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 ]
News tagged with: #black author #win book #black authors #funny thing #acceptance speech #british book

Other news stories related to: "I'm the first black author to win book of the year. I'm proud, but not completely happy"


One in six children doesn't read a book a month

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Mon, 22/08/2011 - 15:18 One in six children do not read a single book per month, according to a new survey by the National Literacy Trust. The research suggested the United Kingdom is polarised between those who do not read and the one in 10 children... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Wigmore no fools with Boycie book

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Mon, 22/08/2011 - 11:39 An autobiography by “Only Fools and Horses” star John “Boycie” Challis will be the first book published by new company Wigmore Books, set up by writer Peter Burden. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Grant appointed World Book Day director

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 19/08/2011 - 12:03 World Book Day has appointed Kirsten Grant as director, with Cathy Schofield stepping down from her position as co-ordinator which she has held since October 2000. Grant, who was previously Puffin marketing and campaigns... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Progression for Macmillan's Africa authors

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Fri, 19/08/2011 - 13:52 Authors of Macmillan titles put on hold during the recent Serious Fraud Office investigation say they have been given a "glimmer of hope" for the future, with "sensible" discussions now beginning with the publisher after... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Digital rates could dissuade authors from writing - Swift

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 18/08/2011 - 12:10 Man Booker-winning author Graham Swift has said there is a danger aspiring writers may be put off from writing if the rates they are paid decrease in the digital age. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Housman study to Union Books

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Thu, 18/08/2011 - 11:42 Union Books editorial director Rosalind Porter has bought a book about poet A E Housman by Peter Parker, author of The Last Veteran. Porter bought UK and Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) from David Miller at Rogers,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Indie opened by A A Milne's son to close after 60 years

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Thu, 18/08/2011 - 12:15 A Dartmouth bookshop opened by the son of Winnie-the-Pooh author A A Milne is closing down after 60 years. The Harbour Bookshop on Fairfax Place was opened in 1951 by Christopher Robin Milne, the inspiration for the character... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Creed C. Black, Newspaper Executive, Dies at 86

As publisher of The Lexington Herald-Leader, Creed Black supported an investigation of the University of Kentucky basketball team that led to the first Pulitzer Prize for the paper. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-08-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book trade escapes effects of the riots

Written By: Benedicte Page and Philip Stone Publication Date: Thu, 18/08/2011 - 15:38 The book trade’s TCM sales showed another big year on year drop last week, but the regional breakdown of the Nielsen BookScan figures suggests the nationwide riots were unlikely to be the major factor,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Food Network Magazine Raises Rate Base for Sixth Time in Two Years

Once identified as the most notable magazine launch of the year in 2009, Hearst's Food Network magazine is continuing to ride a wave of reader enthusiasm with the announcement of its sixth rate base increase since the title went live. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-08-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Set to Publish Pop Author

Amazon moved aggressively to fulfill its new ambition to publish books as well as sell them, announcing that it had signed Timothy Ferriss, the popular self-help guru. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-08-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How the Chinese edition of my book about the periodic table got such a risqué cover.

I've been lucky enough to have my book published in a few countries now, and despite the universal subject matter—the periodic table—each country has had a different take on it. Some publishers merely tweaked the book: The British, for instance, re-imagined the cover. More drastically, the... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2011-08-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book sales slump £1m in riot-riddled week

Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Tue, 16/08/2011 - 16:03 Spending on printed books slumped £1.1m last week, as the UK riots caused retailers to shut stores early and the public to avoid the high street. Although bookshops remained largely unscathed during the rioting, spending... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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E-book buyers expect discounts, but do buy more

Written By: Philip Jones Publication Date: Tue, 16/08/2011 - 09:15 UK ebook buyers are expecting heavier discounting on digital titles than their counterparts across the Atlantic, a new survey has found. The survey, undertaken in April by consultants Simon-Kucher and Partners among 250 book... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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SoA in royalties row with Beautiful Books

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Mon, 15/08/2011 - 10:07 The Society of Authors has advised members to seek its help before dealing with Beautiful Books, after the publisher was unable to pay money owned to an author since March. Beautiful Books m.d. Simon Petherick said it will... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Headline settles legal battle with author

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Mon, 15/08/2011 - 08:49 Headline has settled a high court action brought by a former author for an undisclosed sum. Author Amanda Smith had brought the action after Headline abandoned publication of her misery memoir Toxic. The court ruled the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers "lax" on physical quality of books - Daunt

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Mon, 15/08/2011 - 15:49 Waterstone’s m.d. James Daunt has accused publishers of being “lax” in not paying enough attention to the physical quality of books while warning bricks and mortar bookshops will not survive unless they are good enough. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sainsbury's signs exclusive deal to sell Joan Collins book

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Mon, 15/08/2011 - 15:45 Sainsbury’s has signed an exclusive deal with independent publisher Constable & Robinson to sell Joan Collins’ new book. Publishing director at C&R Andreas Campomar said the company hoped to reach a wider audience for... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Brookes brokers romantic two-book deal

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 12/08/2011 - 10:54 Pan Macmillan has acquired two novels by Diane Allen, general manager of Magna Large Print books. Publishing director Wayne Brookes acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to For the Sake of Her Children and one other novel... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HarperCollins reports best year since 2008

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Thu, 11/08/2011 - 15:31 HarperCollins has had its best financial year since 2008, with ebook sales accounting for 10% of total revenue during the past four weeks, its c.e.o. has said. Victoria Barnsley was speaking as parent company NewsCorp reported... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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