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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Here are this year’s Pulitzer Prize winners.

The winners and nominated finalists of the 107th Pulitzer Prizes were announced today via remote video stream. The winners each take home $15,000 dollars and serious bragging rights, not to mention an instant ticket into a very illustrious club. The full list of winners and nominated finalists... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-05-08 20:08:40 UTC ]
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Scholastic recognizes 100 years of teen writing.

What do Amanda Gorman, Truman Capote, John Updike, and Joyce Carol Oates have in common? Each won a Scholastic Art & Writing Award as a teen. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards began in 1923 and continue to support young writers thanks to The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-05-08 12:47:48 UTC ]
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Book Review: ‘African Studies,’ by Edward Burtynsky

A large-format photo book reveals the toll of industrialization on the landscapes of sub-Saharan Africa. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-05-05 09:00:51 UTC ]
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2022 Print Book Sales in 10 Major Markets Were Flat Compared to Previous Year

A Nielsen report finds that sales of print books in 10 countries totaled 614 million copies last year, level with 2021 sales. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
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One Year After Removing Its Paywall, Quartz’s Traffic Continues to Drop

Last April, the business news publisher Quartz stunned the media industry by removing its three-year-old paywall, a move designed to expand its general readership at the potential expense of its paid membership business. One year later, the pivot serves as a valuable, if limited, case study in... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2023-05-04 06:00:00 UTC ]
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S&S Posts Record Quarter, Could Be Sold by End of Year

Sales rose 19% and earnings were up 16% at Simon & Schuster in the first quarter, and executives at parent company Paramount Global said there is a possibility the sale of the publisher could be completed this year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-04 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Traffic review: Ben Smith on Bannon, BuzzFeed and where it all went wrong

Now a co-founder of Semafor, formerly of Politico, BuzzFeed and the New York Times, the author expertly pulls readers inBen Smith is a willing passenger on the rollercoaster also known as the internet. He reported for Politico, was founding editor-in-chief at BuzzFeed News and did a stint as a... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-04-29 06:00:28 UTC ]
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Unseen Gabriel García Márquez novel to be published next year

Colombian author’s En Agosto Now Vemos (We’ll See Each Other in August) had been just a rumour but now fans will get to read itRumours had long circulated that an entire literary masterpiece, never seen by the public, could still be lying in a dusty safe held by the late author’s family or under... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-04-28 21:10:15 UTC ]
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Three debut novels compete among Women’s prize for fiction shortlist

First-time novelists are joined by two former winners on the diverse list, as the six ‘ambitious and hard-hitting’ contenders are revealed• ‘We were blown away’: how we chose the Women’s prize shortlistThree debut novels will compete against books by two former winners for this year’s Women’s... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-04-26 06:30:01 UTC ]
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Book Review: ‘Affinities,’ by Brian Dillon

In “Affinities,” his latest book of essays, the critic Brian Dillon meditates on images by photographers, filmmakers, dancers and other artists, exploring their attractions and affiliations. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-04-25 09:00:20 UTC ]
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Book Review: ‘Mott Street,’ by Ava Chin

Ava Chin’s memoir is an expansive family history encompassing perilous journeys, sensational crimes and social change. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-04-24 12:37:54 UTC ]
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At London Book Fair: The IPA Prix Voltaire Shortlist

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-04-21 09:41:05 UTC ]
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Can You Guess The Horror Book Based On Its 1-Star Reviews?

You've seen every movie on Shudder and have a whole bookshelf devoted to King, but can you guess the horror book based on its 1-star reviews? Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-04-20 10:34:00 UTC ]
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A Quick Disclaimer Before My Book Review Today…

A BookToker offers a quick disclaimer before a negative review to head off some anticipated complaints in the comments... Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-04-19 10:31:00 UTC ]
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At London Book Fair: The International Booker Prize 2023 Shortlist

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-04-19 03:27:08 UTC ]
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UK publishing industry reports record-breaking year in 2022

There were 669m physical books sold in the UK last year, according to new figures from the Publishers AssociationThe UK publishing industry had a “record-breaking year” in 2022, with a total income of £6.9bn.A Year in Publishing, a look at the state of the book market by trade body the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-04-17 11:26:08 UTC ]
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Book Review: ‘Chita: A Memoir,’ by Chita Rivera with Patrick Pacheco

Her new memoir finds the 90-year-old singer-dancer hungry for acclaim, but generous to others on her way to getting it. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-04-17 09:00:22 UTC ]
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Granta 163: Best of Young British Novelists 5 review – more solipsism than state of the nation

The latest celebration of emerging literary talent brings thrills, charm and emotional punch to the page. But this new generation have taken an inward turn compared with the more worldly themes of bygone yearsEvery decade since 1983, an editor of the literary quarterly Granta has tasked a panel... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-04-16 06:00:03 UTC ]
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‘The Tale of Genji’ Is More Than 1,000 Years Old. What Explains Its Lasting Appeal?

The book is often described as the world’s first novel and a touchstone of Japanese literature. But some of its themes, including its take on gender and power, have echoed over centuries. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-04-15 09:00:33 UTC ]
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Book Review: ‘Stalking Shakespeare: A Memoir of Madness, Murder, and My Search for the Poet Beneath the Paint,’ by Lee Durkee

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[ The New York Times | 2023-04-15 09:00:13 UTC ]
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