‘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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The Women’s prize for fiction is a success – now it has a nonfiction sister | Kate Mosse

On International Women’s Day Kate Mosse, co-founder of the Women’s prize for fiction and bestselling author of Labyrinth, heralds a new honour Gloria Steinem said: “The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organisation but to the collective efforts... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-03-08 12:30:02 UTC ]
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Leslie Jamison Writes A Different Kind of Love Story In “Splinters”

Leslie Jamison’s new memoir Splinters follows the aftermath of divorce and the awakening of motherhood, but it explores desire more than it does any kind of death. Jamison wants to make meaning, to connect, to love, to feel, to mother, to write, and to revise her life endlessly. There are losses... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2024-03-08 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Show Me the Data: PW talks with Katie Pryde

Katie Pryde, owner of the comic shop Books with Pictures is leading an industry effort to improve the quality of comics metadata and explains the new standards just released by ComicsPRO at its annual meeting. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-08 05:00:00 UTC ]
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What Does Being Jewish Mean? PW Talks to Harvard Law Professor Noah Feldman

In his new book, 'To Be a Jew Today: A New Guide to God, Israel, and the Jewish People,' prolific author and Harvard Law Professor Noah Feldman explores various contemporary approaches to Judaism. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-06 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Unruly Writing: On the Problem with the Fragmented Art History Book

There is a disturbing trend that has emerged in the literary world as of late. Let’s call it the “Fragmented Non-Fiction Art History” book. These titles look good on bookshelves, with their aesthetically-inclined covers and trendy lineup of female artists they purport to be about. The covers are... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-03-05 09:53:47 UTC ]
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New Lee & Low Diversity Baseline Survey Finds Minor Changes

The third edition of the survey found the industry to be slightly more diverse in terms of its racial and gender makeup than it was four years ago. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-28 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Portal Fantasy: PW Talks with Sarah Arthur

Arthur's debut novel Once a Queen, a young adult "portal fantasy," talks to PW about writing her first novel, and her love of fantasy. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-20 05:00:00 UTC ]
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If We Could All Feel God’s Love: PW Talks to Savannah Guthrie

The daytime TV star offers a collection of essays about faith, doubt, and "questions without answers" in her first book for adults, 'Mostly What God Does,' out this week from Thomas Nelson. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-19 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Portal Fantasy: PW Talks to Sarah Arthur

Arthur's debut novel Once a Queen, a young adult "portal fantasy," talks to PW about writing her first novel, and her love of fantasy. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-17 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #young adult #debut novel


PubWest Highlights Nontraditional Retail Success, Addresses A.I.

At this year's PubWest Conference, several publishing professionals noted ways they have found to amplify sales by partnering with more nontraditional book retailers, while for others, discussions of A.I. and the future of the industry remained front and center. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-13 05:00:00 UTC ]
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A father goes missing. Then a brother too. In this 'Great Forest,' a fraught return home

The debut novel from Leo Vardiashvili, 'Hard by a Great Forest,' has its commercial trappings but ultimately lands with lyrical and heartbreaking resonance. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2024-01-31 18:43:16 UTC ]
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Audiobooks Are Booming. Spotify Wants in on the Action.

There are early signs that Spotify’s addition of audiobooks to its streaming service is helping drive audiobook consumption — already a growing market. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2024-01-29 17:00:09 UTC ]
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