Hatchet Job of the Year shortlist - 2013's most negative reviews in quotes

Tasters of the reviews competing for the annual prize that recognises 'the angriest, funniest, most trenchant book review of the past 12 months'News: Hatchet Job of the Year award draws and quarters shortlistCraig Brown on Distant Intimacy: A Friendship in the Age of the Internet by Frederic Raphael and Joseph Epstein in the Daily Mail"A few years ago Raphael emailed Epstein with the suggestion that 'there might be some fun, not to mention $$$' in emailing each other for a year, then publishing the results. And so they get going, each of them dutifully delivering between 1,500 to 1,800 words a week, every week for a year. The first thing to be said about their exchanges is how extraordinarily unpleasant they are [...] Anyone unfamiliar with the literary world will, I think, be astonished at the ease with which these grand old men of letters turn into queeny old hairdressers, furiously bitching about their younger, prettier or more highly regarded rivals.Rachel Cooke on Strictly Ann: The Autobiography by Ann Widdecombe in the Observer"When Ann Widdecombe appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2010, the judges were not complimentary, describing her variously as "a dancing hippo", "a Dalek in drag" and "the Ark Royal". [...] Is Widdecombe's writing any better than her dancing? No. About the best you can say for her prose is that it is accurate. Her grammar is fine – Ann is a stickler for grammar – and her anecdotes make sense in that they have a beginning, a middle and an end.... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2014-01-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #paul theroux

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Hatchet Job of the Year shortlist - 2013's most negative reviews in quotes'


Independents strong on New Angle Prize shortlist

Indie publishers dominate the shortlist for the £2,500 New Angle Prize, which rewards books... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #angle prize


Lots to Choose From at SXSW 2013

This was PW’s third year at SXSW Interactive, the annual technology festival in Austin, Tex., and it may have been the toughest year to cover. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-03-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sxsw interactive


Perfect 10 for Pearson/Penguin and Hachette on BIA shortlists

The Pearson/Penguin group and Hachette have each notched up 10 nominations for the 2013... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Carnegie Award Shortlist Includes Booker, Costa Award Winners

The shortlist for this year's Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals — among the UK's top prizes for children's literature — includes several previous award-winners, making for stiff competition. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #top prizes #stiff competition


Print sales hit 2013 high

Sales of printed books rocketed to a 2013 high last week as shoppers hit bookshops in the hunt... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Doyle on Carnegie shortlist

Roddy Doyle has become only the second author ever to have the chance of winning both the Booker... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #roddy doyle #carnegie shortlist


Small Publishers Rule Pen/Faulkner Fiction Award Shortlist

Coffee House Press, with two finalists, and Cinco Puntos Press join FSG and Pantheon with titles on the shortlist for this year's prestigious PEN Faulkner Award for fiction. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Sixty Years of Sterling Wisdom from the “Lord of Publishing”

Legendary literary agent Sterling Lord shares wisdom from his 60 years in publishing and reflects the current business, which he says is more like selling appliances than art. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Kindle Paperwhite is my new favorite gadget [Review]

When I wrote Why I Love Kindle back in February I said I was intending to upgrade to a Kindle Paperwhite soon. Three weeks later, timed so I can buy a Kindle copy of my own book (my publisher only supplies free paperbacks), and that’s exactly what I’ve done. The Kindle is one of those very rare... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2013-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle paperwhite


Time Warner spinning off Time Inc. magazine biz this year

Time Warner Inc. will spin off its magazine business later this year, turning the nine-decade-old publisher of Time, People and Sports Illustrated into a separate publicly held company.The board authorized management to proceed with the plan after a review of options, the New York-based media... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2013-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #magazine publishing #controlling stake #advertising executive


Jobs consultation at OUP's ELT division

Oxford University Press will shortly launch a consultation over jobs in its English Language... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #jobs consultation #english language


The M&A Outlook For 2013

There were notable deals in 2012—Hanley Wood, Ziff Davis and The New Republic, were among the big-name brands moved—but no blockbusters. Mergers and acquisitions activity in the consumer and business-to-business publishing markets increased some, but held close to recent averages for the most part. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2013-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #notable deals #ziff davis


Human Events to Shutter Newspaper After 70 Years

Human Events, the venerable Washington-based conservative newspaper, will cease publishing its weekly print edition after nearly 70 years but will continue to operate its popular websites, the publisher announced Wednesday. Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-02-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #popular websites #publisher announced


Infographic: A Five-Year Look at Magazine Editorial Salaries

Every year FOLIO: conducts a nationwide survey with mid and executive-level editors. The survey maps out salary ranges across a number of demographics including gender, age, location, company size, education and more. The infographic below provides an interactive breakdown on several key trends... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2013-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #company size #key trends


BBC sidelines Review Show

The BBC's flagship arts and culture programme, "The Review Show", is being cut from... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #culture programme #review show


Profits fall at Penguin in 'momentous' year

The Penguin Group saw a 1% rise in sales to £1.05bn in 2012 (£1.04bn in 2011).... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #penguin group #profits fall #1% rise


Penguin UK to push '360 degree approach' in 2013

Penguin UK c.e.o. Tom Weldon has said the publisher will be making connections with creative... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #penguin uk #tom weldon


Six books compete for the prize of Oddest Book Title of the Year

The Bookseller magazine will be giving out the award for the thirty-fifth year in a row, with competitors including 'Goblinproofing One's Chicken Coop' and 'How To Sharpen Pencils.' Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bookseller magazine #chicken coop


Oddest Book Title shortlist revealed

Six contenders including Goblinproofing One's Chicken Coop and Was Hitler Ill? are in the running for the Diagram Prize for the Oddest Book Title of the Year. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2013-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #chicken coop #diagram prize


Six picked for oddest book title shortlist

A shortlist of six titles has been chosen for the Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #diagram prize