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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Some people of faith worry that yoga’s philosophical and spiritual aspects might conflict with their personal beliefs. Others find that faith can interact with yoga practice in a way that makes it far more meaningful than “a good stretch.” Four new books examine the intersections of religion and... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Celebrating its 10th Anniversary with a panel starring director Quentin Tarantino in front of a packed house at the San Diego Comic-Con, it was hard to remember that when Dynamite Publishing launched 10 years ago, no one was sure what to expect. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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UK bookstore chain Waterstones recently opened a location in Southwold, Suffolk titled Southwold Books. Some residents say it's hiding the fact that it's not independently owned. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-07-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Consumer ebook sales rose 10% in the first quarter of 2014, according to the Publishers... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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After teasing us with a possible launch, Amazon has confirmed Kindle Unlimited, its all-you-can-read ebook subscription service. For $9.99 per month, Kindle Unlimited offers 600,000 books and "thousands" of audiobooks across a range of devices. As... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2014-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon's new subscription ebook plan includes more than 600,000 titles, but no major publishers. Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2014-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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With an assist from the Stephen Colbert bump, Edan Lepucki's debut novel hit #3 on the "New York Times" bestseller list; #20 on PW's. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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After To Kill a Mockingbird author denies Marja Mills's book had her approval, Mills and publisher issue counterclaimsNews: Harper Lee denies cooperating with Marja Mills on The Mockingbird Next DoorThe author and publisher of a new book about Harper Lee have stood their ground after the To Kill... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-07-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This month, Dan Kois, David Haglund, and New York Times Book Review editor Parul Sehgal discuss My Struggle: Book One, the Norwegian writer Karl Ove Knausgaard’s six-book autobiographical epic. Can the endless accretion of detail a masterpiece make? Would people respond differently to this... Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2014-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Teresa Zampino has joined Penguin Random House International Sales & Marketing as Penguin Group marketing manager, international. She was previously at Hachette Book Group. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This week in children's apps, we feature apps from the world of Dr. Seuss and Little Critter that explore shapes, holidays, and what life is like on the farm. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As the gulf between Amazon and Hachette widens in their publisher-versus-retailer heavyweight fight, frustrated authors caught in the middle have begun to weigh in—some in better spirits than others. In the spoof video above, Outliers author Malcolm Gladwell meets with Amazon's vice president of... Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2014-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The CEO of Germany's largest newspaper group is one of the few powerful figures speaking out about the web giantMatthias Döpfner is a man on a mission. The motives behind the mission need to be scrutinised, but when so many of old media's authority figures seem at sea in a changing environment,... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-07-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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While staffing Rodale’s Modern Times imprint, which launched in 2007, editorial director Leigh Haber reached out to Shannon Welch, a young writer she knew through mutual friends. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Three librarians with novels published in 2014 gathered at ALA Vegas on Saturday afternoon to share their experiences as authors navigating the library world and vice versa. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Marc Weingarten, a comic with 31 years experience, discusses the difference between crafting jokes and writing his first novel. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-06-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Don Piper’s car was hit by a truck in 1989, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Piper wrote about what happened next in the bestselling "90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death & Life," which paved the way for other recent bestsellers recounting glimpses of the afterlife. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The phrase “orphaned manuscript” strikes dread in the heart of every writer: it refers to a project acquired by an editor who leaves the company before the book is published. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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After J.J. Smith's appearance on the "Steve Harvey Show," the author's "10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse," published in February, moved from #42 to #2 on Amazon's bestseller list, pushing Hillary Clinton's memoir down to #3. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Lathea Williams has joined Sourcebooks as an assistant publicity manager, working out of the company’s New York office. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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