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'


Disney Publishing Teams with ESPN for New Publishing Imprint

Disney Publishing Worldwide is pairing with ESPN to create a new imprint, Andscape Books. DPW and ESPN are both part of the Walt Disney Company, and Andscape is ESPN’s Black media platform. First books will be released later this year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-03-04 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Art reflects how we see women; now women are influencing how we see art

Art historian Catherine McCormack reflects on women as art subjects, makers and curators. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2022-01-14 13:00:18 UTC ]
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Publishing Summit Recap: Publishers establish infrastructure to future-proof data sets

Publishers shared insights at the Digiday Publishing Summit at the end of September in Miami. The post Publishing Summit Recap: Publishers establish infrastructure to future-proof data sets appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2021-10-19 04:01:00 UTC ]
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Media Briefing: What publishers had to say at the Digiday Publishing Summit

This week's Media Briefing recaps what was said when publishing executives came together behind closed doors at this week's Digiday Publishing Summit. The post Media Briefing: What publishers had to say at the Digiday Publishing Summit appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2021-09-30 04:01:00 UTC ]
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The UK’s Welbeck Publishing Group To Publish in Australia, New Zealand

Anticipating producing 50 titles per year from Australia, Welbeck's Marcus Leaver and Mark Smith are partnering with retailer Tony Nash. The post The UK’s Welbeck Publishing Group To Publish in Australia, New Zealand appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-07-22 21:24:52 UTC ]
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Publishing Veterans Form New Conservative Publisher

Louise Burke and Kate Hartson, publishing veterans with a background in publishing conservative authors, have formed All Seasons Press, whose mission is to fill the conservative void left by major publishing houses. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-06-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #conservative publisher #publishing veterans #seasons press #major publishing


‘If publishers become afraid, we’re in trouble’: publishing’s cancel culture debate boils over

Publishing staff, in rows over authors from Mike Pence to Woody Allen, are voicing their reluctance to work on books they deem hateful. But is this really ‘younger refuseniks’, or a much older debate?In the 1960s, Simon & Schuster’s co-founder Max Schuster was facing a dilemma. Albert Speer,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-06-03 12:12:23 UTC ]
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Her Book Doesn’t Go Easy on Publishing. Publishers Ate It Up.

Zakiya Dalila Harris, a former editorial assistant, is making a splash with “The Other Black Girl,” her debut novel about an African-American woman navigating a nearly all-white workplace. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2021-05-23 20:21:45 UTC ]
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An Eco-Friendly Approach to Publishing: Close-up on HP Publishing Solutions

With print-on-demand technology, environmentally friendly inks, sustainable paper choices, and a global reach, HP is looking to help publishers lower their carbon footprints. (Sponsored) Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-04-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
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DoubleVerify: Inflammatory and Misleading Content Spiked 83% Year Over Year Last November

Brands unwittingly spent a minimum of $235 million in advertising on sites linked to disinformation in 2019, according to Global Disinformation Index estimates, and digital media analytics, data and measurement platform DoubleVerify released a new report that examined three of the most important... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2021-02-23 00:05:16 UTC ]
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When Can I Go Back to School? Self-published lockdown story lands major publisher

‘Gentle, honest’ book, written by Anna Friend in response to her seven-year-old son’s worries, wins five-figure deal with ScholasticA self-published children’s picture book that was written to help the author’s son deal with being kept home from school during lockdown has been snapped up by a... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-02-20 07:00:25 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble's Book Publishing Arm Gets a New Publisher

The bookseller has hired Emily Meehan as publisher and chief creative officer of Sterling Publishing in what it called part of a relaunch of its publishing division. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-01-15 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Why Does Goodreads Have a Problem with Fiction by Women, About Women?

If you’ve used the internet to read book or film reviews in the last decade, you’ve probably heard of the Bechdel test. Cartoonist Alison Bechdel introduced the test in her comic strip Dykes To Watch Out For in 1985 as a means of assessing the ways women are portrayed in fiction. The test... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-12-21 09:50:22 UTC ]
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AAP’s 2020 Freedom to Publish Award: Bangladesh’s Jagriti Publishing House

The Jagriti Publishing House and its bookstore are Razia Rahman Joly's memorial to her slain husband, publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan. The post AAP’s 2020 Freedom to Publish Award: Bangladesh’s Jagriti Publishing House appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-12-17 19:19:51 UTC ]
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Books in the Media: Children's book reviews dip year on year

In August 2019, The Bookseller reported that children's books accounted for just 4.9% of review space, despite making up a third of the market. Latest figures from Books in the Media shows that this figure has dropped to 4.3%, when looking at reviews from the past 12 months.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-24 01:05:09 UTC ]
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Print market volumes up 18% year on year since bookshops reopened

Bookshops reopening since lockdown restrictions eased have boosted the market 18% in volume against the same period in 2019, with 14.6 million books sold since shop doors opened. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-17 09:17:49 UTC ]
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Sales fell 11% year-on-year in second quarter, Nielsen estimates

Book sales fell 11% by volume year-on-year in the second quarter of 2020, estimates by Nielsen suggest, although there have been gains on 2019 since bookshops reopened. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-05 21:42:39 UTC ]
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Publishing Scotland: 10 Newly Named International Publishing Fellows

Publishing Scotland announces a travel fellowship for 10 publishing professionals from seven countries to promote Scotland's books industry. The post Publishing Scotland: 10 Newly Named International Publishing Fellows appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-03-12 16:45:10 UTC ]
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Publishing Scotland reveals International Publishing Fellows for 2020

Publishing Scotland has announced its new International Publishing Fellows for 2020. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-03-11 10:20:39 UTC ]
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Evaristo spotlights 20 Black women writers for International Women's Day

Booker-winning writer Bernardine Evaristo has marked International Women’s Day by curating a top 20 list of recently published Black British writers. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-03-08 03:11:09 UTC ]
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