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 ]
News tagged with: #biggest impact #booker winner #barack obama #hilary mantel #el james #30th anniversary #jacqueline wilson #julia donaldson #stephenie meyer #dragon tattoo #completely fine #jackie morris #british book #novelists

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


Banned Books Week Is a Crock

The latest story about censorship in America began when a Knoxville, Tennessee, woman named Jackie Sims found out that her 15-year-old son had been assigned to read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks over the summer. Rebecca Skloot’s 2010 book tells the true story of a poor black woman whose... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2015-09-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #latest story #henrietta lacks #true story


PW Asks: Which Book Would You Un-Ban?

BannedBooksWeek.org made a list of the 10 most challenged titles of 2014. Which one would you make a case for lots of people reading? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pw asks #people reading


Book world joins forces for charity

Some of Britain's bestselling authors and their publishers are donating their books to raise money for Syrian refugees. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2015-09-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bestselling authors #raise money #syrian refugees


My Job in 5: Helen Chapman, Picture book designer, Penguin Random House UK

Describe your role My job title is picture book designer but people outside the industry always think that I must illustrate all the books! Unfortunately I’m not that talented (though I do a mean stick man) so I end up describing my job as being an editor for the illustrators. Working in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #job title #editorial team #designing covers


Virgin Books wins auction for medical detection dogs title

Virgin Books has acquired a title by the founder of Medical Detection Dogs, in a “hotly contested auction”. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #virgin books


The Little Book Distributor That Could

Small Press Distribution has carved out an important role in the distribution landscape, filling spaces overlooked by the bigger players through its commitment to independent and small presses. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book distributor #important role #distribution landscape #small presses


A manifesto for a digital book platform

"The future of the book business will certainly be unveiled on a digital platform." Even as some believe that ebooks' progress has been staggered by a retreat to print, Trajectory c.e.o. and co-founder Jim Bryant is undaunted in his vision for the primacy of "relevancy and discovery" inherent in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book business #digital platform


Yes, There Have Always Been Great Women Crime Writers

Editor Sarah Weinman talks about her new Library of America anthology "Women Crime Writers: Eight Suspense of the Novels of the 1940s and ‘50s." The post Yes, There Have Always Been Great Women Crime Writers appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #america anthology


German Book Trade Says #RefugeesWelcome

As the refugee crisis continues and the number of refugees coming into Europe rises, the German book trade has responded with offers of help. The post German Book Trade Says #RefugeesWelcome appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


PW Picks: Books of the Week, September 28, 2015

This week: Paul Theroux goes south, Ruth Reichl gets cooking, Leigh Bardugo kicks off a new series, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #paul theroux #ruth reichl


How A Quiet, Failed Comic Book Artist Conquered Hollywood's Nightlife Scene

Franki Chan was once unemployed and broke. Today, his IHEARTCOMIX empire works with the likes of The Rolling Stones and Skrillex.Franki Chan is an unlikely nightlife king. Now in his late 30s and softspoken, his big professional ambition earlier in life was to work as a comic book artist. But... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2015-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #rolling stones #music festival


Last chance to book children’s conference tickets

The children’s publishing world has only 24 hours left to book tickets to this year’s Bookseller children’s conference, which is taking place next Tuesday (29th September). The day, themed around the idea of growing the children’s market by invention and reinvention, covers four key areas:... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #conference tickets #bookseller children #publishing world #book tickets #taking place #key areas #print growth


Why Faster Is Better in Book Distribution

Book distributors are adding warehouse space and upgrades to shave delivery time to bookstores. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book distribution


What Hot Titles U.S. Agents will Be Taking to the 2015 Frankfurt Book Fair

Among the titles expected to draw lots of interest are Anna Quindlen’s new novel, two projects by Karl Ove Knausgaard, an examination of artificial intelligence, and a look back by Cindy Crawford. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hot titles #titles expected #artificial intelligence


How Kepler's Books Returned to Profitability

Kepler’s bookstore, once on the brink of closing for good, just celebrated its 60th anniversary. Its revival reveals some secrets about how bookstores might work in the future. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #60th anniversary


Book Deals: Week of September 28, 2015

Blue Rider nabs a collection of humorous essays from Annabelle Gurwitch, Amazon’s 47 North buys an urban fantasy series from Sarah Fine, Harlequin signs Gena Showalter, and more in this week's notable book deals. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book deals #annabelle gurwitch


After Oyster, What's Next for E-Book Subscriptions?

The shuttering of Oyster, "the Netflix of books," raises questions about the sustainability of the ebook subscription model. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #e-book subscriptions #raises questions


Campbell in 100-poem-challenge for Book Bus

Jen Campbell, author of Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops and The Bookshop Book, bookseller and YouTuber, has pledged to write 100 poems in 48 hours to fundraise for the Book Bus, a charity that serves communities in Africa, Asia and South America with mobile libraries. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #jen campbell #bookshop book #south america #mobile libraries


Amy Schumer confirms book deal with a tweet

After speculation on Wednesday that Amy Schumer was planning to write an autobiography for a mega buck sum, the 34-year old comic has confirmed the deal with a simple tweet.  Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2015-09-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Valley Press awarded £50k ACE grant

A Scarborough-based independent publisher has won nearly £50,000 grant from the Arts Council England (ACE) Valley Press, which publishers 12 titles a year across poetry, fiction and non-fiction has been awarded a £49,443 grant in National Lottery funds from ACE. The publisher was founded in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |