Complete fiction: why 'the short story renaissance' is a myth

With soaring sales, viral hits like Cat Person and a cameo by Tom Hanks, the form seems to be staging a comeback. But did it ever go away?In 2017, almost 50% more short story collections were sold than in the previous year. It was the best year for short stories since 2010. Booksellers are reporting a surge in popularity for the form, commentators note publishers are buying more collections and issuing them with greater care and enthusiasm; in December the newcomer Kristen Roupenian cut five- and seven-figure deals in the UK and US after her New Yorker story “Cat Person” went viral. On top of all that, collections are being reviewed more than ever before, the Sunday Times EFG short story award (worth £30,000) has received its highest ever number of entries and the BBC national short story award continues to grow in popularity. We are experiencing the renaissance of the short story form, right?Wrong; which isn’t to say 2017 wasn’t a good year for the short story – it was, but the “renaissance of the short story” story is an old one that is rolled out year after year. Does that matter? I think it does. By getting caught up in this recurring phantom narrative, and dwelling on press release froth rather than the work being produced, we spurn the opportunity to talk about short stories in a way that might actually deepen how they are understood and engaged with by readers.How can the short story ever have time to wither, given the frequency of its rebirth?In the cases of Tom... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2018-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "Complete fiction: why 'the short story renaissance' is a myth"

Brexit will usher in a dark chapter for new British authors, warns publisher

Harry Potter publisher Bloomsbury warns UK’s exclusive English rights across EU will end, with firms fighting US companies in an open marketThe next generation of British authors could struggle to land a book deal after Brexit, according to the publisher who launched Harry Potter writer JK... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-12-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Cape scoops 'Cat Person' writer Roupenian's debut

Jonathan Cape has scooped the debut book from Kristen Roupenian, the author of 'Cat Person', a short story published in the New Yorker this week which went viral and triggered a wave of media coverage. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

PRH to publish first all-female Doctor Who short story collection

Penguin Random House Children’s will publish what is believed to be the first ever all-female authored Doctor Who collection of short stories, with input from writers Jenny Colgan, Dorothy Koomson, Scottish comedian Susan Calman and Doctor Who author Jacqueline Rayner. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-12-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

New Yorker short story triggers 'record-breaking' response

A short story about an awkward, troubling sexual encounter has gone viral, drawing a "record-breaking" number of online views. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Unearthed Raymond Chandler Story Rebukes U.S. Health Care System

Raymond Chandler, the crime novelist, in 1946. One of his short stories, “It’s All Right — He Only Died,” was recently discovered and published by Strand Magazine, a literary quarterly. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2017-11-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Ford wins RSL VS Pritchett Short Story Prize 2017

Emily Ford has won the £1,000 RSL VS Pritchett Short Story Prize 2017 for her short story "The Hikers". Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-11-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Grimm Meets Law and Order: Special Victims Unit

Every era has its own fairy tales—fables that teach children what a princess looks like, and what monsters they should fear. According to the short stories in Her Body and Other Parties, Carmen Maria Machado’s exhilarating debut collection, a finalist for the National Book Award in fiction, our... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2017-10-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Orion inks flurry of deals

Orion has acquired "a hilarious and heartwarming" début by Caroline Hulse at auction and a collection of short stories from Man Booker shortlistee Emily Fridlund. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-10-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Clare's Shadowhunter short stories to Walker

Walker Books will publish a new collection of short stories from American YA author Cassandra Clare featuring characters from the bestselling Shadowhunter world. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Waterstones, Moomin and Oxfam team up for women's charity campaign

Oxfam and Moomin Characters Ltd are launching a campaign around short story "The Invisible Child", by Moomin creator Tove Jansson, to help women and girls around the world to fight inequality and escape poverty. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-09-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Birkbeck University to champion new voices in short story anthology

Birkbeck, University of London has launched a new literary anthology to celebrate the "versatility and power" of the short story. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-08-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Tom Hanks' event sells out in under two hours

Tickets to actor Tom Hanks' only event in the UK to promote his new collection of short stories, Uncommon Type (William Heinemann), have sold out in under two hours. Continue reading at The Bookseller

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

Six 'vengeful' P D James stories coming this October

Faber is to publish Sleep No More, a new collection of short stories from the late "Queen of Crime" P D James. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-07-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Story exploring freedom wins Caine Prize for African Writing

Sudanese writer Bushra al-Fadil has won the £10,000 Caine Prize for African Writing for a short story which explores freedom. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-07-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Mostly Books sold to 'passionate' book lover

Mostly Books in Abingdon has been sold to new owner Sarah Dennis, who has held a “long ambition” to run her own book business. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-05-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Short stories: How well do you know the genre? Take our quiz

These literary gems are proof that good things come in small packages. How many classic short stories have you read? How much do you know about their authors? Take our quiz and find out. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2017-05-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Dylan Thomas Shortlist of Authors 39 or Younger: UK, US, Australia, Sri Lanka

The Dylan Thomas Prize is unusual for its flexibility. The shortlist includes a book of poetry, two books of short stories, plus novels—two of them debuts. The post Dylan Thomas Shortlist of Authors 39 or Younger: UK, US, Australia, Sri Lanka appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-03-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Moyes, le Carré and Kerr shortlisted for CAMEO awards

Twelve "stand-out" book adaptations from the past two years have been named on the shortlists for the Creativity Across Media: Entertainment & Originality Awards (CAMEO), including titles by Jacqueline Wilson, Judith Kerr and Jojo Moyes. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-03-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Rankin, Hannah and Cleeves among first CrimeFest anthology contributors

Crime fiction festival CrimeFest will release an anthology of short stories next year to mark its 10th anniversary, with new stories from contributors including Ian Rankin, Lee Child, Sophie Hannah and Ann Cleeves. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-02-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this