Our annual pick of the most exciting debut fiction has previously tipped Sally Rooney and Louise Kennedy, Tom Crewe and Douglas Stuart. Here the class of 2024 tell us their storiesEach year since 2014, the Observer New Review’s writers and editors have read scores of forthcoming debut novels from authors based in the UK and Ireland in order to spotlight the best; here’s our pick of 2024. As ever, our only guide was the quality of the books in front of us. This year’s list includes industry-tipped titles snapped up by big-spending publishers, but also a canny acquisition from a small independent press. There’s a third book from someone already widely celebrated as a writer of short stories, and even a debut from an actual Observer journalist. These are simply the books we rated most – and we think you’ll love them too.In previous years, we led you to Douglas Stuart’s Booker-winning Shuggie Bain, Gail Honeyman’s global bestseller Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and Sheena Patel’s cult indie hit I’m a Fan. Last year’s picks continue to hoover up honours. Tom Crewe’s The New Life won the Orwell prize for fiction, while Michael Magee (Close to Home) won the Rooney prize, awarded to an outstanding Irish writer under 40. Both writers are on the shortlist for this month’s Nero debut fiction prize, along with Stephen Buoro, another of our 2023 picks.I’d take the washing up shifts no one else wanted so I could be at the back, jotting things downThere’s violence, but it’s about... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2024-01-14 07:00:20 UTC ]
US actor Bryan Cranston will return to television executive producing and starring in a series based on the short stories of science fiction author Philip K Dick, Variety magazine has reported. Continue reading at Stuff
[ Stuff | 2016-05-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Deaver has written 37 novels, three collections of short stories, and dabbled in everything from folk music to an audio-only drama. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2016-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Syrian author Samar Yazbek has made the Orwell Prize longlist for The Crossing, which tells of the journalist’s attempts to get back into her country after being exiled by president Bashar al-Assad. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House Children’s will this summer publish a second collection of short stories from Terry Pratchett. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-03-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How many have you read? Test yourself by seeing if you can match first lines to the titles of the Monitor's favorite novels (and one collection of short stories) from 2015. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-12-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Author Stuart Evers recently collaborated with U.K. folk trio Daughter, writing three short stories that provide the visuals for three music videos promoting Daughter's second album. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-12-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In the French city of Grenoble, there are unusual vending machines that don't dispense soda or snacks -- they print out short stories that look like paper receipts instead. These machines were built by a publishing company called Short Éditi... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2015-10-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A little time alone can go a long way in spurring your creative thinking and strengthening relationships.I recently got back from a week of solitude in a house off Buzzards Bay in Massachusetts. I was there to focus on finishing my book of short stories without distraction, conversations,... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2015-10-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Instagram has seen its share of photo essays, profiles and short stories. But no one has used the image-sharing network to publish an entire novel - at least not until Matilda and Harry. Continue reading at Stuff
[ Stuff | 2015-10-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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When sickly Bostonian Edward J. O'Brien put together the first "Best American Short Stories" anthology in 1915, short stories were considered junky pop culture. He was hoping that his project would elevate the short-story form. He had no idea he was launching a series that would last a century... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2015-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The five-day show boasted more exhibitors and more deals than in previous years. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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WH Smith has revealed a list of 100 "best paperbacks of all time" as voted for by its customers. The chain retailer asked customers to vote for their favourite paperback through social media, with “thousands” getting involved. WHS said that Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird topped the list,... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The life of Jane Austen is set to be the subject of a new film called "Jane by the Sea", based on the novel by Carolyn V Murray (Sandcastle Press). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin is releasing a boxed set of its Little Black Classics set (3rd September, £80). The set will include all 80 of the titles that were released in February to celebrate Penguin’s 80th anniversary, each priced at 80p and comprising of 64 pages. The list featured less well known titles by... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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We asked you what three authors you'd take to your desert island. You said William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and Stephen King. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Writer Jane Gardam is to be awarded the Charles-Chichester Award for a Lifetime's Excellence in Short Fiction at a special event held at this year's Charleston Small Wonder Short Story Festival. Gardam, who is the author of short stories as well as novels including the Old Filth trilogy, will... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Welsh writer Carys Davies [pictured] has won the €25,000 Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award for her collection The Redemption of Galen Pike, published by the independent Salt Publishing. The award is the single most lucrative prize in the world for a collection of short... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Short stories are gaining ground in the UK, but authors working within the format are finding it more difficult to break into the public consciousness than novelists, writers have told The Bookseller. Awards that cover all forms of fiction such as The Folio Prize, won in 2014 by George... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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From Jane Austen's white soup to a liver mousse inspired by 'Silence of the Lambs,' butcher and writer Cara Nicoletti explores recipes inspired by classic and contemporary book. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-06-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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James Meek's Private Island (Verso Books) has won the Orwell Prize for books, which celebrates political writing. Meek was announced as the winner of the annual prize at a ceremony at the University of Westminster yesterday (21st May). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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