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

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Audiobook Review: ‘Alive and Well Enough,’ by Jeff Daniels

The actor’s audio-only memoir delivers songs, stories and scenes with humor and vulnerability. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-09-22 09:01:07 UTC ]
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Warner Bros studios in Leavesden to expand, creating 4,000 UK jobs

Studios behind Harry Potter films to undergo 400,000 sq ft expansion by 2027, in boost to struggling industryThe Warner Bros studios behind the Harry Potter film series are to undergo a major expansion, creating 4,000 jobs and providing a boost to Britain’s beleaguered film and TV production... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-09-21 21:30:09 UTC ]
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Here’s the shortlist for the 2023 Dos Passos prize.

This week, Longwood University announced the finalists for the 2023 John Dos Passos Prize, which is the oldest literary award given by a Virginia college or university, and which honors “one of America’s most talented but underappreciated writers…whose work offers incisive, original commentary... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-09-21 17:03:34 UTC ]
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2023 Booker Prize Shortlist Announced

The six-book shortlist for this year's Booker Prize for Fiction includes books by the Americans Jonathan Escoffery and Paul Harding. The winner will be announced on November 26. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-09-21 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The German Book Prize Announces Its 2023 Shortlist

The awards ceremony for the German Book Prize is set for Frankfurt on October 16 before the start of Frankfurter Buchmesse. The post The German Book Prize Announces Its 2023 Shortlist appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-09-19 18:55:02 UTC ]
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Book Review: ‘Father and Son,’ by Jonathan Raban

Jonathan Raban’s “Father and Son” is a memoir of illness and recovery paired with a parental history. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-09-18 09:01:46 UTC ]
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Book Fairs Will See An Increase In Censorship Attempts This Year: Book Censorship News, September 15, 2023

A right-wing book publisher has a solution to Scholastic Book Fairs: their own. That, plus this week's book censorship news. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-09-15 10:40:00 UTC ]
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Publishers are using online job boards to diversify revenue streams

Globally, the publishing industry is contending with diminishing revenues. With a recent report from intelligence provider WARC finding that global advertising revenue for total print will experience a 7.7% drop-off in 2023 from last year’s number, traditional publishers are looking to shore up... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2023-09-14 15:29:34 UTC ]
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Opus & Olives Library Fundraiser Celebrates 20 Years

Opus & Olives, a gala fundraiser sponsored by the Friends of the St. Paul Public Library, is celebrating its 20th anniversary on October 8. The annual event is one of the most successful public library fundraisers in the U.S. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-09-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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StrongVPN review: Simpler doesn’t always mean better

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[ PC World | 2023-09-13 14:30:00 UTC ]
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The Paris Review Wins 2023 Whiting Literary Magazine Prize

“We are thrilled to announce that The Paris Review has won a 2023 Whiting Literary Magazine Prize.” Continue reading at The Paris Review

[ The Paris Review | 2023-09-13 14:10:36 UTC ]
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British Academy Names a Shortlist; Reports on Sales Impact

London's British Academy Book Prize reports on its 2022 winner's sales and rights deals as it releases its 2023 nonfiction shortlist. The post British Academy Names a Shortlist; Reports on Sales Impact appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-09-12 12:57:48 UTC ]
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Here’s the shortlist for the 2023 British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding.

Today, the British Academy announced the shortlist for the 2023 British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding, an international book prize, now in its 11th year, that “celebrates ground-breaking research-based works of non-fiction that have made an outstanding contribution to the... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-09-12 00:00:56 UTC ]
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Buchmesse’s 75th Year: ‘Frankfurt Academic’ Programming

While the international book publishing trade holds sway at Frankfurt, academic programming will make a strong showing in October. The post Buchmesse’s 75th Year: ‘Frankfurt Academic’ Programming appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-09-11 21:37:52 UTC ]
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Nielsen won’t force Amazon’s data into ‘Thursday Night Football’ ad deals this year

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[ Advertising Age | 2023-09-07 20:12:10 UTC ]
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'Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling' Cookbook Review: An Essential, Flavor-Filled Intro

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[ Wired | 2023-09-06 13:00:00 UTC ]
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Book Review: ‘Wound,’ by Oksana Vasyakina

Oksana Vasyakina’s first novel is a family history and a reflection on womanhood. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-09-05 09:00:20 UTC ]
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Society of Authors calls use of bad reviews for book blurbs ‘morally questionable’

After several critics complained of being quoted out of context on the covers of Jordan Peterson’s new book, the industry body has spoken out against the practiceThe Society of Authors (SoA) has spoken out against publishers misrepresenting negative reviews on book covers and the UK publisher... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-09-01 06:02:22 UTC ]
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Asus Zenbook 14 Pro OLED review: Big power in a small package

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[ PC World | 2023-08-31 10:30:00 UTC ]
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Read the first reviews of Jean Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea.

In 1966, after more than a quarter century in obscurity, the Dominica-born British author Jean Rhys published what is now considered to be her masterpiece. Wide Sargasso Sea is an astonishing, hallucinatory fantasy about the early life, and eventual psychological disintegration, of the first... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-08-24 12:59:00 UTC ]
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