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 ]
When the news becomes too difficult to watch, these books about refugees will having you questioning the blurred line between fiction and reality. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-01-07 11:38:59 UTC ]
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Delia Owens’s debut novel has sold more than four million copies — an astonishing trajectory for any new writer, much less for a 70-year-old wildlife scientist. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2019-12-21 10:00:08 UTC ]
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This week, Lauretta Charlton reviews Darryl Pinckney’s collection of essays “Busted in New York.” In 1992, Edmund White wrote for the Book Review about “High Cotton,” Pinckney’s debut novel about a young black man coming of age. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2019-12-20 10:00:00 UTC ]
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Find a new author to follow or the first book your fave wrote with this list of debut novels by queer authors for the 2020 Read Harder Challenge. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-12-18 11:31:50 UTC ]
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Text Me When You Get Home: the Evolution and Triumph of Modern Female Friendship by Kayleen SchaeferIt’s a non-fiction book about the change in perspective around female friendship over the last few years, featuring interviews with a huge range of people including Judy Blume. The book looks at... Continue reading at British Council global
[ British Council global | 2019-12-17 09:49:28 UTC ]
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Today, we present an excerpt from a debut novel that earned praise from Victor LaValle, who called it a "gripping and moving book." The post ‘Africaville’: Featured Fiction from Jeffrey Colvin appeared first on The Millions. Continue reading at The Millions
[ The Millions | 2019-12-10 19:30:59 UTC ]
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Walker Books has bought world rights to nine picture books by author Smriti Halls, in a deal with Jodie Hodges at United Agents. The first book, Welcome to Your World, described as “a stunning celebration of new life and our precious natural world”, will be published simultaneously in March... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-09 21:28:42 UTC ]
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Macmillan Children’s Books has bought three full-colour gift titles written and illustrated by Alex T Smith. Editorial director Gaby Morgan bought world rights in all languages from Alison Eldred at Arena Illustration. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-09 21:23:43 UTC ]
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HarperCollins Children’s Books has secured world rights to publish the tie-in books for "The Adventures of Paddington", a new Nickelodeon television series launching globally in 2020. The animated pre-school series comprises 26 episodes and features the voice of Ben Whishaw as Paddington in... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-08 20:24:37 UTC ]
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Tramp Press has bagged the “stunning” debut novel from Irish writer Niall Bourke. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-06 16:27:30 UTC ]
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Doubleday has signed a "major" pre-emptive deal for world rights in two books from Anna Bailey with the first offers already in from France and Italy. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-06 15:35:31 UTC ]
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Bloomsbury will publish journalist Thomas McMullan’s debut novel The Last Good Man in November 2020. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-03 21:48:31 UTC ]
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Legend Press has bagged Sahar Mustafah’s "stunning" debut novel charting the background to a shooting at an Islamic school in Chicago. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-03 17:48:49 UTC ]
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Irish poet Elaine Feeney’s "dazzlingly inventive" debut novel As You Were will be published by Harvill Secker following an auction. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-02 15:33:42 UTC ]
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The list includes a mix of books written originally in Spanish and in translation. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2019-11-26 10:00:03 UTC ]
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From the title, you might think that On Swift Horses is about cowboys, horse wrangling, rural landscapes—and you wouldn’t be entirely wrong. Shannon Pufahl’s debut novel explores wide-open spaces and how people navigate them in a post-Depression, post-World War II, Baby Boomer era in Southern... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2019-11-21 12:00:00 UTC ]
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These inclusive children's books by women of color highlight awesome yet underrepresented communities like Sikh, indigenous, and Dominican. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-11-21 11:35:59 UTC ]
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That winter, the year Boogie turned 14, we got it in our heads that we could run away, leave Miami Beach and never come back. For months, I’d spent every night lost in a book, read whatever the librarian put in my hands, which usually meant books written by white men, about white people, for […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-11-20 09:47:43 UTC ]
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Ian Williams, winner of this year’s $100,000 Scotiabank Giller Prize for his debut novel Reproduction, began his acceptance speech Monday night with an emotional tribute. “Margaret Atwood over there is the first book I bought with my own money at a bookstore in Brampton,” he told the audience.... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-11-19 20:30:03 UTC ]
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Congratulations to Beth O'Leary! Her debut novel The Flatshare was recently announced as 2019 Fiction Book of the Year by the British retailer WHSmith—an honor previously bestowed on books such as Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman and The Girl on the Train by Paula... Continue reading at Writer's Digest
[ Writer's Digest | 2019-11-19 11:00:22 UTC ]
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