They ask how I can write about ‘such terrible things’Feeling unappreciated is your lot as a writer. Few readers; no readers. Scathing reviews; no reviews. Publishers saying, “Don’t call us, we’ll call you” or not taking a punt on your second book because the first sold poorly. The fat American and English imports on display at the front of many bookshops, a tiny Australian section in the back corner. Beverley Farmer finding her short-story collection Milk shelved with books on nursing mothers; me finding my novel The Stencil Man shelved in Art and Craft.Most of these indignities occur while you’re still at your desk. They multiply once you appear in public. Elizabeth Jolley, signing books at a department store in Perth, was scrutinised by a beady-eyed woman who eventually approached and asked, “How much is the table?” A bookseller stuck the first page of a US thriller under my nose and said, “Once you can learn to write as good as this …” Related: Harold Bloom’s defence of western greats blinded him to other cultures | Kenan Malik If I say, 'Worse things happen in real life than I invent, just read a newspaper,' I learn they don’t read newspapers Related: Peter Handke's Nobel prize that dishonours the victims of genocide | Ed Vuilliamy Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2019-11-03 17:00:27 UTC ]
News tagged with: #department store #real life #peter handke #nobel prize #bookseller

Other news stories related to: "Being a crime writer doesn’t mean I condone murder. Do I even have to say it? | Garry Disher"


Love, grieving, intimacy and enduring war: what is the role now for books and writers in Ukraine? | Charlotte Higgins

The Lviv BookForum was vibrant this year, but still there is the backdrop of conflict and the need to find a place for storytellingLast year’s Lviv BookForum, a literary festival in the elegant western Ukrainian city, was mostly an online affair, held in a basement lecture theatre that might... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-10-21 05:00:38 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #literary festival #live music #bomb shelter #selling books


An Open Letter in Support of Adania Shibli From More Than 350 Writers, Editors, and Publishers

This letter was originally published by ArabLit. The shocking and tragic events that began on October 7th and are ongoing today have had repercussions all over the globe, including within the publishing world. Award-winning Palestinian author Adania Shibli, who was a finalist for the 2020... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-10-17 09:05:58 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #national book award #publishing world #originally published #adania shibli #open letter


How a Collective of Incarcerated Writers Published an Anthology From Prison

It would make sense that any history would begin at Stillwater Prison, where so much of the story and mythology of prison in Minnesota also begins. It is where Cole Younger of the famous James-Younger gang did their time, and where they spent their own money to start the Prison Mirror, the... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-10-16 11:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #anthology #electric literature #make sense #prison appeared


Confessions of an Arrogant and Humble Writer

An author explains how these two qualities are key to her literary success—and how they can help other writers sustain long and fruitful careers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
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If Lydia Davis Wasn’t a Writer, She’d Devote Herself to Climate Activism

Lydia Davis’ new collection Our Strangers, is available now from Bookshop Editions, so we asked her a few questions about her writing, reading, and more. How do you tackle writer’s block? I don’t really have writer’s block anymore. When I first started out, I certainly did just sit there... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-10-02 09:00:46 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #bookshop #lydia davis #climate activism #tackle writer


AI Detection Startups Say Amazon Could Flag AI Books. It Doesn't

Amazon has taken some steps to stem the tide of books written with artificial intelligence, but another solution may already exist. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2023-09-28 11:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #books written #artificial intelligence


9 Historical Novels by 20th-Century Queer Writers

Queer people have been writing historical fiction since before queerness existed—by which I mean, since before it was hammered into an antithesis to heterosexuality during the long nineteenth century. By the turn of the twentieth, queers looking to write about the past had to grapple with new,... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-09-25 11:00:00 UTC ]
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StrongVPN review: Simpler doesn’t always mean better

At a GlanceExpert's Rating ProsEasy to useSupports 12 simultaneous devicesDecent for streamingConsInterface feels outdatedSmall list of available serversPricey for the features offeredOur VerdictStrongVPN doesn’t have the largest server list, nor does it offer a very extensive feature set.... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2023-09-13 14:30:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #digital media #professional software #current state #varying levels #email addresses #ip addresses


Uplifting Writers and Readers: ACFW 2023 In Photos

A selection of photos recapture the 2023 American Christian Fiction Writers conference, which took place in St. Louis from August 24-27. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-09-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #christian fiction


Drew Barrymore is dropped as National Book Awards host amid writers' strike controversy

The National Book Foundation has rescinded Drew Barrymore's invitation to host the National Book Awards while her show tapes amid the Hollywood strikes. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-09-12 23:23:20 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #national book foundation #drew barrymore


Former 'Friends' writer says the stars were unhappy and purposely tanked jokes they didn't like

A former "Friends" writer's new memoir details her experience on the show at a time when the stars seemed unhappy, and the writers room wasn't so friendly. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-08-25 01:20:03 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #memoir #memoir details


‘A tired old show’: Friends writer claims cast deliberately ruined jokes

Patty Lin says that Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry and co forced rewrites of gags they didn’t like by performing them badlyFriends may have been a worldwide smash hit that made megastars of its cast, but – according to one of its writers – the actors weren’t always trying their... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-08-24 10:34:01 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #memoir #matthew perry #jennifer aniston


Pidgeon Pagonis on the Urgency of Writing a Memoir as an Intersex Writer

Pidgeon and I met in the summer of 2020, the summer of sickness, and violent change. We spoke over Zoom, nearly 800 miles apart—I had been hired as a developmental editor for an intersex activist named Pidgeon Pagonis. A developmental editor is a bit of a catch-all title: we do a bit of... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-08-17 09:20:26 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #memoir


8 Graphic Novels like NIMONA with Murder Teens and Queer Pining

Find even more graphic novels like your favorite webcomic turned graphic novel turned movie NIMON by Nate Stevenson. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-08-11 10:34:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #graphic novel #graphic novels


10 Books to Make You a Better Writer

Seasoned author and writing mentor Beth Kempton shares 10 books that will improve your craft. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Is Jamel Brinkley the best short-story writer of his generation?

The short stories in Jamel Brinkley's second collection, 'Witness,' don't just reveal stories of violence, gentrification and racism — they put you inside them. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-08-01 13:00:50 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #short stories #short-story writer #jamel brinkley


Hyperion Avenue to Debut New Marvel Crime Series

The first three novels in the Marvel Crime line will feature Marvel superheroes in a new light, with authors Lisa Jewell, S.A. Cosby, and Alex Segura slated to pen the first three titles. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-01 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Criminally Hot: 15 New Mystery, Thrillers, & True Crime For August 2023

There's something for every reader in August's new mystery, thriller, and crime releases, from a true crime memoir to historical mysteries including Harlem After Midnight by Louise Hare. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-07-31 10:33:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #memoir #true crime


Yes, it can be very stressful to publish a book, and young writers need more support.

An April report by the UK-based publishing site, The Bookseller, showed that more than half of the debut authors they surveyed said the experience of publishing a book adversely affected their mental health. Further reporting from The Guardian reveals that (some) publishers have quickly... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-07-19 19:03:31 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #independent publisher #communications director #anna frame #mental health #debut authors #april report #young writers


James Patterson, Margaret Atwood among thousands of writers urging AI companies to honor copyrights

James Patterson, Suzanne Collins and Margaret Atwood are among thousands of writers endorsing an open letter from the Authors Guild urging AI companies to obtain permission before incorporating copyrighted work into their technologies Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2023-07-18 20:54:45 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #authors guild #obtain permission #open letter #writers endorsing #suzanne collins #margaret atwood #james patterson