Naomi Alderman: ‘A writer’s job is courage. You’ve got to be as honest as you can”

The bestselling author of The Power talks about her new techno-thriller, coping with grief and finding hope in the darkest of storiesNaomi Alderman, author of the bestselling novel The Power, is just getting over Covid and feeling a bit wiped out. “But don’t worry, I still seem able to talk for England,” she says cheerfully from her home in north London, when we meet to talk about her new novel The Future. “I figured I might as well let people know that I’m an ambitious writer,” she jokes of her punchy titles. Our conversation ranges from the Old Testament (“I like Genesis much more than I like Leviticus”) to QAnon (“a new religious belief”) and AI, as well as private griefs and the unfolding tragedy in the Middle East.The 49-year-old describes herself as a “games writer turned novelist”: she co-created the Zombies, Run! app, which has 10 million users, “to make exercise a bit less bloody boring”. Just as she aims to keep people running, so she writes to keep people reading, taking the pacy, wildly inventive possibilities of gaming into her novels. Whereas Iris Murdoch used to write fiction in the mornings and philosophy in the afternoons, Alderman does books in the mornings and games after lunch – and she’s currently doing an Open University MA in classical studies, for good measure. “My trouble is I’m interested in everything.” Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2023-11-04 09:00:34 UTC ]
News tagged with: #finding hope #north london #middle east #iris murdoch #write fiction #good measure #bestselling author

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Naomi Alderman: ‘A writer’s job is courage. You’ve got to be as honest as you can”'


If Lydia Davis Wasn’t a Writer, She’d Devote Herself to Climate Activism

Lydia Davis’ new collection Our Strangers, is available now from Bookshop Editions, so we asked her a few questions about her writing, reading, and more. How do you tackle writer’s block? I don’t really have writer’s block anymore. When I first started out, I certainly did just sit there... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-10-02 09:00:46 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tackle writer #climate activism #lydia davis #bookshop


Bestselling author Naomi Wood wins 2023 BBC national short story award

The UEA creative writing lecturer won for Comorbidities, which judging chair Reeta Chakrabarti called a ‘sparkling gem’ that tackles serious issues with a ‘light and wry touch’• Read the story belowNaomi Wood has won the 2023 BBC national short story award for Comorbidities, a story about a... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-09-26 19:00:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #judging chair #bestselling author


9 Historical Novels by 20th-Century Queer Writers

Queer people have been writing historical fiction since before queerness existed—by which I mean, since before it was hammered into an antithesis to heterosexuality during the long nineteenth century. By the turn of the twentieth, queers looking to write about the past had to grapple with new,... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-09-25 11:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #electric literature #historical fiction


Warner Bros studios in Leavesden to expand, creating 4,000 UK jobs

Studios behind Harry Potter films to undergo 400,000 sq ft expansion by 2027, in boost to struggling industryThe Warner Bros studios behind the Harry Potter film series are to undergo a major expansion, creating 4,000 jobs and providing a boost to Britain’s beleaguered film and TV production... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-09-21 21:30:09 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #major expansion #harry potter


Publishers are using online job boards to diversify revenue streams

Globally, the publishing industry is contending with diminishing revenues. With a recent report from intelligence provider WARC finding that global advertising revenue for total print will experience a 7.7% drop-off in 2023 from last year’s number, traditional publishers are looking to shore up... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2023-09-14 15:29:34 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #traditional publishers #recent report #publishing industry


Uplifting Writers and Readers: ACFW 2023 In Photos

A selection of photos recapture the 2023 American Christian Fiction Writers conference, which took place in St. Louis from August 24-27. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-09-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #christian fiction


Drew Barrymore is dropped as National Book Awards host amid writers' strike controversy

The National Book Foundation has rescinded Drew Barrymore's invitation to host the National Book Awards while her show tapes amid the Hollywood strikes. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-09-12 23:23:20 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #drew barrymore #national book foundation


Former 'Friends' writer says the stars were unhappy and purposely tanked jokes they didn't like

A former "Friends" writer's new memoir details her experience on the show at a time when the stars seemed unhappy, and the writers room wasn't so friendly. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-08-25 01:20:03 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #memoir details #memoir


‘A tired old show’: Friends writer claims cast deliberately ruined jokes

Patty Lin says that Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry and co forced rewrites of gags they didn’t like by performing them badlyFriends may have been a worldwide smash hit that made megastars of its cast, but – according to one of its writers – the actors weren’t always trying their... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-08-24 10:34:01 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #jennifer aniston #matthew perry #memoir


Naomi Duguid 'The Miracle of Salt' Cookbook Review: A Vital Reference for Pickling, Preserving, and Flavoring

Naomi Duguid’s The Miracle of Salt is a magnificent single-ingredient trip around the world. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2023-08-22 13:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #cookbook review #cookbook


Pidgeon Pagonis on the Urgency of Writing a Memoir as an Intersex Writer

Pidgeon and I met in the summer of 2020, the summer of sickness, and violent change. We spoke over Zoom, nearly 800 miles apart—I had been hired as a developmental editor for an intersex activist named Pidgeon Pagonis. A developmental editor is a bit of a catch-all title: we do a bit of... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-08-17 09:20:26 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #memoir


So you’ve decided to implement a 4-day workweek. Now what?

When this media company tried out a shorter workweek, it saw a boost in morale and productivity. The CEO explains the careful advanced planning this required. In early 2022, business was booming for digital publisher Alpha Brand Media, and staff were struggling to keep up with demand.Read Full... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2023-08-06 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ve decided #media company #digital publisher


10 Books to Make You a Better Writer

Seasoned author and writing mentor Beth Kempton shares 10 books that will improve your craft. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Is Jamel Brinkley the best short-story writer of his generation?

The short stories in Jamel Brinkley's second collection, 'Witness,' don't just reveal stories of violence, gentrification and racism — they put you inside them. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-08-01 13:00:50 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #jamel brinkley #short-story writer #short stories


8 Award-Winning Literary Fiction Books You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

Despite winning awards, these little-known beautiful and thought-provoking literary fiction books, like Last of Her Name by Mimi Lok, remain criminally underrated. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-08-01 10:34:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mimi lok #literary fiction


Yes, it can be very stressful to publish a book, and young writers need more support.

An April report by the UK-based publishing site, The Bookseller, showed that more than half of the debut authors they surveyed said the experience of publishing a book adversely affected their mental health. Further reporting from The Guardian reveals that (some) publishers have quickly... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-07-19 19:03:31 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #young writers #april report #debut authors #mental health #anna frame #communications director #independent publisher


James Patterson, Margaret Atwood among thousands of writers urging AI companies to honor copyrights

James Patterson, Suzanne Collins and Margaret Atwood are among thousands of writers endorsing an open letter from the Authors Guild urging AI companies to obtain permission before incorporating copyrighted work into their technologies Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2023-07-18 20:54:45 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #james patterson #margaret atwood #suzanne collins #writers endorsing #open letter #obtain permission #authors guild


Writers' Guild of Great Britain Publishes Report on AI

Sixty-five percent of those responding to a survey conducted by the U.K. union that represents writers in such professions as books, film, and said that they believed that the increased use of AI will reduce their income from writing. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #survey conducted


Hinton Publishing Honors an Unsung Writer and Boosts New Creators

Seattle’s new indie publisher, Hinton Publishing, is a partnership between 'South Seattle Emerald' founder Marcus Harrison Green and Vertvolta Press publisher Vladimir Verano. Its mission is to amplify the voices of BIPOC, LGBTQ, disabled, and low-income authors. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-10 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #indie publisher


Hitting the Books: Why AI won't be taking our cosmology jobs

The problem with studying the universe around us is that it is simply too big. The stars overhead remain too far away to interact with directly, so we are relegated to testing our theories on the formation of the galaxies based on observable data. Simulating these celestial bodies on computers... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-06-18 15:30:05 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #existing laws #bear fruit #quantum mechanics #penguin random house