Literary fiction conveys the human character | Letters

Helen Cross, Andy Stelman, Mark Stewart and Richard Adams respond to a recent Guardian article by Tim LottAs someone whose tiny, grimy literary novels have attracted the interest of the film industry, the truth is the opposite of what Tim Lott (Why should we subsidise writers who’ve lost the plot?, 2 January) suggests; it’s the screenwriter who needs the literary novelist. Plot is easy to learn (and even easier to flog to impressionable students excited by the supposed glamour of the writing life), but impossible to make work on the page without an ability to master what the novel can uniquely convey: the deep mysteries of human interiority. Or, as the screenwriters say, character.Helen CrossFlamborough, East Yorkshire• Tim Lott clearly has not heard of, nor read: Adam Thorpe (Ulverton), Graham Swift (Waterland and Mothering Sunday), Sebastian Barry (A Long, Long Way and Days Without End), Colm Tóibín (Norah Webster), Kamila Shamsie (Home Fire), Salley Vickers (Miss Garnet’s Angel) and many other contemporary British and Irish authors who maintain and expand a “great tradition” of fictional output.Andy StelmanBishop’s Castle, Shropshire Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2018-01-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Does fan fiction spell the end of the professional novelist?

In popular genres such as sci-fi and fantasy, fan fiction based on the Wattpad model could easily disrupt the publishing industryFor a few years in the mid 2000s, I was the young librarian who got sent to schools to convince kids they really did want to read books. The truth of my experience was... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Peru’s Literary Publisher Animal de Invierno Strides Ahead

Founded in 2013, Peru's Animal de Invierno is drawing attention for its bold new fiction titles and literary translations. The post Peru’s Literary Publisher Animal de Invierno Strides Ahead appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Headline snaps up Hughes' 'The Letter'

Headline has signed The Letter, a debut novel by Kathryn Hughes which hit number one on the Amazon Kindle chart as a self-published ebook.   The Letter, which tells the story of two women whose lives become entwined when one discovers a letter that was written in 1939 but never sent, was... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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What’s in a name? Well, the right letters would help | Noo Saro-Wiwa

I’m used to my name being mangled and botched in every conceivable way, but seeing it wrong on my latest book was too muchIt’s the moment every writer lives for: a box arrives at your door containing copies of the new edition of your book. Beaming with satisfaction, I tear off the binding tape.... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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No Panic Over 15 Percent Drop in Christian Fiction Sales

Christian publishers are not in panic mode despite recent Nielsen BookScan numbers indicating Christian fiction sales dropped 15 percent from 2013 to 2014. Houses with major fiction programs remain optimistic about the category and are not pulling back. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Finally: DC, Marvel announce new line-up with more female characters

Last summer, two-time National Book Award finalist Gene Luen Yang ("American Born Chinese") gave a rousing speech at the Library of Congress, letting his fellow writers know at the National Book Festival kickoff that the comic-book industry needs to do more, and give itself more liberty, to... Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2015-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Native Tongues: Middle East Fiction in Translation: Middle East Books 2015

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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VIDEO: New book 'a major literary event'

Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, will publish a sequel called Go Set a Watchman. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2015-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Harris joins Bonnier in children's fiction role

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[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Enright made Laureate for Irish Fiction

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[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HarperCollins India Tries To Save Hindi Pulp Fiction

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-01-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A Premonition of the Digital Humanities, Fifty Years Ago?

In 1964, the great science fiction writer Stanisław Lem published his philosophical magnum opus Summa Technologiae. But it wasn’t translated into English (from Polish) until two years ago. Lem’s book is an exhilarating take on the future of humanity. It jumps from idea to idea throughout science... Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2015-01-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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What's happening in children's books in 2015? A literary calendar

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[ The Guardian | 2015-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Library cuts and falls in printed book sales | Letters

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[ The Guardian | 2015-01-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Wired | 2015-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Wired | 2014-12-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Open Letter Book’s Chad Post on the State of Translation

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