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 ]
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Matthew De Abaitua’s Self & I covers the six-month period he spent reading, drinking and rolling ‘special cigarettes’ as assistant to the Booker-shortlisted author in the early 1990sFrom an interview involving shooting whisky bottles and smoking “special” cigarettes to an attempt to take a... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-05-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Among traditional publishing companies, few have the journalistic heft of The New York Times. The 163-year-old institution has long had a strong moat around its newsroom to protect its journalistic integrity from business influences. Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-05-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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President Barack Obama announced a new program on Thursday aimed at delivering access for more than 10,000 ebooks to financially strapped schoolchildren throughout the United States. The $250 million program will feature titles from numerous publish... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2015-05-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Leaders, take note (and MFA grads, take heart): acclaimed novelist Mohsin Hamid on the most important tool you're not using enough.True story: In 2007, the Pakistani writer Mohsin Hamid catapulted into the literary spotlight with his second book, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, an examination of... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2015-05-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers have figured out that audiences want different things from print and digital products, but the newsroom has lagged behind. The post Pitch Session: The Story Meeting Has Evolved appeared first on Folio:. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2015-04-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Cornerstone m.d. Susan Sandon and William Heinemann publisher Jason Arthur have met with Harper Lee ahead of the publication of Go Set a Watchman in July, with Sandon saying the writer has a “sharp sense of humour and astonishing recall of poetry and literary references”. Sandon and Arthur went... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A new report from German ebook distribution platform quantifies the anticipated growth of digital publishing across Latin America. The post Latin American Digital Markets to Rise 10-15% by 2020 appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-04-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Veteran editor Jon Pott leaves Wm. B. Eerdmans this summer after almost 50 years in the business. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Derbyshire bookshop Scarthin Books has raised more than £10,000 in an appeal to fund urgent structural repairs. Proprietor Dave Mitchell said an engineer has told him he needs to install four steel columns to support 1,000 feet of bookshelves, and has turned to Crowdfunder because he would... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The 10 most intriguing numbers from digital marketing over the last week include new data on the explosion of legal marijuana marketing as well as stats that show how online video continues to grow. 1. In today's Adweek magazine, we report how several notable publishers told us that Facebook... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2015-04-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gretchen Rubin, author of "The Happiness Project," on how to become a better reader. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gay penguins, alien lovers and a cartoonist growing up on an Indian reservation are among the subjects of the books Americans are most keen to see banned from library shelves. Continue reading at Stuff
[ Stuff | 2015-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A reader who lives in Paris eating too much cheese is keen on the Guardian’s film reviews and fashion – but misses curling up with the Saturday paperI’m one of those stereotypical expat writers: living in Paris, eating too much cheese and enjoying the wine a little too much. I am originally from... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A list of the most recent books by writers attending the author reception, the Scholastic Meet & Treat party, and/or the opening reception with members of #WeNeedDiverseBooks, cosponsored by PW. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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April marks the opening of two stores with a children’s connection: one is a children’s only bookstore, the other showcases indie authors and was launched by a children's book author. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Below is a list of the most recent books by writers attending the author reception, the Scholastic Meet & Treat party, and/or the opening reception with members of #WeNeedDiverseBooks, cosponsored by PW. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Every day, children’s booksellers have to overcome hurdles to sell more books and increase foot traffic. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Danielle Steel has signed a 10-book contract with Pan Macmillan, moving to the publisher from Transworld, where she has been for the last 26 years. Jeremy Trevathan, publisher of Macmillan adult books, signed UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, in a deal negotiated with Cullen Stanley... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Three topics that publishers have been dealing with in recent years--technology, data, and free speech--were addressed in a series of lively presentations at the Association of American Publishers’ annual meeting. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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From thrilling accounts of derring-do to bitter descriptions of the human fallout, here are 10 memoirs of conflict which inspired and moved meI’ve always been fascinated by war. From the earliest age, I loved reading books on the subject and was captivated by stories of courage and... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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