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 ]

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2014 Booker Longlist Revealed

Americans Joshua Ferris and Richard Powers, among others, made the cut, but Donna Tartt's Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Goldfinch" was notably absent from the first global longlist. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Donna Tartt's 'The Goldfinch' is the newest bestseller to weather backlash

In a cycle seemingly as old as the literary world itself, Tartt's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is now the subject of criticism after first experiencing major success. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-06-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tartt, Fagin Take 2014 Pulitzers

Donna Tartt's "The Goldfinch" and Dan Fagin's "Toms River" were among the winners of the 2014 Pulitzer Prizes. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-04-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tartt and Atwood vie for book award

Margaret Atwood, Donna Tartt and Booker winner Eleanor Catton are among the novelists longlisted for this year's Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2014-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Donna Tartt and Michael Pietsch

Michael Pietsch, now CEO of the Hachette Book Group, acquired the book that would become Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch in 2008, when he was the publisher of Little, Brown. The Goldfinch marks Pietsch and Tartt’s first book together, after her previous novels The Secret History and The Little... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2013-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Highlights of L,B's Goldfinch PR campaign

Heavyweight coverage for Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch (Little, Brown, October 22nd) kicks off... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jhumpa Lahiri comes up short in 'The Lowland'

Pulitzer winner Jhumpa Lahiri is a master of the short story, but in applying that crisp, neatly tied style to her second novel, she comes up with a flat, detached tale."A short story is like a toothache and you must drill it and fill it. A novel is more like bridgework," said the writer T.C.... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-09-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Man Booker Prize shortlist includes Jhumpa Lahiri, Colm Toibin

Books including 'The Lowland' by Jhumpa Lahiri and 'We Need New Names' by NoViolet Bulawayo made the shortlist for the Man Booker Prize this year, and some are calling the shortened list of nominees the best in years. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-09-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ruth Ozeki and Jhumpa Lahiri make Man Booker shortlist

Newcomers, familiar faces and books that haven't yet debuted in America have all made the 2013 Man Booker Prize shortlist. Ruth Ozeki and Jhumpa Lahiri are both finalists for the $58,000 prize.Newcomers, familiar faces and books that haven't yet debuted in America have all made the 2013 Man... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-09-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Man Booker longlist announced; includes Colum McCann, Jhumpa Lahiri

The longlist for the Man Booker Prize was announced. The 13 novels include National Book Award winner Colum McCann's "TransAtlantic" and "The Lowland" by Pulitzer-Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri.The longlist for the Man Booker Prize was announced in London Tuesday morning. The 13 novels... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-07-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Little, Brown signs Donna Tartt

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[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Tartt novel out this autumn

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[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Women-Only Literary Prizes Created in Australia and Canada

Women-only literary prizes have been created in both Canada and Australia to help balance the attention given to work by male authors vs. female authors. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2012-11-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book review: 'The Beginner's Goodbye' by Anne Tyler

Anne Tyler's latest novel, 'The Beginner's Goodbye,' is a classic mix of the author's themes, most especially oddball characters and the turbulent nature of families and marriages.When you pick up a novel by Anne Tyler, you can expect certain things. It will be set in Baltimore. It will follow... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-04-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Chiki Sarkar appointed Penguin India publisher

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 27/05/2011 - 10:18 Chiki Sarkar, former editor-in-chief of Random House India, has been appointed publisher of Penguin India. Chiki had worked at Random House India since 2006, working with authors including Anita Desai, Salman Rushdie and... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Roth awarded Man Booker International Prize

Publication Date: Wed, 18/05/2011 - 09:31 Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Philip Roth has been awarded the £60,000 Man Booker International Prize 2011. The author of The Human Stain and American Pastoral was chosen from a list of 13 contenders including Marilynne Robinson, Anne Tyler and John... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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