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 ]
Bloomsbury is launching a new modern classics series this September featuring titles by Khaled Hosseini, William Boyd and Donna Tartt. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-07-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Philip Roth, Zadie Smith, J M Coetzee and Anne Tyler are among 65 leading writers joining with PEN America in an open letter to President Donald Trump, urging him to reconsider his travel ban against visitors from seven Muslim-majority countries. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-02-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
'The way trends establish themselves within literary prizes is mysteriously opaque," writes Brian Bethune. He looks for trends in Canadian prize programs for the country's robust literary scene. The post Canada’s Literary Awards: Distinctive Characters, Visible Trends appeared first on... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-11-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Some cultures do not distinguish between fiction and nonfiction – and instead talk of ‘stories’. Is that a barrier to English-language writers and publishers? Or should they just learn to enjoy telling tales?There’s a mighty canyon that runs down the middle of the world of the word, carving... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The novelist has called Kamila Shamsie’s campaign for a pledge to publish only female authors in 2018 ‘a ridiculous idea’Lionel Shriver has called her fellow novelist Kamila Shamsie’s suggestion of a year publishing only women “rubbish”.Shamsie made the provocative call last year, citing gender... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-03-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Author Lionel Shriver has said literary prizes just for women are "problematic", while calling International Women's Day "creepy" at an event to mark the occasion. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-03-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
This week: the latest from Jhumpa Lahiri, plus A. O. Scott on how to think about art. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-02-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Titles by Kate Mosse, S K Tremayne and Anne Tyler are among the eight books chosen for the latest WH Smith Richard and Judy Book Club. Mosse, whose debut novel Labyrinth (Orion) was picked for the first ever Richard and Judy Book Club in 2005, is this autumn chosen for her novel The... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Marilynne Robinson, Anne Tyler, Hanya Yanagihara, and literary agent Bill Clegg are among the U.S. writers longlisted for this year's Man Booker Prize. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Independent publisher And Other Stories will only publish books by female writers in 2018, in response to a call for a Year of Publishing Women by the author Kamila Shamsie. The initiative, to be held in 2018 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of women getting the vote in the UK, would help... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
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... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Study of six major awards in the last 15 years shows male subjects the predominant focus of winning novels• How well do you know fiction’s female protagonists - quizAnalysis of the last 15 years of winners of six major literary awards by the critically acclaimed author Nicola Griffith has found... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-06-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Five writers on the six-strong shortlist for this year’s Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction – Rachel Cusk, Kamila Shamsie, Ali Smith, Anne Tyler and Sarah Waters – have all been shortlisted for the award before. The sixth novelist, Laline Paull, is shortlisted for her debut The Bees (Fourth... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Anne Tyler, Sarah Waters, Ali Smith, and five debut novelists including Emma Healey and Sara Taylor are on the longlist for this year's Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction. Meanwhile chair of judges Shami Chakrabarti has told The Bookseller: "Until you can honestly see that women are getting the... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Jhumpa Lahiri has won the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2015 for The Lowland, published in the UK by Bloomsbury. Lahiri was named the winner of the $50,000 prize at the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival taking place in India this week. The DSC Prize for South Asian Literature is open to... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Jhumpa Lahiri and Kamila Shamsie are among five writers shortlisted for the $50,000 (£31,829) DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2015. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Khaled Hosseini, Jhumpa Lahiri and Kamila Shamsie are among the 10 authors longlisted for the $50,000 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2015. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-10-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The Ebook price row has the potential to create irreversible changes to the literary world and its business modelsThe battle between Amazon and the French publisher Hachette is not just a spat about the price of books. Their row over ebook prices, which led to the online retailer freezing out... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (Little, Brown) is to be made into a film after Warner Bros bought... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Nearly 900 authors across world back criticism of online retailer's business tactics in ebooks dispute with US publisher HachetteThey include some of the biggest literary names on the planet, among them Stephen King, Donna Tartt, Paul Auster, James Patterson and John Grisham; a Pulitzer prize... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-07-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this