Could there really be only one new black male novelist in Britain? | Arifa Akbar

There’s plenty of talent among minority ethnic writers in the UK, but their books rarely make it to the shelves – and that’s shamefulUntil this week, I thought that at least we could be consoled by fiction. That we still had the borderless joys of stories to fend off the dark forces of xenophobia and insularity. Culture is crucial in times of political uncertainty or crisis, and encountering other people’s stories in fiction seems like the surest way to keep our inner, imaginative boundaries open.Except that we’re not encountering other people’s stories because they’re not being published. At least, not in Britain. The novelist Robyn Travis this week gave an inspirational talk on his struggle to find a publisher for his debut novel, Mama Can’t Raise No Man, about prison life and masculinity, and then to fill the 1,300-seater Hackney Empire in London for its launch this autumn. Go Robyn. Less inspiring was the fact that Travis, according to his publisher Crystal Mahey-Morgan, was most likely the only male black debut novelist to have been published in Britain this year. Related: Authors called David more likely to be on bestseller lists than BAME writers Related: Langston Hughes showed me what it meant to be a black writer | Gary Younge Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2016-11-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #arifa akbar #political uncertainty #bestseller lists

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Could there really be only one new black male novelist in Britain? | Arifa Akbar'


Could there really be only one new black male novelist in Britain? | Arifa Akbar

There’s plenty of talent among minority ethnic writers in the UK, but their books rarely make it to the shelves – and that’s shamefulUntil this week, I thought that at least we could be consoled by fiction. That we still had the borderless joys of stories to fend off the dark forces of... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-11-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #arifa akbar #political uncertainty #bestseller lists


Evaristo curates new series Black Britain: Writing Back for Hamish Hamilton

Bernardine Evaristo is curating a new series of lost or hard-to-find books, now rediscovered, by black writers who wrote about black Britain and the diaspora across the last century.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-28 09:32:56 UTC ]
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Margaret Busby: how Britain's first black female publisher revolutionised literature – and never gave up

In her 20s, she set up her own company, publishing everyone from James Ellroy to the Worst Witch series, and changing Britain for the better, book by book There is a revealing story Margaret Busby tells, about the first novel she published. A family friend had bumped into a former US serviceman... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-10-22 05:00:17 UTC ]
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Angie Thomas and Justin Reynolds On Ending Black Male Stereotypes

The New England Independent Booksellers Association launched its virtual fall conference with a conversation between YA authors Angie Thomas and Justin Reynolds, who emphasized their commitment to dispelling harmful assumptions about young Black men. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-09-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Reclaim Her Name: why we should free Australia's female novelists from their male pseudonyms

The Women's Prize for Fiction has just published 25 literary works by female authors with their real names for the first time. Could we do the same for Miles Franklin and Henry Handel Richardson here? Continue reading at The Conversation

[ The Conversation | 2020-08-13 06:43:53 UTC ]
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Where are the hotshot British male novelists? BAME authors may know

Ashley Hickson-Lovence, Abir Mukherjee, Courttia Newland, Guy Gunaratne, Paul Mendez and Okechukwu Nzelu on why British writers of colour are left out of the conversationAfter this week’s Booker prize longlist was announced, the Times asked “Where are the new male hotshot novelists?” I was... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-07-31 14:10:18 UTC ]
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Arifa Akbar appointed as the Guardian’s chief theatre critic

Katharine Viner congratulates ‘wonderful’ arts writer who is already a vital contributor to the paperArifa Akbar has been appointed as the Guardian’s chief theatre critic. Akbar, who will take up the role in the new year, said she was “honoured, utterly thrilled and immensely excited” by the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-11-08 10:52:21 UTC ]
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Obituary: Ernest J. Gaines, Novelist of the Black South, Dies at 86

Ernest J. Gaines, award-winning author of the acclaimed novel 'The Autobiography of Jane Pittman,' and a MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant recipient, died of a heart attack at his home in Oscar, La. He was 86. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-11-06 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Datebook: A closeup of dust, artistry of the Black Panther Party and celebrating the male physique

It may be Fourth of July week, but it doesn’t mean that art isn’t doing its thing. In Riverside, an exhibition of photography looks at the forces of dust, while an important New York conceptual artist brings his architecturally minded sculptures to Hollywood. Here are eight exhibitions and events... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-07-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kings Road signs memoir of Britain’s first black chief constable Michael Fuller

Britain’s first black chief constable, Michael Fuller, is publishing a memoir with Kings Road Publishing imprint 535. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-05-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Zadie Smith on Male Critics, Appropriation, and What Interests Her Novelistically About Trump

In an interview in 2000, Zadie Smith told the Guardian about the pressure she felt after the astonishing success of her debut novel, White Teeth. “I was expected to be some expert on multicultural affairs, as if multiculturalism is a genre of fiction or something,” she said. “Whereas it’s just a... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2016-11-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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From Black Panther to Black Lightning: black superheroes are go!

African-American comic book characters are finally stepping up from sidekicksAfter five decades as sidekicks, secondary characters and niche titles, the black superhero’s time has finally come.Next month Marvel releases its eagerly awaited Black Panther movie, centred on a young African king who... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2018-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Is That Black Enough For You?!?: inside the Black cinema revolution of the 70s

Historian and critic Elvis Mitchell talks about his revealing Netflix documentary that focuses on an often forgotten eraI’m worried about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The original, released to great fanfare in 2018, was such a hit across the board – with critics, at the box office, as a... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-10-29 06:17:49 UTC ]
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'Black Hollywood' photo book stars Black actors at the center of film's golden ages

Photographer Carell Augustus' book recasts classic Hollywood films with Black actors. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-10-04 21:56:02 UTC ]
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Black Women, Black Voices: Debut Memoirists on Career and Publishing

PW, in partnership with Amazon Publishing, presents this panel— scheduled for May 25, 1:30–2:30 p.m. ET, and moderated by Regina Brooks, the founder and president of Serendipity Literary Agency—in which Cin Fabré, Bria Adimora Godley, Danielle Prescod, and Aomawa Shields discuss their... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-05-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
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WLT Book Buzz Episode #5 - Black Voices: 41 Books for Everyone of Any Age from Black Joy to History to Empowerment

News and Events Laura and Bunmi celebrate 41 books by Black authors. From Black joy to history to empowerment, the books on this list provide affirming messages for children and young adults with a special shout-out to NSK Neustadt Prize finalist Jason... Continue reading at World Literature Today

[ World Literature Today | 2022-02-24 19:13:40 UTC ]
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Incredible Books By Black Authors, According To Black Bookstore Owners

Works by writers like bell hooks, Damon Young and James Baldwin that will educate and make an impact on everyone. Continue reading at HuffPost

[ HuffPost | 2022-01-31 16:37:38 UTC ]
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The bestseller ‘Black Boy Joy’ highlights the bright but overlooked experiences of Black boyhood

This anthology by Kwame Mbalia is comprised of stories that have always existed but rarely get told. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-09-21 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Influx Press launches first novel prize for Black British women with Black Ballad

Independent publisher Influx Press is launching a new fiction prize for Black British women, in partnership with lifestyle platform Black Ballad. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-07-27 19:32:32 UTC ]
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Black Spot joins forces with Black Crow PR

Independent publisher Black Spot Books has partnered with genre specialist PR and marketing agency Black Crow, as it announces its upcoming list.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-07-07 23:54:34 UTC ]
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