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 ]
Today, Simon and Schuster announced that their imprint Scribner will be publishing the debut novel for adults from #1 New York Times bestselling children’s book author Jason Reynolds, whose books include Look Both Ways and Ghost, both finalists for the National Book Award for Young People’s... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-07-22 16:30:17 UTC ]
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Jonathan Cape has scooped an “exceptional” debut novel from journalist and former Waterstones bookseller Jo Hamya. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-21 17:27:41 UTC ]
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Rachel Neely, commissioning editor at Trapeze, has made her first acquisition for the company with debut novel Wet Paint by Chloë Ashby. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-21 15:42:11 UTC ]
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Hodder & Stoughton has pre-empted a debut novel from Gleam Titles agent Abigail Bergstrom, an upmarket commercial fiction book she originally submitted under a pseudonym. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-14 21:54:03 UTC ]
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And Other Stories is set to publish the debut novel of British poet and former human rights lawyer Mona Arshi. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-13 11:07:20 UTC ]
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Set in Atlantic City in the 1930s, Rachel Beanland’s debut novel wades through heartbreak. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2020-07-07 09:00:11 UTC ]
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Bloomsbury editor-in-chief Paul Baggaley has acquired an "extraordinarily prescient" debut novel by Sequoia Nagamatsu, How High We Go in the Dark. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-06 10:17:28 UTC ]
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Three mission-driven indie bookstores well-known for their commitment to social justice have ceased stocking books written by J.K. Rowling, accusing the Harry Potter author of promoting hatred towards transgender people. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-07-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The author’s debut novel presciently captures the girlboss era right as it seems to be coming to an end. Whether you loved them or hated them, few entrepreneurs generated more buzz in the 2010s than so-called “girlbosses”—young, mostly white, female founders who disrupted industries including... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2020-06-30 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Candice Carty-Williams and Bernardine Evaristo take book of the year and author of the year categories, as publishers face criticism for treatment of black authorsCandice Carty-Williams and Bernardine Evaristo have become the first black authors to win the top prizes at the British Book awards,... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-06-29 17:45:42 UTC ]
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“Fleabag” star Sian Clifford is narrating the audiobook of Olive, the debut novel by author and broadcaster Emma Gannon. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-29 08:42:04 UTC ]
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HarperCollins has triumphed in a heated six-publisher auction for the debut novel by Nita Prose, the pen name for vice president and editorial director at Simon & Schuster in Canada, Nita Pronovost. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-25 11:27:10 UTC ]
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Emily Temple's "The Lightness," about a seeker who loses more than she finds, is a beguiling novel after Donna Tartt's heart, if not her plotting. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-06-24 13:45:57 UTC ]
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“What’s Left of Me Is Yours,” a debut novel by Stephanie Scott, is inspired by the events surrounding an unlikely murder that occurred in Japan. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2020-06-23 09:00:07 UTC ]
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Interviews Veronica Esposito Photo by Camila Valdés Megan McDowell has translated many contemporary authors from Latin America and Spain, including Alejandro Zambra, Samanta Schweblin, and Lina Meruane. Shortlisted for the Man Booker... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2020-06-22 15:20:00 UTC ]
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Black & White Publishing has acquired world rights for Scottish sports commentator Andrew Cotter's story of his adventures with his dogs Olive and Mabel, who have become lockdown hits online. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-18 15:40:35 UTC ]
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Who better to write books than the book experts? Check out some excellent picture books written by librarians for their tiniest patrons. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-06-15 10:31:00 UTC ]
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Hachette imprint Two Roads has pre-empted a debut novel from Mary Karras, in a two-book deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-11 01:23:48 UTC ]
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As Sanaë Lemoine’s debut novel progresses, its narrator falls increasingly in thrall to the only people who seem interested in her inner life. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2020-06-09 19:07:44 UTC ]
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Natalie Jenner’s debut novel is no Jane Austen work, but it does offer plenty of delights. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-06-09 16:11:41 UTC ]
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