Gail Honeyman: ‘I didn’t want Eleanor Oliphant to be portrayed as a victim’

The Costa award-winning debut novelist on the kindness of Glasgow and becoming a full-time writer in her 40sGail Honeyman arrives in London trailing a wheelie-case, having travelled from Glasgow on a plane that was supposed to leave at 7am, but was delayed by the freezing weather. As we take the escalator up to liberate her of the case for a photocall, we muse on the peculiarity of a –7C ground frost stranding a plane which regularly flies at air temperatures of –40C.In ways that only those who have found themselves sucked into her award-winning debut novel will truly understand, this is an Eleanor Oliphant moment: it enfolds a stressful experience, stoically borne, in the beady intelligence of a woman who is rarely seen in public without a trolley-bag. The comparison has less to do with Honeyman herself than with the capacity of her writing to make everything seem a little bit strange, slightly dislocated from its face value. Related: Meet the new faces of fiction for 2017 I think there are a lot of Raymonds in the world – ordinary, kind, decent men who don’t often get featured in fiction Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2018-01-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #award-winning debut

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Book Review: ‘Victim,’ by Andrew Boryga

In Andrew Boryga’s debut novel, a young writer creates a career for himself by exaggerating, or sometimes completely manufacturing, stories of tragedy. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2024-03-09 10:00:20 UTC ]
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‘We didn’t expect this phenomenon to last’: France’s comic-book tradition is hitting new heights

The market for bédé visual storytelling almost doubled over the course of the pandemic, but can the birthplace of Asterix continue to nurture creators?Like thousands of French people, Sylvie Pinault discovered comic books during the pandemic. Though bandes dessinées – literally meaning “drawn... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-02-06 14:00:36 UTC ]
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Call of Duty didn’t top the yearly sales charts for one of the first times since 2009

Just like death and taxes, you can usually rely on a Call of Duty game to top the sales charts each year. The various entries in Activision’s warfare simulation franchise have mostly done just that, going all the way back to 2009. This year’s a bit different. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III has... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-01-18 19:16:41 UTC ]
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Inaugural Eleanor Roosevelt Banned Book Awards Set for Next Month

On February 17, the Eleanor Roosevelt Center and the Fisher Center at Bard College will host the first-ever Eleanor Roosevelt Banned Book Awards; in addition, Judy Blume will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award for Bravery in Literature. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-18 05:00:00 UTC ]
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‘I didn’t think it was possible to be a novelist’: Julian Barnes on literature, loss – and his late friend Martin Amis

The Booker winning author talks about how his most recent work was inspired by Hilary Mantel, and the way the books world has changed since his debut was published more than 40 years agoToo many people have been dying lately,” Julian Barnes reflects over the phone from his home in north London.... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-09-16 08:00:25 UTC ]
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Former 'Friends' writer says the stars were unhappy and purposely tanked jokes they didn't like

A former "Friends" writer's new memoir details her experience on the show at a time when the stars seemed unhappy, and the writers room wasn't so friendly. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-08-25 01:20:03 UTC ]
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12 back-to-school gadgets you didn’t know you needed

Some tech purchases are no-brainers when getting ready for a fresh school year, like buying a new laptop or Chromebook. But other back-to-school products aren’t quite as obvious. They might seem purely optional—stuff you buy if you have money to throw around. But don’t be so quick to... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2023-08-04 15:00:00 UTC ]
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Comic Villains You Forgot (Or Didn’t Know) Existed

Superhero comics go through a lot of villains of the week. Here are some of the comic book villains you've probably forgotten. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-08-03 10:36:00 UTC ]
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10 back-to-school gadgets you didn’t know you needed

Some tech purchases are no-brainers when getting ready for a fresh school year, like buying a new laptop or Chromebook. But other back-to-school products aren’t quite as obvious. They might seem purely optional—stuff you buy if you have money to throw around. But don’t be so quick to... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2023-07-28 10:45:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #royal pain #move frequently #special torture #lcd screens #store hundreds #decent trade- #local library #overdrive service #written word #consumer electronics #purely optional—stuff #kindle

Anita Gail Jones on Crafting Fiction From Family Heirlooms

For a decade while I was drafting it, my debut novel The Peach Seed had a different title, Peach Seed Monkey, which referred to a tiny monkey carved from a peach pit that had been a present to me and my sister when we were children. A book title has power to pique interest, crack […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-07-27 09:45:33 UTC ]
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Nick Cater blames Probyn’s sacking on ‘poisonous’ equity – but didn’t get the News Corp memo | Weekly Beast

The Australian’s columnist criticises ABC, as political leaders also share thoughts on cuts at public broadcaster. Plus: Shannon Noll’s chicken zingerGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastEveryone from the prime minister down had an opinion about the ABC’s... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-06-23 03:01:45 UTC ]
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Fabio (yes, Fabio) thinks the portrayal of men in modern romance novels is “hogwash.”

Oh dear. Earlier this month, Publishers Weekly reported on romance readers’ increased appetite for books with “cinnamon rolls” and “golden retrievers” as their leading men—categories that are exactly what they sound like: “sweet, supportive, and kind” (CR) and possessed of “a warm, floppy energy... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-06-22 14:24:03 UTC ]
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Eleanor Catton on ‘Birnam Wood’

The New Zealand writer, who won the Man Booker Prize in 2013 for her novel “The Luminaries,” discusses her latest book. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-04-28 20:08:04 UTC ]
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‘I didn’t give permission’: Do AI’s backers care about data law breaches?

Regulators around world are cracking down on content being hoovered up by ChatGPT, Stable Diffusion and othersCutting-edge artificial intelligence systems can help you escape a parking fine, write an academic essay, or fool you into believing Pope Francis is a fashionista. But the virtual... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-04-10 09:10:17 UTC ]
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New Aussie drama Bad Behaviour gives us a complex portrayal of girlhood and queer stories

Stan’s new series adapted Rebecca Starford’s memoir gives brutal and honest insight into the consequences of bullying. Continue reading at The Conversation

[ The Conversation | 2023-02-17 02:14:58 UTC ]
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Eleanor Shearer on Writing a Post-Slavery West Indian Novel Celebrating Motherhood and Resilience

Hosted by Andrew Keen, Keen On features conversations with some of the world’s leading thinkers and writers about the economic, political, and technological issues being discussed in the news, right now. In this episode, Andrew talks to River Sing Me Home author Eleanor Shearer about her hotly... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-02-01 09:53:21 UTC ]
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‘Didn’t read it, will not read it’: Harry and Meghan of little interest to Montecito neighbours

The world’s fastest-selling memoir is merely an episode in a soap opera in the Sussexes’ adopted Californian hometownOn the day Prince Harry’s controversial, headline-grabbing memoir Spare officially became the fastest-selling non-fiction book in history, the bookstore in his adoptive hometown... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-01-21 14:25:09 UTC ]
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Commentary: Prince Harry's memoir mercilessly trashes the royal family. He didn't go far enough

In 'Spare,' the Duke of Sussex attacks just about everything but the real source of his woes: the British monarchy itself. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-01-17 14:00:28 UTC ]
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Binc Issues Plea for Flood Victims

Binc issued a plea to donors this past weekend, asking them to contribute to the organization to help booksellers affected by flooding after torrential rains hit parts of Missouri and Kentucky. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-08 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Bookseller, Former ABA Board President Gail See Dead at Age 94

Gail See, a Minneapolis-area bookseller for many years and a leader in Minnesota's literary community, who served as president of the ABA board from 1984-1986, has died at age 94. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-07-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
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