By combining self-help and literature, the School of Life’s first novel does both a disservice | Alice Kemp-Habib

Billed as ‘a therapeutic novel’, the publisher’s first foray into fiction follows 29-year-old Anna’s mental health journey – with a view to helping the reader. But how useful can such clunky writing be?At 29 years old, Anna is full of self-loathing. She hates her job, her boyfriend is having an affair and her parents’ response to her troubles is indifferent at best. This is the starting point for A Voice of One’s Own, the first novel to be published by The School of Life. In its pages, fiction and self-help make for uneasy bedfellows.Co-founded by philosopher Alain de Botton in 2008, The School of Life broadly aims to teach its “students” how to lead calmer, more fulfilling lives. Its publishing arm, launched in 2016, disseminates self-help literature with pithy titles such as Reasons to be Hopeful and A Simpler Life, which purport to blend philosophical wisdom with practical advice. Like De Botton himself, the books are Marmite; while many critique the school for peddling watered-down pop philosophy, its teachings have clearly found a market. The organisation has branches in seven major cities, and its most popular title, Big Ideas for Curious Minds, has sold over 120,000 copies globally, while its workshops on playfulness, confidence and self-awareness regularly sell out. The new book represents a departure, however. Through A Voice of One’s Own, The School of Life is showing, rather than telling, its readers how to live better. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2023-07-07 15:45:50 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "By combining self-help and literature, the School of Life’s first novel does both a disservice | Alice Kemp-Habib"


Tochi Onyebuchi Recommends African Visions of the Future by Women and Nonbinary Authors

Tochi Onyebuchi’s young adult books, the duology Beasts Made of Night and Crown of Thunder, are fantasy novels with a Nigeria-influenced setting. His upcoming War Girls is set in a post-nuclear, post-climate change Nigeria of 2172. Riot Baby, his first novel for adults (also forthcoming), is a... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2019-07-04 11:00:10 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Judith Krantz, Whose Tales of Sex and Shopping Sold Millions, Dies at 91

She published her first novel at 50, and her heroines were invariably rich, savvy, ambitious and preternaturally beautiful. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2019-06-24 20:37:23 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Looking Back, Moving Forward: ReShonda Tate Billingsley Reflects on Her 50 Novels

As she celebrates a series of career milestones—which coincide with the 20th anniversary of her publisher, Dafina Books—the author starts a new chapter by revisiting classic characters in the long-awaited sequel to her first novel, My Brother’s Keeper. (Sponsored) Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-06-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


What We're Reading – April 2019

Her Body and Other Parties, by Carmen Maria Machado I've absolutely loved this collection of short stories, which floats between the weird and the queer, passing horror, black comedy and feminism along the way. Doubles and others are especially important: a wife enters her wife’s dream when they... Continue reading at British Council global

[ British Council global | 2019-04-11 08:49:28 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Indigo Press acquires four for 2019

The Indigo Press, the publishing arm of the MILD Group, will publish titles by Ahmad Danny Ramadan, Lucia Osborne-Crowley, Richard Seymour and Parker Bilal in 2019.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-10-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Awesome Reads signs Selberg to lead children’s list

IP and production company Awesome Media & Entertainment (AM&E) has hired Ingrid Selberg to lead its new publishing arm. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-09-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Jack White's imprint signs Benjamin Myers

Third Man Books, the publishing arm of Jack White‘s Third Man Records, has made its first British signing: The Gallows Pole by Ben Myers. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-08-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Influential monk Sunim pens book on self-acceptance

Penguin Life is publishing monk Haemin Sunim’s second book, Love for Imperfect Things, providing "inspiring and practical advice for turning to ‘self-care’ and acceptance". Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-08-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


What Alexa and iCloud teach us about the power of a hub

Hubs are familiar in some contexts: the center that makes order out of chaos and that serves as the connector orchestrating multiple moving parts. A hub is where "it" all happens. We have strategically located airline hubs for major airlines in major cities, or networking hubs that connect all... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2017-10-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


‘The app isn’t always brand-safe’: Why Grindr is trying to become a publisher

Grindr hopes its new publishing arm can win over big brands that would otherwise steer clear of hookup apps. The post ‘The app isn’t always brand-safe’: Why Grindr is trying to become a publisher appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2017-08-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The 19th Century Moral Panic Over … Paper Technology

In the history of information technologies, Gutenberg and his printing press are (understandably) treated with the kind of reverence even the most celebrated of modern tech tycoons could only imagine. So perhaps it will come as a surprise that Europe’s literacy rates remained fairly stagnant for... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2017-08-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


'Intimate' Austen letters set for September release

The Bodleian Library's publishing arm is set to release a collection of Jane Austen's letters which will provide "intimate glimpses" into her life after moving to Bath, aged 25. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-07-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Profits Rose at Lagardere, HBG in 2016

Profits rose 5.0% at Lagardere Publishing in 2106 over 2015, helped by strict cost controls at Hachette Book Group USA which integrated the publishing arm of Perseus Books Group during the year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Icon celebrates 25 years

The Library club on St Martin’s Lane was the chic venue for Icon Books’ celebration of “25 Years of Big Ideas”. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-01-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Vintage mines backlist to launch new 'big ideas' Minis series

Vintage is launching a new series, Vintage Minis, designed to celebrate the publisher’s extensive backlist by turning snippets from great contemporary and classic writers into small but compelling titles on "big" subjects, such as death, eating and love.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-01-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Bookstore News: November 1, 2016

A bookstore/restaurant preps for its Maryland opening; stores expand in New Jersey and Washington; a California bookstore adds a publishing arm; and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-11-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Why Verizon faces an uphill battle with its ambitious content plans

Verizon is trying to become a media company, but history isn't littered with examples of telecoms succeeding at content. It's hard to combine two radically different DNAs, build a publishing arm from scratch and change consumer habits. When you have different businesses, it can be difficult to... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2016-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Publishers 'feeding on scraps from Facebook', says Bloomberg Media boss

Justin Smith says social network makes far more money from ads in its news feed than news organisations do from linked trafficNewspapers, magazines and other publishers are “feeding on the scraps” of Facebook’s multibillion-dollar ad business despite playing a central role in keeping the social... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-04-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Hachette to acquire Perseus' publishing arm, finally

Hachette will acquire Perseus' publishing arm, both publishers announced Tuesday. The deal is the culmination of an effort that started and was stopped in 2014 when details proved too complicated. Now things have been simplified by separating Perseus' publishing business from its distribution... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2016-03-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Markham, Holquist Retire From Discovery House

Judith E. Markham, managing editor at the publishing arm of Our Daily Bread Ministries, and Carol Holquist, publisher of the press, are retiring. They are being replaced, respectively, by Joyce Dinkins and Ken Petersen. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this