British Book awards balance art and selling power to decide best writer in 30 years

Novelists rub shoulders with presidents, chefs, comedians and thriller megastars on longlist to define the title with the biggest impact on the book worldIt could be almost the setup for a joke, but a former president, a Booker winner and an erotic fiction superstar have walked on to the British Book awards’ longlist, and one of them could be crowned the best writer of the past three decades.Barack Obama, Hilary Mantel and EL James are three of the bestselling writers on an eclectic list drawn up to celebrate the awards’ 30th anniversary.A Year in Provence, Peter Mayle (Penguin) | 1990Delia Smith’s Christmas (BBC Books) | 1991Wild Swans, Jung Chang (William Collins) | 1992The Art Book (Phaidon) | 1995Longitude, Dava Sobel (Fourth Estate) | 1997Northern Lights, Philip Pullman (Scholastic) | 1997Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, JK Rowling (Bloomsbury) | 1998Bridget Jones’s Diary, Helen Fielding (Picador) | 1998Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Louis de Bernières (Vintage) | 1998The Illustrated Mum, Jacqueline Wilson and Nick Sharratt (Doubleday) | 2000White Teeth, Zadie Smith (Penguin) | 2001Sahara, Michael Palin (Weidenfeld Nicholson) | 2003Brick Lane, Monica Ali (Transworld) | 2004The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, Mark Haddon (David Fickling) | 2004The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold (Picador) | 2004The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown (Transworld) | 2005The Gruffalo’s Child, Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler (Macmillan) | 2005The Sound of Laughter, Peter Kay... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2020-02-14 06:01:23 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "British Book awards balance art and selling power to decide best writer in 30 years"


ALA 2021: Barack Obama, Expansive Professional Program Highlight 2021 ALA Annual Conference

The ALA Annual Conference will again be virtual-only in 2021—and for many ALA members, that’s actually great news, as it broadens access to one of the most ambitious and impressive programs of the Covid-19 era. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-06-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Barack Obama to Keynote 2021 ALA Virtual Conference

Obama will close the 2021 ALA Annual Conference, which is virtual only, on Tuesday, June 29. He will appear in conversation with Lonnie G. Bunch III, the 14th secretary of the Smithsonian and first African American appointed to the role. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-06-02 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Sweet Cherry Publishing: Life for Leicester children’s indie after Nibbies Small Press triumph

"We want to be recognised as one of the leading children’s book publishers in the industry: we want not only to be recognised, we want to be respected.” Sanjee de Silva (pictured), the new publisher at Sweet Cherry, recently named Small Press of the Year at the British Book Awards, has big... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-05-28 22:25:53 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Nibbie winner Buckley on boosting Simon & Schuster’s picture book roster

Jane Buckley, who won the inaugural Designer of the Year prize at the recent British Book Awards, discusses her recent promotion and the art of pairing writers and illustrators together. I speak to Jane Buckley just after what must have been a pretty good couple of days for her. On 13th May, at... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-05-28 15:18:52 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Romance novels to read this summer

Romance novelists make their picks for the season, and they run the gamut from sexy to sweet to a little bit murderous. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-05-27 13:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Hilary Mantel and JK Rowling add lots to auction for global vaccine rollout

Fundraiser running until 21 May also includes chances to consult with star agent Jonny Geller and have a character named after you in a Sarah Pinborough novelA literary auction raising money to help vaccinate the world against coronavirus has made more than £23,000 so far, as book lovers bid to... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-05-18 12:13:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Bradford Literature Festival returns as hybrid event with Moran, Wilson and Rosen

The Bradford Literature Festival will return from 25th June to 4th July with a mix of live and free online events including appearances from Caitlin Moran, A A Dhand, Jacqueline Wilson and Michael Rosen.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-05-17 06:32:50 UTC ]
More news stories like this


How women conquered the world of fiction

From Sally Rooney to Raven Leilani, female novelists have captured the literary zeitgeist, with more buzz, prizes and bestsellers than men. But is this cultural shift something to celebrate or rectify?In March, Vintage, one of the UK’s largest literary fiction divisions, announced the five debut... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-05-16 06:00:48 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The British Book Awards: 2021 Winners

The British Book Awards' three-hour digital prize program included Nibbie winners' announcements in 28 categories. The post The British Book Awards: 2021 Winners appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-05-13 22:30:42 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Review: Two iconic novelists, Adichie and Lahiri, step off their pedestals

Two big novelists take sharp turns in new books: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie mourns in "Notes on Grief"; Jhumpa Lahiri writes a novel, "Whereabouts," in Italian. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-04-30 14:00:38 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Barack Obama has some advice for young activists: 'Be clear and strategic'

Former President Obama joined filmmaker Ava DuVernay for a conversation about "A Promised Land," his legacy and activism during a Book Club event. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-04-22 04:32:01 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Puffin welcomes Donaldson and Oxenbury's 'lyrical' picture book

Puffin has picked up Welcome to the World, a “tender and lyrical picture book” from Julia Donaldson and Helen Oxenbury. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-04-20 03:03:23 UTC ]
More news stories like this


President Obama, Ava DuVernay bring 'A Promised Land' to L.A. Times Community Book Club

Barack Obama and filmmaker Ava DuVernay will discuss the former president's memoir "A Promised Land" April 21 in a livestreamed event for the L.A. Times Community Book Club. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-04-16 01:25:03 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Christian Publishers Tap into Grittier Side of Fiction

Novelists no longer shy away from tough issues readers are facing such as mental illness, racial inequity, sexual harassment and abuse, trafficking, and domestic violence. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-04-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The Adventures of Miss Barbara Pym by Paula Byrne – the ‘modern Jane Austen’?

This excellent cradle-to-grave biography of a much loved novelist who goes in and out of fashion captures her alarming habits and tormented love affairsIn 1971 the author Barbara Pym was at her day job at the International African Institute when she noticed “Mr C” laboriously attacking his... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-04-08 06:30:07 UTC ]
More news stories like this


James McBride has won the inaugural Gotham Book Prize for literature that celebrates NYC.

Last year, when New York City was the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in America, Bradley Tusk and Howard Wolfson decided to create a new annual award, the Gotham Book Prize, as part of an effort to “honor New York City and support the novelists who best captured the spirit of our city,” as... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2021-04-06 13:00:34 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Lit Hub Daily: March 24, 2021

“By relearning his grandmother’s old style of storytelling, Márquez began telling a story unlike any before.” Angus Fletcher on what Gabriel García Márquez understood about rediscovery. | Lit Hub Criticism Are climate change novels a form of activism? Seven novelists weigh in, including Pitchaya... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2021-03-24 09:30:49 UTC ]
More news stories like this


How Contemporary Novelists Are Confronting Climate Collapse in Fiction

This year marks the sixth anniversary of the 2015 Paris Agreement, an international accord that marks the first time nearly every nation on Earth promised to tackle the climate crisis. The goals set by that agreement, however, have not been met. As the climate crisis worsens, more novelists than... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2021-03-24 08:53:41 UTC ]
More news stories like this


UK watchdog investigates Penguin owner’s Simon & Schuster takeover

CMA says it is considering whether Penguin Random House’s $2bn deal would lessen competitionAuthors fear the worst if Bertelsmann takes over Simon & SchusterThe UK competition watchdog has launched an investigation into Penguin Random House’s $2bn (£1.45bn) takeover of Simon & Schuster,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-03-22 09:00:30 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Nibbies 2021: Bookstore, Small Press Regional and Country Winners

Eight retailers and nine small presses now are in the running for the British Book Awards' top winners' list, coming in May. The post Nibbies 2021: Bookstore, Small Press Regional and Country Winners appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-03-17 11:28:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this