Man Booker prize judge Colin Thubron has complained this week that star endorsements bully readers into admiring books, but it’s long been standard practiceSetting cats among pigeons has long been an unofficial part of the contract for judges of the Booker prize. Remember Chris Mullin’s insistence on “zip–along” novels, or, way back in 1992, AN Wilson’s condemnation of the prize itself as “essentially trivial”? This year’s flurry of fur and feathers was provoked by a tirade from Colin Thubron on celebrity endorsements. Some blurbs, said the veteran travel writer, “almost blackmail” readers into feeling that “you’re either intellectually or morally incompetent if you don’t love this book or you’ve failed if you haven’t understood it”. Some people, he felt, “seem to earn their living … saying: ‘This is the most profound book of our generation.’”Starting our Iris Murdoch bookclub with this '69 @PenguinUKBooks edition - you don't find blurbs like this any more! pic.twitter.com/P2XUvgtKAM Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2017-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Crime fiction convention CrimeFest has teamed up with publishers, including Headline, Head of Zeus and Orion, as well as authors and libraries, to give away 1,000 crime novels for free ahead of the crime fiction festival. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Brian “Head” Welch hadn’t planned to write a second book after Save Me from Myself came out in 2008 (HarperOne). Folks already knew about his drug addiction, finding Jesus, and quitting his band, Korn. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Scottish Book Trust is replacing its annual Children’s Book Awards with two new prizes; the Bookbug Picture Book Prize and the Scottish Teenage Book Prize. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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For the Thursday morning panel called Current Trends in YA, author Daniel Kraus rattled off a few crops of recent strains he’s observed, including books about “body parts, agoraphobia, and strange disease books.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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While the late Prince represents the Minneapolis sound to millions of adults, two other Twin Cities musicians, the Okee Dokee Brothers, represent its flip side: a more pastoral and family-friendly Minneapolis sound. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Unit sales of ebooks published by traditional publishers fell 13% in 2015 compared to 2014, said Kempton Mooney of Nielsen during a Thursday panel aimed at examining different publishing markets. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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There are a lot of heavy hitters at this year's BEA, but four titles consistently came up in conversations with book buyers: Colson Whitehead's 'The Underground Railroad,' 'The Nix' by Nathan Hill, 'Commonwealth' by Ann Patchett, and 'The Girls' by Emma Cline. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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“For many, China is a black box,” said Ruediger Wischenbart, director of international affairs for BookExpo America, as part of his introduction to China By the Numbers, a panel discussion which sought to deliver straightforward data to those interested in the Chinese market. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Three publishing experts from different areas of the industry reported on the growth and challenges found in the religion book market during a panel hosted by the BIGNY. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Rakuten Kobo CEO Michael Tamblyn notes that readers over the age of 50 drive ebook sales, though they still love their print titles. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Two mainstays of children’s publishing have teamed up to create a picture book, "In Plain Sight" (Roaring Brook, Sept.). Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google’s scanning project and the subsequent lawsuits once commanded the attention of the publishing and library worlds. But in the end, the litigation merely confirmed a few realities of modern publishing. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair 2016 has opened its awards for entry, including two prizes for international children’s literature. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-05-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The 2016 Shanghai Children's Book Fair is issuing calls for applications to its Visiting International Publishers program, children's illustrated books awards and more. The post Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair Announces 2016 Details appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-05-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A Spanish YouTuber's sex education book sparks international interest, and an Italian debut novel draws bidders in Germany and Israel. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The writer Jane Smiley, center, at a reading of her book “Twenty Yawns” at Bank Street Bookstore in Manhattan last month. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2016-05-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A year on from the announcement of the creation of Sharjah’s Book City, Ahmed Al Ameri, director of Sharjah Book Fair and chairman of the Sharjah Book Authority, said the plans were “going well”. He indicated that it will launch this year, though he did not reveal a date. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-05-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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After the upheaval caused by the rise of ebooks, it appears that print book returns have largely declined. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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First quarter financial reports from three of the country's largest trade publishers revealed a continuing decline in ebook sales. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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UK-based authors Jeff Norton and Siobhan Curham told delegates at this year’s Sharjah Children's Reading Festival that more books from other cultures need to be translated for Western readers. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-05-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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