Francophone African books are still very often published by French imprints, which can make them hard to get at home. But there is a growing push for changeWhen Cameroonian author Daniel Alain Nsegbe first saw his debut novel for sale in his home city of Douala, the price was so high “you would have to ask someone to stop eating for two days in order to buy the book”. It was around 16,000 CFA francs (£20); the average monthly salary in Douala is £150. The book, Ceux qui sortent dans la nuit (Those Who Go Out at Night) was published by Grasset, a French imprint.This is not uncommon: Francophone African authors, whether classic or contemporary, are often published by French, not African presses. This arrangement began in colonial times, but continues because of a number of factors that are particular to France. Publishers frequently push for world rights for all books written in French. Many African writers operate without agents, who would usually divide up rights territories on their behalf. Agents are still a new feature on the African literary landscape, meaning that many classics, such as 1953’s L’enfant noir (The African Child) by Guinean author Camara Laye, and Algerian writer Kateb Yacine’s 1956 novel Nedjma, are owned by publishers in France (Plon and Éditions du Seuil respectively). As French publishers continue to control distribution and pricing, classic authors go missing from bookshelves while contemporary authors struggle to get their books in the hands of... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2020-05-14 09:59:14 UTC ]
Allison & Busby has netted an "explosive" debut novel by former police officer Graham Bartlett. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-16 13:20:55 UTC ]
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Jessamine Chan’s “The School for Good Mothers” takes up themes of autonomy and technology in imagining an experimental facility where parents go through mandatory retraining. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-01-11 17:33:33 UTC ]
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Fig Tree has scooped the "powerful and beautifully humane" debut novel by Mo Siewcharran Prize-winner Santanu Bhattacharya. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-05 14:00:25 UTC ]
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Sequioa Nagamatsu discusses his much-awaited debut novel about people living in a future beset by the Arctic Plague. The post Sequoia Nagamatsu’s Dystopian Debut Is a Must-Read for the New Year appeared first on The Millions. Continue reading at The Millions
[ The Millions | 2022-01-04 21:00:24 UTC ]
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In “Brown Girls,” Daphne Palasi Andreades breaks a big world into small, meaningful pieces. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-01-04 10:00:03 UTC ]
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Dolly Parton will headline the audiobook cast of her debut novel Run Rose Run (Century) along with singer and songwriter Kelsea Ballerini in the role of protégée to Parton’s character. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-21 02:34:41 UTC ]
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Tiny Tree Children’s Books has landed a new series of educational picture books written and illustrated by teacher and social entrepreneur Alex Winstanley to help children understand long-term health conditions. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-15 06:26:42 UTC ]
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Juhea Kim's "Beasts of a Little Land" captures the dualities of Korean history but ties up symbols too tightly in the service of grand ambitions. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-12-14 15:00:20 UTC ]
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In the last few years, we have seen a boom in books written by trans authors. Here are some graphic trans memoirs right on the cutting edge. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-12-06 11:38:00 UTC ]
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While plenty of authors proclaim themselves gurus of beauty or self help, that word mean more than just being able master a perfect cat eye. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-12-06 11:36:00 UTC ]
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Literary Hub is pleased to reveal the cover for Sarah Thankam Mathews’ debut novel All This Could Be Different, which will be published by Viking—who acquired it in an 8-way auction—in summer 2022. The publisher describes the book as “an electrifying novel of a young immigrant building a life... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-12-03 15:00:16 UTC ]
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A debut novel by a HarperCollins UK editor goes to Putnam, former Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III sells a memoir to Atria, Random House buys NBA winner Tiya Miles’s latest, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-12-03 05:00:00 UTC ]
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The translation of Deceit by ‘groundbreaking’ author Yuri Felsen, who died in Auschwitz in 1943, is set to come out next MayThe debut novel by Yuri Felsen, an author once regarded as the “Russian Proust” whose work has been forgotten since he died in Auschwitz in 1943, is set to be published in... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-12-01 14:12:48 UTC ]
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In “A Little Hope,” Ethan Joella explores quiet lives in small-town Connecticut. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-11-16 10:00:03 UTC ]
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Atlantic Fiction has acquired Your Driver Is Waiting, the debut novel by Priya Guns, inspired by Martin Scorsese’s classic film "Taxi Driver". Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-11-16 03:54:36 UTC ]
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"Between the Covers" presenter Sara Cox’s debut novel, Thrown, has gone to Coronet. It follows the lives of four women at a pottery class held at a community centre. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-11-10 10:45:35 UTC ]
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Known for her debut novel Testament, the Ian Fleming fanatic has been approved to write new novels set in 007’s world but without the agent himselfA new generation of Double O agents has been authorised by the estate of Ian Fleming, with Bond aficionado and novelist Kim Sherwood set to pen a new... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-11-04 09:49:02 UTC ]
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Lightning Books has scooped the debut novel by award-winning Scottish playwright and rising screen star Kenny Boyle. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-10-28 09:09:50 UTC ]
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In “The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven,” by Nathaniel Ian Miller, a young man swaps the daily grind for the unpeopled expanses of the Far North. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-10-26 09:00:03 UTC ]
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The New York Times takes a look at lesser-known children’s books written by literary titans such as Langston Hughes, Gertrude Stein, William Faulkner, and more. Though these writers did not stay long in this genre, their efforts were lauded, as in the case of James Thurber and Many Moons. “When... Continue reading at The Millions
[ The Millions | 2021-10-25 20:30:32 UTC ]
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