Headbutts, snark and furious obsession: a toxic history of literary rivalries

When her first book came out, Lulah Ellender became obsessed with an author whose book launched the same week. She reflects on past feuds and how resentment now festers onlineWhen my first book was published last year I wasn’t prepared for how unhinged I would become. I’d expected review-induced nerves and worries that swung from “No one will read it” to “Oh God, someone is actually going to read it”. But I hadn’t foreseen the appearance of a wholly one-sided and indecorous obsession with another author.This author’s book launched in the same week as mine. It was nothing like my book, a memoir based on lists written by my grandmother, so its existence should not have troubled me, yet my writing life somehow became combatively interwoven with his. I had a review in a broadsheet; the next week he had a full-page spread in the same paper. I did a radio interview; he appeared on the same show. Every time I read about his achievements (pretty much every time I checked his social media), it diminished my own. It was like a nasty bruise I couldn’t resist pressing.I didn’t wish him any actual harm. Just, in writer Roxane Gay’s words, “papercuts and abject failure” Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2019-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tiya Miles Wins Canada’s $75,000 Cundill History Prize

Harvard's Tiya Miles wins the Cundill History Prize's top honor for 'All That She Carried,' a 2021 National Book Award winner. The post Tiya Miles Wins Canada’s $75,000 Cundill History Prize appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-12-02 03:01:11 UTC ]
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More than 150 Literary Agents Sign Letter to Support HarperCollins Workers’ Strike

More than 150 literary agents signed a letter promising to stop submitting new books to HarperCollins to support striking workers. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-11-30 17:34:23 UTC ]
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England: ‘A (Very) Short History’ Wins the £25,000 Royal Society Science Book Prize

The paleontologist and evolutionary biologist Henry Gee wins the 2022 Royal Society Science Book Prize sponsored by Insight Investment. The post England: ‘A (Very) Short History’ Wins the £25,000 Royal Society Science Book Prize appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-11-29 20:32:49 UTC ]
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Astra House Shuts Its Literary Magazine

After publishing two issues, 'Astra Magazine' will shut down by the end of the year. The closure, the president of parent company Astra House Publishing said, will allow the company to focus on its book publishing business. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-11-29 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Hrab, Kazemi, and Ferguson Selected as 2022 Governor General's Literary Awards Winners

The winners of the 2022 Governor General's Literary Awards were announced on November 16 by the Canada Council for the Arts. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-11-17 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Religion Scholars Rewrite History

Academic religion publishers are prioritizing the search for more accurate retellings of history as well as clearer views of the Bible in new books, many of which will appear at the Annual Meetings hosted by the American Academy of Religion and Society for Biblical Literature in Denver, Colo. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-11-04 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Your guide to free virtual literary events this November.

We love to be active and engaged members of the literary community. We also love to not leave our bed. Now you can do both! * 2022 Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize Celebration November 2 @ 7pm EST Hosted by Isaac Fitzgerald, this event will celebrate the winners of this year’s BPL Book Prize... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-11-02 13:30:38 UTC ]
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So How Did It Go? Literary Rights Pros on Frankfurt 2022

Literary agents and rights directors describe the 2022 Frankfurt Book Fair with phrases like 'splendid,' 'beautiful,' and 'exhilarating'. The post So How Did It Go? Literary Rights Pros on Frankfurt 2022 appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-10-25 16:36:14 UTC ]
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“Eclectic, Refreshingly Wild, and Important.” Exploring the Archives of America’s Best Literary Journals

The 28th issue of Kayak—a literary magazine edited and published by George Hitchcock out of Santa Cruz, California—appeared in 1972. The issue includes mostly poetry, as well as a few book reviews, a work of verse fiction, collages, illustrations lifted from old books and manuals, and an acerbic... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-10-19 08:57:28 UTC ]
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She’s 80 Years Old, She’s Furious, and She Just Published Her First Book

Jane Campbell on why more angry, sexy old ladies is exactly what the publishing industry needs. Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2022-10-15 09:50:00 UTC ]
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PFLAG Adapts Picture Book to Video, Celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month

In celebration of LGBTQ+ History month in October, nonprofit organization Parents, Families, & Friends of LGBT National has brought together a slew of celebrities to voice characters in a video adaptation of picture book 'The Mother of a Movement: Jeanne Manford—Ally, Activist, and... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-10-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
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How Retelling Indigenous Histories Create a More Just Future

Emergence Magazine is an online publication with annual print edition exploring the threads connecting ecology, culture, and spirituality. As we experience the desecration of our lands and waters, the extinguishing of species, and a loss of sacred connection to the Earth, we look to emerging... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-10-11 08:52:45 UTC ]
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A Brief History of Social Media Platforms, from LiveJournal to Meme Warriors

The internet did not cause the insurrection. But it enabled it. The technology of any age in human history shapes the culture of that time. With the advent of agriculture and farming tools, humans developed stationary civilizations and abandoned thousands of years of itinerancy. The printing... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-10-07 08:59:43 UTC ]
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Canada’s $83,000 Cundill History Prize: 2022 Shortlist

The Cundill History Prize 2022 shortlist includes a current-year Pulitzer Prize winner among its eight titles from six publishers. The post Canada’s $83,000 Cundill History Prize: 2022 Shortlist appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-09-23 12:24:47 UTC ]
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Canada’s $75,000 Cundill History Prize: 2022 Shortlist

The Cundill History Prize 2022 shortlist includes a current-year Pulitzer Prize winner among its eight titles from six publishers. The post Canada’s $75,000 Cundill History Prize: 2022 Shortlist appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-09-23 12:24:47 UTC ]
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At stake in the U.S.-China rivalry: The shape of the global political order

Three books explore the endurance of China's Communist Party, its standoff with the United States and its designs for the future. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2022-09-22 10:00:36 UTC ]
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These Books have an Edgy Secret: A History and Gallery of Fore-Edge Painting and Art

From 1600s British literature to Sarah J. Maas books on TikTok, fore-edge painting is an enduring art form that adds even more magic to books. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-09-15 10:34:00 UTC ]
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Dragonfly Books Establishes Literary Foundation

Dragonfly Books in Decorah, Iowa, has established a literary foundation to support author visits to the Oneota River Valley area in northeastern Iowa, as well as to support the literary endeavors of regional writers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-09-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Whiting Introduces Changes to Literary Magazine Prizes

The Whiting Foundation's 2023 Literary Magazine Awards will feature a new grant schedule, eligibility requirements, and total number of prizes. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-09-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Samiya Bashir to Lead Lambda Literary as Executive Director

Poet, associate professor at Reed College, and two-time Lambda Literary Award honoree Samiya Bashir has been selected as Lambda Literary's next leader. She spoke with 'PW' about her hopes for the organization. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-09-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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