Is English literature since 1918 really such a man’s world?

A new book celebrating the best writing of the past century follows a well-worn script when it comes to equalityI’ve been dipping in and out of DJ Taylor’s fat new book, The Prose Factory, a pleasingly gossipy history of literary life in England since 1918, and so far as it goes, it’s very enjoyable: the bits about money certainly put the writers-must-be-paid-to-appear-at-festivals debate in some perspective. But still, I have to ask: where are all the women?Taylor gives Virginia Woolf and Iris Murdoch quite a lot of attention. Also, for reasons that are perhaps less clear, AS Byatt, Margaret Drabble and Brigid Brophy. Edith Sitwell, Penelope Fitzgerald and Lorna Sage are treated sympathetically, and merit several paragraphs, as do a few others. But it’s the omissions that strike you, the many excellent and important female writers who are referred to only in passing, or not at all. Doris Lessing is mentioned just four times, and Muriel Spark and Angela Carter only twice; ditto Elizabeth Taylor. Among those left out entirely are: Sybille Bedford, Anita Brookner, Barbara Comyns, Olivia Manning, Antonia White and – this last truly amazes me – Stevie Smith. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2016-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Calm down everybody - it’s just World Book Day!

Award winning children’s author Ali Sparkes reflects on ten years of World Book Day. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Professional Networking in Turkey: Apply for Istanbul’s Literature Festival Fellowship Program

A three-day program for international professionals in publishing, the Istanbul International Literature Festival runs May 2 through 6 this year, and has extended the deadline for applications. The post Professional Networking in Turkey: Apply for Istanbul’s Literature Festival Fellowship... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bologna’s Top Five 2018 Children’s Publishing Companies from Six World Regions

In the run-up to this spring's Bologna Children's Book Fair, a total 30 children's publishing companies are nominated for Best Children's Publisher of the Year, an awards program turning six years old this year. The post Bologna’s Top Five 2018 Children’s Publishing Companies from Six World... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New children’s literature festival comes to Skipton

Trevor Wilson, director of Authors Abroad, is launching a children’s literature festival in Yorkshire to “address the north-south gap”. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Channel 5 to mark World Book Day

Channel 5’s Milkshake! team is celebrating World Book Day by reading 10 picture books after striking a partnership with BookTrust. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Shriver denounces 'politically correct censorship' in literature

Lionel Shriver has criticised the "politically correct censorship" in fiction and urged writers to take a stance against it. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-02-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Self-Censorship in Publishing Today: World Industry Leaders on a Subtle, Growing Challenge

From the director of Frankfurter Buchmesse to the founder of a Thai publishing house and a Norwegian publisher who was shot in Oslo: sharp cautionary remarks about self-censorship and its dangers. The post Self-Censorship in Publishing Today: World Industry Leaders on a Subtle, Growing Challenge... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Ebooks are stupid', says head of one of world's biggest publishers

The chief executive of Hachette Livre, Arnaud Nourry, says the industry has had ‘one or two successes among a hundred failures’ and that ebooks have ‘no creativity’The head of one of the world’s largest book publishers has described the ebook as “a stupid product” that is unlikely to see further... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2018-02-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Readers to Choose ‘Golden Man Booker Prize’: 50 Years of Winners

Resurfacing many lesser-known Man Booker Prize for Fiction winners of the past, the Booker Foundation opens a crowdsourced competition to select the best of the best of 50 years. The post Readers to Choose ‘Golden Man Booker Prize’: 50 Years of Winners appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-02-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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S&S launches competition with Darley Anderson and Bradford Literature Festival

Simon & Schuster UK has launched a competition with the Darley Anderson Literary Agency and Bradford Literature Festival to find the next bestselling commercial fiction author. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-02-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fifty years of Man Booker winners to compete for one-off prize

The Booker Prize Foundation has revealed a new prize to mark its 50th anniversary which will put previous winners across five decades into contention for a one-off award. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-02-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Trade asked for evidence so UK can retain 'world-leading' publishing sector

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Publishing has called for evidence from the trade as it seeks to maintain a “world-leading” publishing sector in the UK. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-02-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PEN Brings the Resistance to Its 2018 World Voices Festival

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool: Why Jamie Bell decided to play a man who falls in love with someone twice his age

Books about classic Hollywood tend to fall, broadly, into two categories: gossipy memoirs and moderately trashy biographies. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2018-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The UK’s Book Aid International Opens ‘New Worlds Through Books’ Campaign

In a coordinated effort for the rest of the month, book charities Book Aid International and World Book Day are raising funds for the annual goal of a million donated books. The post The UK’s Book Aid International Opens ‘New Worlds Through Books’ Campaign appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Marvel’s Spider-Man Widens His Web in Russia: Eksmo-AST Buys Into Comics

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-02-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Paramount options film rights to Templar’s Ology World

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[ The Bookseller | 2018-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The International Publishers Association in India: Issues in a Hot-Button World

Three days of presentations, debate, and discussion will bring together in New Delhi representatives of 60 countries amid geo-political and publishing challenges. The International Publishers Association's president is calling for 'trustworthy information.' The post The International Publishers... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-02-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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€20k EBRD Literature Prize reveals inaugural shortlist

The €20,000 EBRD Literature Prize, launched by the British Council and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, has revealed its inaugural shortlist, including titles from Turkey, Croatia, Russia, Albania and Lebanon. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Man Booker Prize Pressured to Rescind Its Internationalist Stance

Some publishing players in the UK are protesting the Man Booker Prize for Fiction's eligibility rules, saying that the Booker should reimpose a 'ban on American writers.' The post Man Booker Prize Pressured to Rescind Its Internationalist Stance appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-02-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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