'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 ]
News tagged with: #print run #allison busby #wonderful time #independent publisher

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Murdered Charlie Hebdo staff to be honoured at 42nd Angoulême comic book festival

The Festival de Bande Dessinée has opened and will award a Charlie Freedom of Speech prize among other honoursThe celebrated Angoulême comic book festival opened on Thursday to laughter and tears three weeks after some of France’s best known cartoonists were gunned down in a terrorist... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-01-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #speech prize #terrorist attack #satirical magazine #paris offices


H is for Hawk wins Costa Book of the Year

Helen Macdonald's H is for Hawk (Jonathan Cape), winner of last year's Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction, has won the £30,000 Costa Book of the Year Award. The book's triumph was announced this evening (Tuesday 27th January) at a ceremony in central London. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #helen macdonald #central london


Review of the Year: Authors - A broad spectrum

The robust children’s market in 2014 has been the main theme of The Bookseller’s Review of the Year features, and it is driven home in our look at last year’s bestselling authors. The top 50 writers are once again eclipsed by the shadow of the Gruffalo, with the mighty Julia Donaldson taking... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #year features #consecutive year #authors - #broad spectrum #robust children #driven home #bestselling authors


S&S Unveils New Imprint with Clegg Novel

Simon & Schuster has launched a new literary fiction imprint called Scout Press, debuting it with the first novel by literary agent Bill Clegg. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-01-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #simon schuster


International markets' Christmas performance

In Russia, a biography of Putin was a Christmas bestseller; in Norway and Sweden, there were surprise festive hits on hair-braiding; in Australia, it was beach read season; while in Spain, it was Ken Follett who topped FNAC's Christmas bestseller list. The Bookseller's international... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #international markets #ken follett #book trade


A Premonition of the Digital Humanities, Fifty Years Ago?

In 1964, the great science fiction writer Stanisław Lem published his philosophical magnum opus Summa Technologiae. But it wasn’t translated into English (from Polish) until two years ago. Lem’s book is an exhilarating take on the future of humanity. It jumps from idea to idea throughout science... Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2015-01-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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SIBA Starts Year of Engagement

Today SIBA kicked off its B3! Building Better Booksellers program, which enables booksellers to earn points to defray the cost of attending its Discovery Show in September. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-01-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #discovery show


Mark Zuckerberg announces next 'Year of Reading' Facebook pick

Zuckerberg is asking Facebook users to join him in reading certain titles this year. The next book to be part of the program is Steven Pinker's 'The Better Angels of Our Nature.' Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-01-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #facebook users #steven pinker


National Readathon Day: Here's what you need to know

National Readathon Day is being held for the first time on Jan. 24. It's sponsored by publisher Penguin Random House and the National Book Foundation, among others. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Image Comics Is Now the #2 Graphic Novel Publisher

Image Comics announced sales gains and 19 new titles at their fourth Image Expo earlier this month. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #image comics


New Year's resolutions boost from Yellow Kite

Hodder & Stoughton's personal development  imprint Yellow Kite is to host a two-day online festival to help people stay on track with their New Year’s resolutions. This is the Year, which takes place this Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd January, will help “transform your body and mind, get... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #yellow kite #hodder stoughton #takes place


135-Year-Old Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Plays to Its Strengths

With Linda Zecher, a former Microsoft executive, at the helm of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, the publisher is focused on its core competencies, notably education. The post 135-Year-Old Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Plays to Its Strengths appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #linda zecher #core competencies


1105’s Ed Tech Magazine Returns to Print After 2 Digital-Only Years

Digital-to-print launches like Allrecipes, POLITICO Magazine and The Pitchfork Review are becoming increasingly common, but it's rare when a brand that decided to abandon ink and paper returns to it. T.H.E. Journal, 1105 Media's magazine about K-12 education technology, is doing just that though. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2015-01-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #politico magazine #pitchfork review #increasingly common


12 years invisible: How Martin Pistorius emerged from a 'prison' of silence

Martin Pistorius was believed to be in a 'vegetative state' for 12 years, only to wake up and inform his caretakers he had been conscious. His triumph over adversity is captured in his memoir. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Mitchell short novel due in October

David Mitchell is writing a new short novel, inspired by a Twitter story he penned ahead of the release of his latest book The Bone Clocks (Sceptre). Carole Welch, publishing director of Sceptre, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, to Slade House from Jonny Geller at Curtis... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #acquired uk #jonny geller #curtis brown


Harry Potter's World Like You've Never Seen It Before: Illustrated

Publishers Scholastic and Bloomsbury are re-releasing the series with full-color illustrations.Between author J.K. Rowling's fan hub experience Pottermore and a slew of fans bringing elements of Harry Potter's world to life (Marauder's Map, a seven-book saga in one), the boy who lived lives on,... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2015-01-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #harry potter #publishers scholastic


Canadian University Acquires Novels With Oscar Wilde Link

The University of British Columbia Library has acquired two rare, 19th-century novels that scholars believe may have been written by Oscar Wilde. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-01-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #oscar wilde


Record year for children’s

Led by hits from David Walliams, Jeff Kinney and Egmont’s Minecraft stable, the UK children’s market hit an all-time high in revenue and market share in 2014, and exceeded sales of Adult Fiction for the first time since accurate records began. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #uk children #record year #david walliams #jeff kinney #market hit #all-time high #market share #adult fiction


James Patterson donates funds for first World Book Day Award (+video)

Through the award, five schools in Britain and Ireland will receive funds for their libraries. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-01-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sales of printed books fall by more than £150m in five years

New figures from Nielsen BookScan show continuing decline since 2009 as more and more readers migrate to ebooksPrint sales of adult fiction have declined by over £150m since 2009, new figures show, as ebooks take an increasingly large bite out of the market.A review of 2014 from book sales... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-01-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #figures show #volume sales #readers migrate #adult fiction #print books #book business