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 ]
News tagged with: #books sold #complete fiction #cat person #tom hanks #short stories #short story #jojo moyes

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Instagram may soon offer a soundtrack for your Stories

With recent music licensing deals between Facebook and record labels like Sony, Warner Music, Universal and other European publishers, it would seem as if Facebook, and by extension Instagram, is uniquely poised to bring soundtracks to shared videos.... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2018-05-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Center for Fiction Heads to Brooklyn

After almost 200 years in Manhattan, The Center for Fiction is heading to the borough next door, where it will open a bookstore and café on its new premises. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-05-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mikyla Bruder, Publisher of Amazon Publishing Worldwide: ‘When the Stories Are Good’

'We can use the marketing muscle and the global strength that we have to support this ever-widening range of storytellers,' says Mikyla Bruder, publisher of Amazon Publishing. The post Mikyla Bruder, Publisher of Amazon Publishing Worldwide: ‘When the Stories Are Good’ appeared first on... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-05-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Dialogue to publish new fiction from Govinden

Dialogue Books has acquired two new books by Green Carnation Prize-shortlisted author Niven Govinden, the first of which is about "protest, voguing, church and the erasure of queer lives". Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-04-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Nasrallah takes $50k International Prize for Arabic Fiction

The International Prize for Arabic Fiction has gone to Jordanian-Palestinian author and former refugee Ibrahim Nasrallah for his “masterful” rendering of a dystopian future. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-04-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Complaint upheld over Times story about girl fostered by Muslims

Council wins ruling from press watchdog over claims in story also picked up by Daily MailThe Independent Press Standards Organisation has upheld a complaint against the Times over its coverage of the fostering placement of a young girl in east London.Notice of the ruling by Ipso was published on... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2018-04-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book trade's runners complete hottest London Marathon on record

Members of the book trade braved the hottest London Marathon in history yesterday in the name of charity. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishing’s Darker Stories: Focusing on Freedom to Publish in London

In a never-before staged seminar event, London Book Fair this year presented a mini-conference on the freedom to publish with the International Publishers Association and featuring the widow of slain publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan. The post Publishing’s Darker Stories: Focusing on Freedom to... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-04-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Good Night Stories for Rebel ... Boys? Male versions of bestseller arrive on shelves

After the huge success of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, similar projects for boys are beginning to showcase men like Grayson Perry, Stormzy and Usain BoltAfter harnessing the imaginations of millions of girls with a wave of nonfiction books aimed at empowering women, such as bestseller... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2018-04-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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David Almond entrusts archive to Seven Stories

Children’s author David Almond has donated his archive to Seven Stories, The National Centre for Children’s Books. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-04-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Constable to publish Victoria and George Cross recipients' stories of valour

Constable has acquired a non-fiction book detailing acts of courage from Victoria Cross and George Cross recipients from charitable endeavour The Sebastopol Project. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Weinstein stories that sparked #MeToo win Pulitzer Prize

The New York Times and The New Yorker won the Pulitzer Prize for public service Monday for breaking the Harvey Weinstein scandal with reporting that galvanized the (hash)MeToo movement and set off a national reckoning over sexual misconduct in the workplace. The Times and The Washington Post took... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sharjah's Kalimat 'challenging boundaries' with adult fiction list

Sharjah publishing house Kalimat will later this month launch the first Arabic language translations of two books by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, including her title Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-04-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Andrew Sean Greer, Jack Davis, Frank Bidart Win Pulitzers in Fiction, History, Poetry

The 2018 Pulitzer Prizes for Letters were awarded in the categories of fiction, history, biography poetry, and general nonfiction. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-04-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Profile and Wellcome to publish the story of you

Profile Books and the Wellcome Collection have acquired The First Mystery: The story of you - before you were born by Katharina Vestre and with illustrations by her sister, Linnea Vestre. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-04-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Feminist fiction drives big money at London book fair

Fierce bidding wars between publishers saw several big deals happen for politically charged novels at this year’s fair, as new books from Jeanette Winterson and Caitlin Moran were also revealed• What will you be reading next year? A roundup of London book fairFrom a distance, the only thing that... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2018-04-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This Exhibit Exposes The Stories Behind The Country’s Continuing Eviction Crisis

A new exhibit at the National Building Museum brings Matthew Desmond’s Pulitzer Prize winning book “Evicted” to life, with photographs, data, and audio. “For those of us that have never thought about eviction, I want them to realize what it’s doing to our families, and our children and our... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2018-04-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Rundown: Google AMP has short-term appeal but potential long-term costs

Publishers, still smarting from blows inflicted by Facebook and its ever-changing news feed, have found some comfort in the warm embrace of Google. The post The Rundown: Google AMP has short-term appeal but potential long-term costs appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2018-04-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Feminist fiction tops the bill at Olympia

Historical and dystopian fiction tapping into conversations around feminism and the #MeToo movement were the hot manuscripts going for big money at this year’s London Book Fair. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-04-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Waterstones sale expected to complete this month

The sale of Waterstones to hedge fund Elliott Advisors is likely to close at the end of this month, The Bookseller understands. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-04-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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