Finding Her #ownvoice: A Conversation with Ivy Ngeow, by Susan Blumberg-Kason Interviews [email protected] Tue, 07/18/2023 - 15:46 Ivy Ngeow grew up in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, and now makes her home in London. An architect and interior designer by trade, she is also a novelist with five books under her belt, the latest a thriller set in Florida. The American Boyfriend is the story of a British Chinese Malaysian single mother who flies across the Atlantic with her toddler to meet up with her long-distance American Jewish boyfriend. The book was captivating from the beginning, and I never figured out what was going to happen, which is always a great sign for a thriller. I recently corresponded with Ngeow via email to discuss her new novel, how she got into writing, and her thoughts on publishing in Asia versus the UK. Susan Blumberg-Kason: Your latest novel takes place in the resort town of Key West, Florida. Can you talk a little about how you chose Key West for your setting? Had you thought of other locations when you first thought about this story? Ivy Ngeow: I was looking for a warm, isolated location for The American Boyfriend to disconnect both the main character and the reader from cold, harsh reality (literally). It had to be an enclosed world. I didn’t consider other locations because it had to “seem quite near to London” but be “far enough to be away from her mother” for Phoebe Wong, the main character, to find the... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'
[ World Literature Today | 2023-07-18 20:46:55 UTC ]
Research commissioned by Penguin Random House has revealed only 0.7% of English Literature GCSE students in England study a book by a writer of colour while only 7% study a book by a woman. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-28 22:57:04 UTC ]
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‘Frailty, thy name is woman’ is one of dozens of famous expressions that have entered common speech, but which originated in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The old quip about Hamlet, that it’s ‘too full of quotations’, wittily sums up the play’s influence on not just English literature but on the... Continue reading at Interesting Literature
[ Interesting Literature | 2021-06-24 17:00:06 UTC ]
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Pandemic Dispatches Photo by Daniel Tafjord / Unsplash Unrequited love I download a book. One of those books—for women. Certainly not porn, but you know. Never mind the shirtless guy gracing its cover (his lumpy, bumpy abs—oh my!), or the wanton... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2021-06-16 13:40:35 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House has acquired the audio rights for Pat Barker's catalogue, commissioning new readings by a star cast including include Simon Russell Beale (pictured). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-08 02:15:03 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House and Waterstones say they have returned to “business as usual” following a dispute that saw the bookseller limit the visibility of PRH titles in its stores. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-04 12:14:36 UTC ]
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If you want to do some serious reading to reflect on humanity and its many aspects, these 5 contemporary literary fiction books are for you, including A Burning By Megha Majumdar. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-05-28 10:38:00 UTC ]
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Sally Rooney, Lauren Groff, and Atticus Lish were among the authors whose upcoming works of literary fiction were highlighted during this Editors' Picks panel hosted by 'PW' reviews editor David Varno. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Phyllis Mandel, retired senior v-p of fulfillment at Bantam, BDD, and Penguin Random House distribution facilities, died on May 20 in Cape Cod—the day after her 75th birthday. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Pankaj Mishra and Arundhati Roy attack Penguin Random House India for putting out book by a prime minister they say has mishandled Covid and persecuted writersLeading Indian authors Pankaj Mishra and Arundhati Roy have spoken out against Penguin Random House India’s decision to publish and... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-05-20 12:53:37 UTC ]
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From Sally Rooney to Raven Leilani, female novelists have captured the literary zeitgeist, with more buzz, prizes and bestsellers than men. But is this cultural shift something to celebrate or rectify?In March, Vintage, one of the UK’s largest literary fiction divisions, announced the five debut... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-05-16 06:00:48 UTC ]
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It turns out 12th-century British scholars (monks, really, we’re mainly talking monks, here) had absolutely no problem borrowing “long passages” from whatever manuscripts they could get their hands on, and would freely plagiarize the writings of continental scholars. Of course, plagiarism then... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-05-11 14:10:25 UTC ]
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Independent publishers are "crucial and critical" for literary fiction writers, Costa-winning author Monique Roffey has said, enabling them to take risks no mainstream publisher would allow. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-05-11 11:27:01 UTC ]
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Meghan, Duchess of Sussex has written a children's book for Penguin Random House called The Bench, about the “special bond between father and son as seen through a mother’s eyes”. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-05-04 02:52:11 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House US CEO Madeline McIntosh said the publisher hopes to begin bringing more people back to physical offices in September, but stressed that the company's guiding principle on the future of work is to be a "remote-friendly company." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-04-28 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Petition signed by more than 200 Simon & Schuster employees delivered to publishing house also calls for end to deals with members of Trump administrationMore than 200 members of staff at Simon & Schuster have signed a petition calling for the publishing house to cancel its seven-figure... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-04-27 13:55:17 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House senior v-p Skip Dye said the move to unify the publisher's library sales and library marketing groups will foster "even more mutually advantageous and enjoyable relationships with our libraries and librarians nationwide." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-04-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster president Jonathan Karp says seven-figure book deal will go ahead, after open letter from employees accuses publisher of being ‘on the wrong side of justice’Simon & Schuster has said it will not pull out of a seven-figure book deal with Mike Pence after some of its... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-04-21 12:05:44 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House has opened applications for The Scheme 2021, its traineeship to find talent from under-represented groups in publishing, and extended it into sales and publicity alongside editorial. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-04-19 21:12:47 UTC ]
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With print-on-demand technology, environmentally friendly inks, sustainable paper choices, and a global reach, HP is looking to help publishers lower their carbon footprints. (Sponsored) Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-04-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House US has restructured its international sales team with a string of promotions and two departures. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-04-17 08:55:38 UTC ]
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