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

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Time Inc. Ad Revenue Grows, but Only Because It Bought AmEx Publishing

Time Warner, the media company that owns HBO and the Warner Bros. film studio as well as Time Inc. for a few more months, surpassed analysts' estimates for both fourth-quarter revenue and profit in results reported on Wednesday.Excluding some items, earnings were $1.17 a share, the New... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-02-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Charlie Chaplin's only novel published for the first time

Footlights, the screen legend's unseen prequel in prose to the film Limelight, reflects his sadness at declining stardomRead an extract from Footlights by Charlie ChaplinThe only work of prose fiction ever written by Charlie Chaplin, a dark, nostalgic novella which was the root of his great... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Who are the Next Generation of Good Housekeepers? New Editor Looks to Update 129-Year-Old Magazine

Good Housekeeping is a monster brand for parent company Hearst. The 129-year-old magazine is among its largest in terms of revenue, with more than 4.4 million subscribers. Consumers place enormous trust in the Good Housekeeping Seal. Continue reading at AdAge.com Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Rowman & Littlefield Has Record Year

Sales at academic and professional publisher Rowman & Littlefield rose 8% in 2013, to $51 million. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Facebook: 10 years of social networking, in numbers

Ten years today, the social networking giant has notched up some interesting numbers along the way• How Facebook became the world's biggest social network1.23bn monthly usersBy the end of 2013, Facebook boasted 1.23bn monthly active users worldwide, adding 170m in just one year. According to... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why this year's Vanity Fair Hollywood Issue cover is a great leap forward

The annual showbiz gatefold tableau, an Annie Leibovitz shot of the cream of the film world wearing funny-looking clothes, has finally overcome its past shortcomingsAwards season breaks into a gallop with the first peek at Vanity Fair's Hollywood Issue, second only to the Superbowl as an annual... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Issues on the Ether: How Is Self-Publishing Maturing?

This week's Publishing Perspective's #EtherIssue looks at the debate about quality and changing perceptions of the self-publishing community in the broader market. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Two Authors Launch Brown Girls Publishing

Bestselling Simon & Schuster authors Victoria Christopher Murray and ReShonda Tate Billingsley are now teaming up on the business side: the two writers are launching Brown Girls Publishing, a new digital publishing venture that debuts today. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers advertise for chair of new press regulator

Wanted: someone unconnected with the newspaper and magazine publishing industry willing to take on the burden of chairing a new press regulator for £150,000 a year.Applicants are being invited for the inaugural chair of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso) in an advert placed in... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Colleen Hoover fans press publisher into print version of ebook

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[ The Guardian | 2014-01-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers enjoy surging ebook export sales

UK publishers are reporting strengthening international ebook sales across 2013, with good... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why Publishers Need to Embrace Automated Ad Selling

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[ Digiday | 2014-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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10 New Books You Need to Read This Year

From biographies to technical studies and step-by-step guides, here are 10 books that you should look for in the next few months.Of course, we think you can learn a lot online. But, if you're looking to take a deeper dive, there is often no substitute for the kind of thoughtful analysis you can... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2014-01-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PEN and UNESCO to Bolster Minority Language Publishing

PEN International and Unesco have launched new research and training programs in Kenya, Haiti, Serbia and Nigeria to bolster local book publishing industries. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-01-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Nathan Filer wins Costa Book of the Year

First-time novelist Nathan Filer has won the £30,000 Costa Book of the Year award for his... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Elite Daily: Inside One Publisher’s Viral Boom

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[ Digiday | 2014-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Urdu Publishing is Up, But Copyright Problems Persist

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-01-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Diamond Calls 2013 “Our Best Year Ever”

Pointing to strong titles, a growing backlist, and retailer optimism, Diamond Book Distributors, the trade book unit of Diamond Comics Distributors, reported that its 2013 sales rose by “double digits” over 2012 in the U.S., Canada, and international markets. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Myrmidon buys self-published historical novel

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[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Is 2014 the year of the woman writer?

Advocates for women writers – working to counter what is seen as bias towards males in the literary community – suddenly seem to be everywhere. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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