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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U.S. Publishers Increase Presence at Guadalajara

The first ever "USA Pavilion" contributed to an increase in American publishers' participation at this year's Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL). Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-12-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Dan Brown-trumping French bestseller due in English next year

The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair, which topped book charts across Europe, set for English publication in 2014A literary thriller that has sold almost a million copies in France and has knocked Dan Brown's Inferno off the top of bestseller lists across Europe this summer, will be... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2013-12-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Medium brings design and photo improvements to its social publishing platform

Medium is debuting a slew of new look-and-feel tweaks designed to let would-be columnists pretend they're working for a well-designed print publication. The site says that one of its initial goals was to empower writers with "dead simple" tools to ... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-12-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon reveals quarter of Kindle ebook sales in US were for indie publishers

Figures from world's biggest bookseller trumpeted as sign of how self-publishing and smaller labels are changing the industryAs many as a quarter of the top 100 Kindle books on Amazon.com are from indie publishers, according to data revealed at a trade presentation by the retailer.A chart... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2013-12-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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GameStick lands first major publisher deal with Ubisoft

When we reviewed the GameStick Android console, one of our main concerns was how the library of titles on offer would pan out over time. Today, it's just been announced that Ubisoft will be bringing its Prince of Persia franchise to the platform. .. Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-12-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Japan's publishers protest over secrecy threat

Japan’s new “authoritarian” Designated Secrets Bill will have dire consequences... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-12-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ipso becomes a facto as 90% of publishers leap aboard their own train

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[ The Guardian | 2013-12-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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December’s Top Reviews of Self-Published Books from BlueInk Review

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-12-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BBC spends £1.3m on flights between London and Manchester over two years

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[ The Guardian | 2013-12-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers, Book Fair Help Revive Cambodia’s Love of Reading

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-12-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Are Nonprofit Publishers Smiling?

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-12-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Newsweek to print weekly edition again one year after calling it quits

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[ The Guardian | 2013-12-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Does Web Publishing Have a Looming DVR Problem?

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[ Digiday | 2013-12-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why Facebook Is Wooing Publishers

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[ Digiday | 2013-12-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'E-book of the Year' vote at Sainsbury's

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[ The Bookseller | 2013-12-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Here Are All of This Year's Hot List Digital Winners

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[ AdWeek | 2013-12-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stoner is Waterstones Book of the Year

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[ The Bookseller | 2013-12-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Andre Schiffrin dies at 78; book publisher founded New Press

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[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-12-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A Facebook Tweak Gives Publishers a Traffic Boost

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[ Digiday | 2013-12-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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