Last week, Ruth Rendell claimed that reading novels is a dying art. Sadly, she might have a pointNo one can say precisely why John Williams's novel Stoner has become a bestseller almost 50 years after its first publication. After all, plenty of books, "forgotten" or otherwise, are recommended by word of mouth and yet most will not go on to sell more than a few hundred copies. And it's hard to know in what ways, if any, its story – a young man falls in love with literature and thus a new world is revealed to him – might have touched people. Many of those who rushed to buy it will not yet have got around to opening it and some will never read it. Stoner will languish on their shelves, its spine unbroken, just like Jung Chang's Wild Swans, the non-fiction hit of 1992.But still, it has given us something to think about, this dusting down of so plangent and substantial a novel. On Radio 4 last week, Ruth Rendell, the novelist and Labour peer, suggested that Stoner is a book for our times, her argument being that we live in an age when reading is for most an alien pastime, just as it is to William Stoner until he has an epiphany. (Asked to elucidate a poem by a professor, he is unable to say anything except: "It means... it means..." and yet, in this moment, everything changes; the verse, whether he understands it or not, has touched him on some powerfully deep level.) "We are told that it isn't happening," said Rendell. "But it is. Reading is no longer something that everybody... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2014-01-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
Booker Prize-winner Hilary Mantel, poet and author Lavinia Greenlaw, and short story writer K J Orr have all made the shortlist for the BBC National Short Story Award with BookTrust for the second time. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-09-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'We just have to do better at acquiring, marketing, and selling books by marginalized authors,' says HarperCollins' Andrew Harwell, this year's Frankfurt Book Fair-bound PW Star Watch Superstar. The post PW Star Watch’s Andrew Harwell: ‘Make Diversity a Priority’ appeared first on Publishing... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-09-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Print books are hanging on, but in a digital age where more books are being published than ever before, why is book reading in decline? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-09-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Athens has been named World Book Capital 2018 by the director general of UNESCO, Irina Bokova. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Paul Beatty, Deborah Levy, Graeme Macrae Burnet, Ottessa Moshfegh, David Szalay, and Madeleine Thien have been named to the shortlist for the 2016 Man Booker Prize for Fiction. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-09-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Little, Brown imprint Corsair has acquired Difficult Women, a collection of short stories by US writer Roxane Gay, for publication in January 2017. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-09-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Labour MP Rachel Reeves is to publish a political biography of Alice Bacon, the first woman to represent Leeds in the House of Commons, with I B Tauris. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-09-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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‘I’m not afraid to ask questions,' says Meze Publishing's Phil Turner, whose line of pre-sold cookbooks has found traction in the aisles of Waterstones and other UK bookstores. The post Cooking Up ‘Entrepreneurial Spirit’ in Publishing: Meze’s Phil Turner appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-09-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sphere Fiction has won a "hotly-contested" six-way auction to publish Eva Woods' "life-affirming" story of love, loss and female friendship, How to be Happy, in October 2017. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-09-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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For designer Rachel Willey, a new novel by Marisa Silver presented a golden opportunity. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-09-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The international news magazine Newsweek—which publishes in six languages—will host several events and exhibit at the Frankfurt Book Fair in October. The post Newsweek Makes Its Frankfurt Book Fair Debut in October appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-09-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Facebook is determined to defeat ad blockers. Daniel O'Leary The most aggressive force in ad-blocking technology is pitted against the world's mightiest social network. The stakes have never been higher for both parties. And there seems no end in sight, as Adblock Plus continues to attack... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2016-09-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Titles published by Barrington Stoke, Hot Key Books and Birlinn are on the shortlist for the first Scottish Teenage Book Prize, organised by Scottish Book Trust. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-09-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hodder & Stoughton's literary imprint Sceptre is marking the release of a collection of stories about love in November by launching a love-themed short story competition. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-09-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A platform on which children's can borrow and read ebooks, BookBites integrates visual elements and tracking tools to encourage reading and book discovery. The post Ebook Lending Startup BookBites Tracks Children’s Reading Progress appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-09-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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More than 216 authors from more than 30 countries have been engaged for the 2016 edition of Internationales Literaturefestival Berlin, which opens September 7. By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson September 7 through 17 ith issues in freedom of expression driving much of its... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-08-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Have you ever been on an NYC subway? If not, let me tell you -- it is often horrible. Air conditioning can be broken, leading to high temperatures. Even worse, some people bring their food below ground, resulting in a stinky train car -- yuck! Don't even get me started on the performers --... Continue reading at Betanews
[ Betanews | 2016-08-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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When readers are wooed by 'global entertainment,' an independent press like Saraband, home to a Man Booker longlisted novel, can use 'a little bit more traction.' The post Saraband’s Sara Hunt: A View From the ‘Small Independent Publishing World’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-08-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Atlantic has acquired Surviving Execution by Sky News journalist and campaigner, Ian Woods. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-08-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Inside Facebook's (Totally Insane, Unintentionally Gigantic, Hyperpartisan) Political-Media Machine John Herrman, The New York Times Magazine A barrage of political links, ads and other content has filled up your News Feed over the last few months... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2016-08-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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