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 ]
AN ADOLESCENT NAMED Adam Gordon is the protagonist of Ben Lerner’s new novel, The Topeka School. He shares this name with the narrator of Leaving the Atocha Station, Lerner’s debut novel from 2011. Leaving the Atocha Station was about the quarter-life crisis of a talented misanthrope;... Continue reading at Los Angeles Review of Books
[ Los Angeles Review of Books | 2019-10-09 12:30:44 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Pan Mac imprint Mantle has landed the Shipping Forecast-inspired debut novel from Sue Teddern in a two-book deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-09 03:27:54 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The Older Brother in Mahir Guven’s debut novel drives for a ride-sharing service in Paris while his Syrian-born father is an old-school taxi driver. Their Uber politics conflict is further sullied by their religious divergence. Into this, Guven adds a Younger Brother, a talented nurse who could... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2019-10-08 11:00:58 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Doubleday has made a “substantial” six-figure pre-empt on a debut novel by academic and comedian Marianne Cronin about two women who meet at an art class. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-04 09:03:45 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Headline Review has pre-empted world rights to the debut novel from Ruth Druart, with 11 international rights deals following for the "remarkable read". Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-04 05:26:17 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Penguin Random House says claims by Boris Pasternak’s great niece that parts of Lara Prescott’s debut novel plagiarise her work are “unfounded” and will be “robustly defended”. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-01 13:11:52 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Doubleday has pre-empted Faber Academy graduate Ericka Waller’s debut novel, Dog Days, about the solace of canine companions “when times are hard”. Kirsty Dunseath, publishing director of Doubleday Fiction, bought world rights in all languages for two titles from Katie Greenstreet at C&W.... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-01 12:33:37 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Irish writer Megan Nolan's debut novel has just sold to Jonathan Cape in a pre-empt. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-09-26 16:21:35 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Simon & Schuster Children’s UK has signed a series of picture books written and illustrated by animator Steve Small. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-09-24 23:19:42 UTC ]
More news stories like this
In “The Water Dancer,” which examines the psychological effects of slavery, a 12-year-old field hand discovers he has magical gifts. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2019-09-24 09:00:11 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Stella Count researchers say gender parity reached by most publicationsResearchers have praised most Australian publications for reaching gender parity in their book review sections last year.Of published book reviews in Australia in 2018 49% were for books written by women, according to... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2019-09-18 18:00:08 UTC ]
More news stories like this
HarperCollins Children's Books has snapped up world rights in a "lightning-strike pre-empt" to A Clock of Stars by children's author Francesca Gibbons in a major three-book deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-09-17 07:34:18 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Essex author Lorna Cook has won the Romantic Novelists' Association's (RNA) prestigious Joan Hessayon Award for new writers with her debut novel The Forgotten Village (Avon). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-09-16 02:19:21 UTC ]
More news stories like this
‘Dr. Seuss’s Horse Museum’ is the #9 book in country, and one of three new titles at the top of our picture book list. Plus ‘This Tender Land’ sells well in the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes, and debut novel ‘The Secrets We Kept’ gets the nod from Reese’s Book Club. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-09-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Picador has snapped up a "blistering" debut novel about youth culture, violence and gang life in Scotland by Graeme Armstrong. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-09-11 13:33:42 UTC ]
More news stories like this
We need more women in tech, so when women in the field write about it, it's important to pay attention. Get insight from these books by women in tech. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-09-04 10:34:21 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Simon & Schuster UK will publish the debut novel of former fashion insider Sara-Ella Ozbek, pitched as “a filthier, more candid The Devil Wears Prada” and aimed at fans of “Fleabag”. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-09-02 21:57:13 UTC ]
More news stories like this
In Lara Prescott’s “The Secrets We Kept,” young women participate in a covert plan to influence the Cold War using Boris Pasternak’s censored love story. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2019-09-02 18:51:54 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Caitlin Horrocks’s debut novel builds on a rich tradition of women writers who complicate the myth of male virtuosity until it crumbles. Continue reading at The Atlantic
[ The Atlantic | 2019-09-01 11:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
An excerpt from a debut novel that Booklist calls a "compelling historical thriller." The post ‘The Ventriloquists’: Featured Fiction from E.R. Ramzipoor appeared first on The Millions. Continue reading at The Millions
[ The Millions | 2019-08-27 19:00:55 UTC ]
More news stories like this