I'm the first black author to win book of the year. I'm proud, but not completely happy

Instead of celebrating myself, I’m going to celebrate the books by black authors that came before meI have a funny thing about winning. I find it overwhelming. I don’t know how to cope or act when things are meant to be “good”. What do I do? Should I be happy? What is that? How many ways can I genuinely and meaningfully thank people who congratulate me? Do they understand that if I don’t reply to their kind messages, I’m not being rude – it’s just that I don’t know what to say?It’s not that I’m not grateful when things go well, it’s more that I need to talk to a therapist about them. Anyway, imagine my discomfort when I was told that my book Queenie had won debut of the year at the British Book awards. Actually, my first feeling was relief that instead of having to attend a ceremony and have my picture taken, and get up on a stage and be looked at, I could just pre-record an acceptance speech on Zoom then go back to watching music videos all day. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2020-07-02 07:00:46 UTC ]
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Other news stories related to: "I'm the first black author to win book of the year. I'm proud, but not completely happy"


Saltyard acquires Prashad restaurant books

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Tue, 18/10/2011 - 07:00 Saltyard Books has bought two books about Prashad, the Indian restaurant run by the Patel family in Bradford which narrowly missed out on Gordon Ramsey's Britain's Best Restaurant award. Saltyard Books publisher Elizabeth... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Lauren Myracle Withdraws ‘Shine’ From National Book Awards

Lauren Myracle, the author of “Shine,” withdrew from the shortlist for the National Book Awards on Monday, soon after she was mistakenly named a finalist by the National Book Foundation. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-10-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Open Road launches Iconic E-Books

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Tue, 18/10/2011 - 15:19 Digital publisher Open Road is launching a new imprint, Iconic E-books, with Erica Jong's Fear of Flying and Alice Walker's The Color Purple to be among its first titles. The Iconic E-Books titles will be those that have... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hollinghurst makes Galaxy Book Awards shortlist

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Mon, 17/10/2011 - 08:25 Alan Hollinghurst, whose novel The Stranger's Child was a surprise omission from the Man Booker shortlist this year, has been shortlisted for an award at the Galaxy National Book Awards 2011, with works by Ian Rankin and... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PW Select Fall 2011: E-Book Master Class: PW Talks with Joshua Tallent

If self-publishing is a major part of the future of the publishing business, then its most uncharted region, and the frontier of greatest possibility, is digital self-publishing, where authors can make their own names and sell infinite numbers of books with the help of a handful of increasingly... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-10-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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E-tailers, E-books Move Ahead

Online retailers continued to increase their market share of book purchases in the second quarter of 2011, according to the latest data from Bowker’s PubTrack Consumer service. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-10-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Science book deals at Frankfurt

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Fri, 14/10/2011 - 11:25 Popular science writer Simon Singh has accepted a six-figure world English language rights pre-empt made at Frankfurt for his next book, The Mathematics of The Simpsons. The deal, Singh's first since winning the legal case... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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21 Finalists for 2011 National Book Awards

The announcement of the nominees for the 2011 National Book Awards had an extra dose of drama this year as the National Book Foundation added a sixth selection to the Young People’s Literature category after the original broadcast over Oregon Public Broadcasting’s program Think Out Loud had only... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-10-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Frankfurt Book Fair in upbeat mood

Written By: Philip Jones and Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 13/10/2011 - 16:10 The quadruple threat of air traffic control strikes, economic slow-down, creaking Blackberry servers and digital disruption failed to dim spirits as the 63rd Frankfurt Book Fair continued this week. read... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Beautiful Books enters administration

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Tue, 11/10/2011 - 15:00 Independent publisher Beautiful Books entered administration earlier today (11th October). The company has ceased to trade and four members of staff have been made redundant. A spokesperson for London firm Leonard Curtis, the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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de Waal and Colfer win Indy prize

Written By: Katie Allen Publication Date: Tue, 11/10/2011 - 08:40 Edmund de Waal's Costa-winning memoir The Hare with Amber Eyes (Vintage) has won the adult category of this year's Independent Booksellers' Book Prize 2011, beating competiton from authors including David Mitchell and Helen... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BRC says September book sales 'tough"

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Tue, 11/10/2011 - 08:50 Book sales remained “tough” in September according to the British Retail Consortium, which reported total retail sales were up by 2.5% against September last year. The BRC said UK retail sales values were 0.3% higher on a... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gollancz wins six-figure auction for SF series

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Tue, 11/10/2011 - 11:47 Gollancz has won out in a "hard-fought" auction, with three publishers in the final round, acquiring world rights to three books in a new science-fiction series for a six-figure sum. Deputy publishing director Simon... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Foulds wins EU prize at Frankfurt

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Tue, 11/10/2011 - 12:10 British novelist Adam Foulds is among the 12 winners of the 2011 European Union Prize for Literature, announced today at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Each winner of the prize, which recognises the best new or emerging authors in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Indies call on government to fix book prices

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Fri, 07/10/2011 - 08:35 Independent booksellers say the government should step in to fix the price of books after the Booksellers Association called on the coalition to do more to maintain bookshops on the high street. BA c.e.o. Tim Godfray appealed... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book Business Has Big Hopes for Biography of Steve Jobs

Industry experts said the biography of Steve Jobs could easily sell millions of copies in print, audio and ebook editions. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Directions For National Geographic Books

The appointment late last month of Hector Sierra as general manager and senior v-p for National Geographic Society’s books division completes the new management team that will now drive the book operation for one of America’s best-known brands. The change in the division began last October when... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Beautiful Books facing administration

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Fri, 07/10/2011 - 16:18 An administrator for Beautiful Books is expected to be appointed by close of business on Monday (10th October). In a letter to authors, David Lewis, director of The Beautiful Group PLC, said the company has had cash flow... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Trump, Rich Dad's Kiyosaki Put Twist on E-book Marketing

Donald Trump has trained his eye for promotion on ebooks, teaming up with Robert Kiyosaki, author of "Rich Dad Poor Dad," in a new twist on the traditional... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Digital sales 'could be 15%' by year's end

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 07/10/2011 - 14:39 Independent publishers are predicting that ebook sales may make up as much as 15% of their total sales by the end of 2011, as FutureBook's Digital Census reveals that a quarter of UK publishers now have ebook sales which... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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