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 ]
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The Arts Council England report has set the internet ablaze – but are sales of literary fiction in decline because of snobbery, bad writing or Candy Crush?News: Literary fiction in crisis as sales drop dramaticallyArts Council England has sounded the alarm for literary fiction with a report... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2017-12-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PW takes a look back at some of the library stories that captivated the publishing world in 2017, and what they portend for 2018 Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-12-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New figures show that fewer UK writers earn enough to live on, as ACE blames falling sales of literary fiction on the recession and the rise of smartphonesThe image of the impoverished writer scratching out their masterwork in a freezing garret remains as true today as it was a century ago,... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2017-12-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HarperCollins Children’s Books has snapped up World Book Day illustrator Sophy Henn’s first fiction series as part of a three-book contract in a “significant pre-emptive deal”. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tate Publishing shuttering its doors, an outbreak of plagiarism, and an author’s account of life in the Westboro Baptist Church make up some of PW’s top religion and spirituality stories of 2017. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As the year comes to a close, top editors weigh in on the magazine articles that moved them the most. The post Editors’ Picks: Our Favorite Magazine Stories of 2017 appeared first on Folio:. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2017-12-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Blackwell’s has named its Book of the Year as the "inspirational" Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls (Particular Books) by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-12-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Revolutionary style bible the Face deserves a more spirited historyIn September 1988, the style magazine the Face celebrated its 100th issue in triumphal fashion. There was an elaborate fold-out cover, essays by star writers such as Nick Kent and Julie Burchill and fashion stories by leading... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2017-12-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A digital marketing manager has won the Amazon Christmas Writing Competition for his tale of a greedy squirrel who learns compassion from "three wise trees". Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-12-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jessie Burton will retell the Medusa myth in an "empowering" YA title for Bloomsbury exploring themes of "toxic masculinity and the meaning of consent". Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-12-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hindi pulp fiction writer Surender Mohan Pathak has been made 'the Agatha Christie of India' by HarperCollins India's Minakshi Thakur, now at Westland. The post The Rise of Surender Mohan Pathak: HarperCollins India Wins Big With Hindi Pulp Fiction appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-12-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bloomsbury crime imprint Raven Books has signed its first non-fiction title - an exploration of death through the eyes of the professionals who deal with it every day. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-12-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BBC Radio 4's "Today" programme editor Sarah Sands has been unveiled as the chair of the judges for the 2018 Women’s Prize for Fiction. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-12-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Christopher Bollen has won the 25th annual Literary Review Bad Sex in Fiction Award for The Destroyers (Harper). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-12-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Dialogue Books is set to release a title examining over 60 words to describe black men and women, many of them "hugely contentious". Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-12-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Snapchat is selling its new Promoted Story ads, which debuted on Black Friday, for $250,000, according to some advertisers.The premium price reflects the fact that the format gives brands their own channel inside the media nerve center of Snapchat, and the ad unit goes to every user in the... Continue reading at Advertising Age
[ Advertising Age | 2017-11-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pan Macmillan has acquired two books from fantasy author Cassandra Clare in a seven-figure deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-11-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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At Mexico’s Guadalajara International Book Fair, which runs through Sunday, Paul Auster has talked of turning to novels after ‘hitting a wall’ with poetry. And Amazon Publishing introduces a new imprint for short-form work. By Adam Critchley And Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief |... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-11-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New York City looms large for debut novelist Hermione Hoby's main character, and on the Strick&Williams–designed book jacket. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-11-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Saqi Books imprint The Westbourne Press is to publish the story of Wally Funk, who was part of the first group of American pilots to pass the Women in Space programme. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-11-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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