'I've never felt less festive': the art of writing Christmas novels, 365 days a year

Drinking sherry, bingeing Downton Abbey ... how authors keep up the spirit of the season, even when writing during heatwaves and a nightmarish ChristmasChristmas novels are not a new phenomenon. Charles Dickens sold out of his first print run of A Christmas Carol in days in December 1843, while Agatha Christie played on seasonal stresses with titles including The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding in 1923 and Hercule Poirot’s Christmas in 1938. But these days, there are acres of festive crime and rags-to-riches romances under the mistletoe to choose from. All tastes are catered for, whether it’s a love of trains (Edward Marston’s Victorian railway detective story A Christmas Railway Mystery), religion (Unlikely Santa: An Amish Christmas Story) or even festive erotica. Ebook retailer Smashwords stocks romance titles including The Old Dragon of the Mountain’s Christmas, and the inventive-sounding A Cyborg’s Old Terran Christmas. (“Interstellar bride Nell and her three children are forced to enter space-sleep capsules in the hope of surviving a calamity. She wakes over 700 years later on a ship of cyborg warriors. In this strange environment, Nell can’t imagine what their future will hold, but she is determined to keep her promise and make Christmas for her children.”)It may sound futuristic, but it is part of a long tradition beloved by readers. As Christina Storey at Allison & Busby, an independent publisher whose titles this year range from Anna Jacobs’ Christmas in... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2020-12-17 15:22:04 UTC ]
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Blackwell's Oxford holds 'Empathy Festival'

Blackwell’s Oxford is holding what it is calling the first ever Empathy Festival from 5th-12th June. The company’s flagship bookshop will host five events over five days on the subject of empathy in conjunction with Roman Krznaric, author of Empathy: Why it Matters and How To Get It... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Novels from female perspective miss out on major awards

Books written by women or men from the perspective of a female character are less likely to win major literary awards than books written from a male perspective or about men, research by author Nicola Griffith has found. Griffith analysed the last 15 years of winners for six fiction awards –... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hugo award #major awards #books written #fiction awards #pulitzer prize #newbery medal


Windham-Campbell Prizes, Yale to Launch 'Why I Write' Series

Yale University Press will publish the Windham-Campbell Prizes's annual keynote addresses in a new series titled "Why I Write.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Educational Development Corp. Has Record Year

Sales rose 25% at Educational Development Corp. for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2015, and net earnings jumped to $859,200 in the year, up from $357,600 in fiscal 2014. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BEA 2015: Comics, Graphic Novels In Demand

Comics were a lively presence throughout BEA and BookCon with all the latest trends in the category on display, including lots of kids comics and a continuing demand for Image Comics and genres beyond the dominant super hero category. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kids comics #continuing demand #image comics #graphic novels #lively presence #latest trends


Indie Bookstore Day to Return in 2016

After the success of the first national Independent Bookstore Day last month, plans are moving forward for a second annual event to be held on Saturday April 30, 2016. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-06-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #moving forward #annual event


BookCon 2015: A 'Mostly Positive' Second Day of Literary Fanfest

BookCon 2015, held at Javits this weekend, drew mostly positive comments from both attendees and publishers who exhibited there. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-06-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BookCon 2015: Talking Truth, Love, Diversity, and Writing at ‘Reality Bites’ Panel

On a Saturday BookCon panel, Ellen Hopkins, Patrick Ness, Lauren Oliver, and Jason Reynolds discussed the relationships, characters, themes, and settings of their latest YA novels. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HarperCollins to publish first George Macdonald Fraser novel

HarperCollins has acquired the first novel written by Flashman author George Macdonald Fraser, Captain in Calico. The book will be published on 10th September, but throughout August, it will be available from Heywood Hill in Mayfair. Fraser was a longstanding customer at the shop, which... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BEA 2015: Charles Belfoure - The Architect Who Builds Novels

Charles Belfoure's writing career began when he wrote his thesis while studying for an M.A. in architecture at Columbia University. While he'd done a lot of drawing in his bid to become a professional architect, it was the first time, he says, that he actually wrote anything of any significant... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How the Modern Detective Novel Was Born

From Chesterton to Christie to Conan Doyle to Highsmith, tracing the modern detective novel back to its roots. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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ACE puts £1.2m into creative writing in schools

Arts Council England (ACE) has launched a £1.2m fund to support creative writing in schools. Meanwhile, ACE's recently appointed chief executive Darren Henley has urged the government to cease cuts to art funding. Between October 2015 and October 2018, ACE will invest in three funding awards... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #creative writing #separate awards #south west


Twenty-Five Years Of Discovery

On May 12, nearly 300 people gathered at the Standard Hotel in New York City’s Meatpacking District to celebrate 25 years of Barnes & Noble’s Discover Great New Writers Program. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas in graphic novel reincarnation

Hunter S Thompson’s ‘gonzo’ account of a drug-addled road trip has been adapted into a graphic novel by artist Troy LittleHunter S Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas – intimately bound up in most readers’ minds with Ralph Steadman’s hallucinatory illustrations – is set to be turned into a... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #las vegas


BEA 2015: Europa Editions Marks 10 Years

The last time indie publisher Europa Editions had a booth at BEA was in 2011, according to editor-in-chief Michael Reynolds. Last year, the house exhibited as part of the Translation Market, and, he recalls, “we enjoyed the energy.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Hashtag' crowned kids' 'word of the year'

Oxford University Press has chosen hashtag as its ‘children’s word of the year’ because of its significant use in the 500 Words 2015 competition. The 500 Words competition was launched by presenter Chris Evans on the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show in 2011, and is for stories of 500 words or less by... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Studio 28 to publish original novel

Studio 28, the digital-publishing arm of Curtis Brown Literary & Talent Agency, is to publish its first original title. The Swiss Spy by Alex Gerlis will be published as an ebook on Monday 1st June. Studio 28 officially launched in March this year, and will publish in the UK and other... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Phyllis Tickle, Founding Religion Editor of Publishers Weekly, Is Writing Her Final Chapter

The religion authority, author, and pioneer in the coverage of spirituality and religion publishing has been diagnosed with inoperable stage 4 lung cancer. Still, she has book projects in the works and no plans to abandon them. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BEA 2015: Graphic Novels Make Their Mark

Although the big two of comics publishing, Marvel and DC Comics, have opted to sit out BEA this year, there will still be plenty of comics publishers dotting the Javits Center floor. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BEA 2015: Sexy Toys to Celebrate 35 Years

In celebration of its 35th anniversary, Cleis Press will offer a wide assortment of lively events and promotions during BEA. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #35th anniversary #cleis press #wide assortment #lively events