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 ]
News tagged with: #mothering sunday #sebastian barry #irish authors

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Crisis in literary fiction a 'wake-up call'

Arts Council England’s report into the crisis in literary fiction should serve as a "wake up call" to the industry which needs to "radically rethink" how it presents the genre, the chief executive of Curtis Brown has warned. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Arts Council England’s Alarm for Literary Fiction: ‘The Problem Is a Real One’

'Overall the books selling well' in the UK 'are not literary,' Arts Council England's commissioned report from the Canelo team announces. The post Arts Council England’s Alarm for Literary Fiction: ‘The Problem Is a Real One’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Literary fiction in crisis as sale drop dramatically, Arts Council England reports

New figures show that fewer UK writers earn enough to live on, as ACE blames falling sales of literary fiction on the recession and the rise of smartphonesThe image of the impoverished writer scratching out their masterwork in a freezing garret remains as true today as it was a century ago,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-12-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Is literary fiction in trouble? Readers and authors respond

The Arts Council England report has set the internet ablaze – but are sales of literary fiction in decline because of snobbery, bad writing or Candy Crush?News: Literary fiction in crisis as sales drop dramaticallyArts Council England has sounded the alarm for literary fiction with a report... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-12-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why serious literary fiction like Ishiguro’s is vital in times like these | Alice O’Keeffe

In our digital age, Kazuo Ishiguro’s Nobel prize is a reminder that it is still novels that ask the biggest questionsIt’s always entertaining to observe the interaction between the news media and a writer who has just won the Nobel prize. The all-time best was obviously Doris Lessing, who when... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-10-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Former energy chief turns literary fiction publisher

Former energy chief Louise Boland is launching a new publisher focusing on contemporary literary fiction. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-07-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Henley reveals ACE's 'concerns for literary fiction'

Arts Council England is broadening its literature work, which has previously concentrated on areas such as poetry and translated literature, into a new emphasis on literary fiction. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Portobello launches literary non-fiction prize

Portobello Books is launching a new non-fiction prize for unpublished writers, in association with literary agency C+W and retailer Foyles. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-06-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Publishing at London Book Fair: Literary Fiction, Suspense, Memoir

Amazon Publishing, the largest publisher of translations, will be at the London Book Fair with a rights list of suspense, memoir and literary titles. The post Amazon Publishing at London Book Fair: Literary Fiction, Suspense, Memoir appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Poetic injustice and literary look aheads | Letters

Thank you for telling us once again which books we need to read over the next 12 months (Book ahead, Review, 7 January). But how do you know? Presumably no one at the Guardian has read all these books, since they have not yet been published. Nor, it is fair to assume, have you read all the other... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-01-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Canada’s Literary Awards: Distinctive Characters, Visible Trends

'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 ]
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Harlequin's MIRA to Launch Literary Fiction Imprint

MIRA Books, the fiction imprint of Harlequin Books, has announced the launch of a new literary fiction line, Park Row Books. Inaugural titles are slated to publish in summer 2017. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-07-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In Japan, Novel by Artificial Intelligence and Humans Vies for Literary Prize

A 'co-authored' novel made a respectable showing in a Japanese award designed for Artificial Intelligence and human collaboration. The post In Japan, Novel by Artificial Intelligence and Humans Vies for Literary Prize appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-03-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Macmillan buys tween fiction from Skylark Literary

Macmillan Children’s Books has bought the world rights to A Girl Called Owl, a new tween fiction novel, from Skylark Literary. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-12-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A new Irish literary boom: the post-crash stars of fiction

Dynamic, radical, often female … Irish fiction is flourishing. Gone is the conservative writing – all nostalgia and sexual repression – of the Celtic Tiger years. The writers of the new wave are original and bold“Money kills the imagination,” says the narrator of Claire Kilroy’s 2012 novel The... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-10-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bouchercon 2015: Crime Fiction and Literary Awards Under the Oaks

Held in the South for the first time, crime and mystery fiction's annual convention mixed literary prizes and barbecue with programming focused on everything from traditional hardboiled crime novels to short fiction and international mysteries. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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You Become the Character: On Writing Historical Fiction

"I’d be unable to distinguish between what is me and what is Lizzie in the book; Lizzie’s memories appear in my mind as vaguely and as vividly as my own." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How Are Famous Fictional Characters Reacting to Scout’s Return?

Roger Tagholm imagines how other characters from fiction would react to the news that Harper Lee is giving Scout Finch a second chance at life. The post How Are Famous Fictional Characters Reacting to Scout’s Return? appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Characters struggle for sleep in new literary works

Both acclaimed author Karen Russell's new novella 'Sleep Donation' and debut author Kenneth Calhoun's novel 'Black Moon' take place in a future world where sleep problems abound. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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See Your Favorite Literary Classics Made Over As Pulp Fiction

You can't necessarily judge a book by its cover, but you can tell a lot about the content from it. For instance, when a certain font is paired with an illustrated character portrait featuring a dangling cigarette and/or a dangerous dame, clearly you are holding a pulpy detective novel from the... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-10-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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