‘I wanted to write a suburban Reacher’: Richard Osman talks to Lee Child about class, success and the secret to great crime writing

The two bestselling authors who both started in TV discuss writing as a second career, natural justice – and what they really think of literary fictionIn the four years since Richard Osman published his first Thursday Murder Club novel he has consistently topped the bestseller lists, and now his quartet of retirement-age detectives will be portrayed on screen by a cast including Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan. Having grown up in Sussex, Osman started out in TV, where he created and co-hosted the gameshow Pointless. His forthcoming novel We Solve Murders – the start of a new series – features a writer billed as the world’s bestselling novelist, “if you don’t count Lee Child”. Child, the creator of former military police officer Jack Reacher, has enjoyed phenomenal popularity since he left his career – also in TV, where he worked on shows including Brideshead Revisited, The Jewel in the Crown and Cracker – and started writing, with his first novel published in 1997. Raised in Birmingham, he moved to the US in 1998 and now lives between Manhattan and rural Wyoming. He wrote 24 Reacher novels before announcing in 2020 that he would be handing the series to his brother Andrew.Lee Child I feel that writing is always a second-phase career, or at least should be. It’s that rare thing that not only can you do it when you’re older, but you should do it when you’re older. Pick your cliche: your gas tank is full, your database is compiled. You are a person. You are ready to write.... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2024-09-14 09:00:23 UTC ]
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Barnard Awards Inaugural Creative Writing Prize

Barnard College named Carmen Ren as the first ever recipient of its Axinn Foundation/Anna Quindlen Award for Creative Writing. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Constance Briscoe writing prison memoir

Author and part-time judge Constance Briscoe, who earlier today (2nd May) was jailed for... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-05-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PW Talks with Miroslav Volf: A Generous Faith

Yale theologian Miroslav Volf talks with PW about the themes of his work, including religious pluralism, forgiveness, and globalization. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Lee's Mockingbird to go digital

Author Harper Lee gives her permission to issue her classic novel To Kill A Mockingbird as an audio book and ebook. Continue reading at BBC World

[ BBC World | 2014-04-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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5 Writing Tips: Dinaw Mengestu

"Be generous to your characters: kill them, save them, break their hearts and then heal them." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-04-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Comedian David Mitchell to write for Guardian Faber

Guardian Faber has acquired a new book by actor and comedian David Mitchell. Commissioning... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-04-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PW Talks with G. Willow Wilson: A Marvel-ous Muslim Feminist Superhero

Marvel has released the Ms. Marvel comic book #3, Side Entrance. PW spoke with its author, G. Willow Wilson, about her unique superhero. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-04-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Family That Cooks Together...: PW Talks with Laurie David

In 'The Family Cooks,' author/activist Laurie David’s second cookbook, the importance of the family table and home cooking are at the heart of her philosophy for raising the next generation of healthy eaters. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Faith and Writing Fest Marks Spring in Winter-Worn Grand Rapids

The biennial Festival of Faith and Writing at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich., featured high-profile authors and drew 2,000 attendees eager to explore the connections between faith and creative expression. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-04-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PW Talks with John Ortberg: The Care and Feeding of a Soul

John Ortberg’s mentor, Dallas Willard, inspired him to write a book on the proper care and feeding of the soul. Through their conversations, Ortberg captured the wisdom imparted before he died, making the book “a kind of Tuesdays with Willard." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-04-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Crowdwatch: Eastern European Crime, Dueling Dirigibles, and a Schmuck

With Crowdwatch we'll spotlight new and notable crowdfunded comics projects that are worthy of attention—or support. This week, airships battles light up the sky in 'Skies of Fire,' crime and corruption lurk within the 'Unfinished City,' the life and times of a 'Schmuck,' and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-04-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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London Book Fair 2014: PW Talks with Kobo President Michael Tamblyn

Is Kobo the anti-Amazon? On the floor of the London Book Fair, we caught up with Kobo's newly installed president and chief content officer Michael Tamblyn to talk about the value of partnerships. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-04-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Can We Please Stop Talking About Al Gore

People keep asking me about Al Gore. I wrote a book, Windfall, about who will profit from climate change. On book tour and in advance of the latest bleak report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, I've been traveling around the country talking about our warmer future. I can't... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2014-04-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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London Book Fair 2014: Great Debate: Is Bigger Always Better?

With the recent consolidation of Penguin Random House fresh in everyone’s minds, this year’s London Book Fair Great Debate argued the proposition: "It’s all about size, bigger is always better." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-04-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tohti to Receive PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award

Imprisoned Chinese economist and writer Ilham Tohti, who was arrested in his Beijing home in January, is being honored with the 2014 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Judge approves class-action suit against Apple in ebooks case

A New York judge has given the go-ahead for a group to collectively sue Apple for damages over its collusion with publishers to fix the price of electronic books.Denise Cote, a judge at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, wrote in her approval of class status that... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2014-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fighting Racism at Home and Abroad: PW Talks with Max Brooks

Brooks’s graphic novel "The Harlem Hellfighters" documents the suffering and courage of African-American troops in the Army’s legendary 369th Infantry Regiment of Harlem, N.Y. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Left Coast Crime: Attack of the Calamari

With close to 1,000 attendees this year, the annual Left Coast Crime mystery writers’ convention returned to Monterey, Calif., for the first time in a decade. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PW Talks with Michael Marissen: A Tainted 'Messiah'?

In 2007, music professor Michael Marissen wrote an opinion piece for the New York Times, contending that the "Hallelujah" chorus of Handel’s "Messiah'" contained an undercurrent of anti-Judaism. Because of an overwhelming response to the column, Marissen has written a book to offer a more... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Medium's new iPhone app helps you read (but not write) long articles

We can't say we know all that many people who routinely digest articles posted through Medium's social publishing platform. However, the readership is bound to go up now that the service has released an iPhone app. The mobile client is more of a... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2014-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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