The If I Survive You author on the suspense of the Booker ceremony, Americans’ warped view of the Caribbean, and writing his next novel on the roadJonathan Escoffery, 43, was born in Texas and lives in Oakland, California. His debut, If I Survive You, about a second-generation Jamaican in Miami, where Escoffery grew up, was shortlisted for last year’s Booker and is currently on the shortlist of the Gordon Burn prize, announced on 7 March. The novelist Rumaan Alam has called it “a reminder of what fiction can do... It’s truly a feat that a book of short stories tackling such big stuff – family, love, violence, race – could be so damn funny.”What did it mean to be shortlisted for the Booker prize?It felt like I’d arrived in the UK for the first time, even though the book had been out for months. I’d already connected with readers outside the US because the book is partly set in Jamaica and talks about the African-Caribbean diaspora, but suddenly I was hearing from people in India and Australia. I’d watched the ceremony when Marlon James won with A Brief History of Seven Killings in 2015. I loved what that book did for Jamaica and to see it honoured in such a massive way was beautiful. I felt like that novel was capturing a history of tumultuous politics and rising crime I’d grown up hearing in a very matter of fact way from my parents: “This is what was happening in the 70s, this is why we left.” Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2024-01-27 18:00:42 UTC ]
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There was a prickly if fleeting moment in last month’s Grammy Awards telecast during the “In Memoriam” segment that honored Chester Bennington, the late Linkin Park frontman and father of six, who took his own life last July. Moments after Bennington’s face faded from the screen, the rapper Logic... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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It’s easy to read Michael Moreci’s debut novel “Black Star Renegades” and compare it to “Star Wars.” After all, the story was inspired by that epic saga. But to characterize it as a retelling or a ripoff wouldn’t do justice to this complex, self-aware and fun romp through space. “Black Star... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-01-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hello! I’m Carolyn Kellogg, books editor of the L.A. Times. Let’s get to this week’s newsletter. THE BIG STORY Matthew Weiner concluded “Mad Men,” the show he created, with a shelf of Emmys and the ability to do anything he wanted. It’s not as easy as it sounds, he told Meredith Blake, explaining... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2017-11-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Despite news this week that sales had fallen dramatically, the Welsh Books Council’s chief says that the sector is showing real growthThe head of the Welsh Books Council (WBC) has hailed a “golden age for the Welsh-language novel” despite reports of a dramatic decline in sales.BBC Cymru Fyw... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2017-11-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pamela Butchart will write two novels about Enid Blyton’s Secret Seven for Hodder Children’s Books. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Perhaps it was because today is the last hurrah before A-listers head off to the beach and the mountains to escape summer's dog days. Whatever the reason, Michael's was jumping today. I was joined by CNN's Alisyn Camerota, whose new book Amanda Wakes Up was released July 25. I read it in three... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2017-08-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Zadie Smith is publishing two new books with Penguin imprint Hamish Hamilton, including her first historical novel. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-07-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Curtis Sittenfeld will write a novel imagining Hillary Clinton’s life if she had not married Bill Clinton, for Random House. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-05-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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McFly band member Tom Fletcher will publish his second middle grade novel for Penguin Random House in time for the Christmas market this October. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-04-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Leaf Arbuthnot, author of An Unmaimed Man, has won Tibor Jones' 2017 Pageturner Prize for unpublished novels. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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YouTube gaming star Ali-A’s first book will be published by Puffin and Random House Children’s Books US. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Alastair Campbell is writing a novel in collaboration with former Burnley footballer and chief executive Paul Fletcher. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-01-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google could be facing a fine up to $4bn after being sued for allegedly not allowing employees to post opinions about the company or write novels without getting their employer to sign off on the final draft. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-12-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Dull Margaret, a darkly humorous tale illustrated by the artist DIX, is tipped to be a hot property at the Frankfurt book fairThe actor Jim Broadbent is making his first foray into fiction with a graphic novel inspired by Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s 16th-century painting of a “strong, intense... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Novelist and screenwriter Anthony Horowitz is writing a new James Bond novel for "Ian Fleming’s original publisher", Vintage imprint Jonathan Cape. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-10-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Graphic novelists Sandra Marrs and John Chalmers, known jointly by their company name Metaphrog, have won The Sunday Herald Scottish Culture Awards 2016 for Best Visual Artist. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-07-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jonathan Cape has acquired two new novels from British-Australian novelist and major literary prize-winner Evie Wyld. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Transworld has signed a new contract with international bestselling writer Lee Child for three further thrillers plus a volume of short stories and a novella. New books in the deal will feature maverick ex-military policeman Jack Reacher. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Here I Am is the story of an American Jewish family, set against a background of traumatic events in the Middle EastJonathan Safran Foer’s first novel in 11 years, set against a backdrop where Israel is invaded and the Middle East has been hit by an earthquake, will be published next... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-12-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Anna Caltabiano self-published her first novel at the age of 14. Now with three published novels under her belt, the 18-year-old author and student shares some marvellous writing tips for teenage writers and beyondCheck out the Guardian children’s books homepageThe seven stages of writing a... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-12-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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