Kamila Shamsie: let’s have a year of publishing only women – a provocation

It is clear that there is a gender bias in publishing houses and the world of books. Well, enough. Why not try something radical? Make 2018 the Year of Publishing Women, in which no new titles should be by menSeveral years ago, Martin Amis chaired a literary festival panel on “The Crisis of American Fiction” with Richard Ford, Jay McInerney and Junot Díaz. I was in the audience, and halfway through the discussion leaned over to the person sitting next to me and said: “Clearly the crisis of American fiction is that there are no women in it.” It’s not just that there weren’t any women on the stage. In the entire discussion, which lasted nearly an hour, there was no mention of Toni Morrison, Marilynne Robinson, Annie Proulx, Anne Tyler, Donna Tartt, Jhumpa Lahiri or any other contemporary female writer. A single reference to Eudora Welty was the only acknowledgment that women in the US have ever had anything to do with the world of letters. Díaz, near the end of the hour, made the point that the conversation had centred on white American males, but it was too little, too late.I think of this panel when reading yet another article or survey about the gender imbalance that exists in publishing houses, in terms of reviews, top positions in publishing houses, literary prizes etc. The issue can’t of course be broken down into a story of fair-minded women versus bigoted men. Like any effective system of power – and patriarchy is, over time and space, the world’s most effective... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2015-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #anne tyler #donna tartt #jhumpa lahiri #gender imbalance #top positions #literary prizes #effective system #win prizes

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Kamila Shamsie: let’s have a year of publishing only women – a provocation'


Bologna Prize for the Best Children's Publisher of the Year

The winners for the Best Children's Publisher of the Year were announced in Sala Borsa in Bologna on Monday, March 30. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


What will be on digital publishers’ minds a year from now?

At Digiday’s Publishing Summit in Vail, Colorado, the big issues crowding publishers’ minds included viewability challenges, mobile and programmatic. So we wondered: What will we be talking about in a year from now that’s not getting much attention now? Publishing execs predicted growing ad... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2015-03-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital publishers #publishing summit


Magazine Publisher Meredith Finds Success Focusing on Women

Magazine publisher Meredith succeeds focusing on family, home, health information for women Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2015-03-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Transworld to publish first travel book from Bryson in 15 years

Bill Bryson’s first travel book in 15 years will be published by Transworld in autumn. The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes from a Small Island will be a new journey around Britain by the writer. The book was announced today (26th February) at the Penguin Random House sales conference. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bill bryson #travel book #small island


How European publishers set their tech priorities for the year

European executives from Mashable, Quartz, Dennis, RTE and Sanoma share their tech priorities for the coming year. The post How European publishers set their tech priorities for the year appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2015-02-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #coming year #year appeared


Second Story Press Celebrates 25 Years of Feminist and Social Justice Publishing

When Toronto-based Second Story Press celebrated its 25th anniversary this month, the room at a community center in downtown Toronto was filled with authors and illustrators who have helped the press pursue its goal of publishing important feminist and social justice books for young readers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #25th anniversary #community center #downtown toronto #young readers


The publisher’s year: hits and misses of 2014

Which books took off and which failed to sell? Publishers choose their books of the year, and the ones that slipped through the netThe book that made my year: The commercial publication of Picador’s year was The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton, which has just been crowned Waterstones book of the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #jessie burton #sunday times #17th-century amsterdam #station eleven


Italian Writing Festival Takes Women, Self-Publishing Seriously

The Women's Writing Festival in Matera, Italy was a showcase for the growing importance of women's fiction and self-publishing in Europe. The post Italian Writing Festival Takes Women, Self-Publishing Seriously appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-10-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #writing festival #growing importance


Self-publishing becomes larger focus at this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair

The Frankfurt Book Fair will organize a two-day self-publishing and author program at the 2014 fair this year, aimed at an international audience. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-08-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #international audience


Elmore Leonard's unpublished stories to be published next year

From small-town New Mexico to a military base in Kuala Lumpur, publisher promises 'razor-sharp dialogue and headlong pacing'A collection of previously unpublished short stories by the late Elmore Leonard will be released next year, his publisher has said. Continue reading... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-07-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publisher promises #elmore leonard #military base #kuala lumpur


Self-publishing boom lifts sales by 79% in a year

18m titles bought by readers in 2013, to a value of £300m, as print sales' decline continuesSelf-published books' share of the UK market grew by 79% in 2013, with 18m self-published books bought by UK readers last year, according to new statistics.With print sales falling by 10% last year, and... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #statistics released #uk consumers #print sales #book purchases


Samuel Beckett story to be published 80 years after it was rejected

Nobel laureate was told by publisher that 'people will shudder and be puzzled and confused' by reading Echo's BonesA previously unpublished story by Samuel Beckett will go on sale in bookshops for the first time, 80 years after his publisher rejected it as a nightmare read that gave him "the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-03-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #nobel laureate #final story #chatto windus


Amazon Publishing UK plans 500 titles this year

Amazon Publishing plans to release more than 500 titles in the UK this year, the company's... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


JRR Tolkien translation of Beowulf to be published after 90-year wait

The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings author's version of epic Anglo-Saxon poem fleshes out heroes' past, says son who edited manuscriptHwæt! Almost 90 years after JRR Tolkien translated the 11th-century poem Beowulf, The Lord of the Rings author's version of the epic story is to be published for the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #huge bestseller


Indie Creators Self-Publish 1,000 Comics on ComiXology in One Year

On the one-year anniversary of the service, digital comics locus ComiXology says it now offers more than 1,000 titles through its self-publishing platform Submit.     Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2014-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #one-year anniversary


Steam's Linux game count explodes in one year, big publishers still absent

Since Valve released the first stable version of Steam for Linux a year ago, the number of Linux-supported games has grown more than fivefold.Valve's digital game distribution service now hosts 333 games for Linux, compared to 60 games last February. (Strangely, Steam's store page claims that... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2014-02-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #big publishers #entire catalog


Dutton Marks 150 Years of Publishing

About two years ago, a friend of Brian Tart, publisher of Dutton, gave him a copy of Seventy-Five Years, or the Joys and Sorrows of Publishing and Selling Books at Duttons from 1852–1927. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #brian tart #selling books


The publishers' year: hits and misses of 2013

Publishers choose their books of the year, and the ones that got awayRobin Robertson Deputy publishing director, Jonathan CapeThe book that made my year: Many years ago, I was sitting in Blake's bar in Enniskillen with John McGahern and he recommended an American novel from the 60s, written by... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2013-12-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #annie proulx #eimear mcbride


98 British publishers folded last year due to ebooks, discounts

Closures were up 42% over the previous year, according to the Guardian. The companies that folded included the 26-year-old healthcare publisher Panos London and Evans Brothers.Ninety-eight British publishers closed their doors in the year ending August 2013. The cause? E-books and online discounts. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-11-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #online discounts #year due #previous year


Publishing Innovator of the Year

By Alyssa DelPrete Publishing Executive and Book Business magazines congratulate the winners of the 2013 Publishing Innovator of the Year Award, which recognizes companies that have demonstrated significant... Continue reading at Publishing Executive

[ Publishing Executive | 2013-11-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishing executive