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

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BuzzFeed Launches Emerging Writers Fellowship: An Interview with Literary Editor Saeed Jones

BuzzFeed is going literary. The ever-growing media company launched BuzzFeed Books in December of 2013, and this year it is launching several projects under new Literary Editor Saeed Jones. First up is the BuzzFeed Emerging Writers Fellowship pr ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-04-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Coffee House Press Uses $100K Grant to Build Up Writers Residency Program

Coffee House Press in Minneapolis has just received a $100,000 grant from the Bush Foundation. The press said it intend to use much of the grant money its In the Stacks residency program. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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iBooks Bestseller List: ‘Steve Jobs’ Lands at #2

'Becoming Steve Jobs,' Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli’s biography of the late Apple CEO, rose from the #8 spot to the #2 spot on Apple’s bestseller list for the week ended March 30. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stirring the Plot: New Cookbooks Offer Recipes from Top Mystery Writers

In two new books out this spring, mystery writers provide recipes from their lives, and the lives of their characters. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Confessions of a Gay Erotica Writer in the Era of Indie Publishing

Self-published gay erotica writer M.P. Rey reveals his joy at moving from the dusty shelves of hidden rainbow-flag bookstores to better status on Amazon. The post Confessions of a Gay Erotica Writer in the Era of Indie Publishing appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Steve Jobs biography describes his disdain for TVs

The latest book about Steve Jobs suggests the late Apple cofounder’s dislike of TV was one reason he terminated a 1990s personal computer called the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh (TAM).The expensive, short-lived machine was launched in March 1997, months before Jobs resumed leadership of the... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2015-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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St. Patrick's Day: New York City residents can get a free book by an Irish writer

The Irish Arts Center in New York City will be handing out thousands of books by Irish writers to NYC residents on the holiday. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bangladeshis protest after atheist writer Avijit Roy hacked to death

Hundreds rally against fundamentalism in Dhaka as Islamists claim responsibility for murder of prominent US-Bangladeshi bloggerHundreds of people have taken to the streets of Dhaka in protest at the murder of a prominent secular American blogger of Bangladeshi origin who was hacked to death with... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Headline signs title from comedy writer Shaw

Headline has acquired a humour title by comedy writer Dale Shaw. Editor Richard Roper pre-empted world rights to F**k This Journal (Betterness Through Bitterness) by Dale Shaw from Jamie Coleman at Greene & Heaton. Headline is describing the book as a “hilarious and subversive take on the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why all writers are vain

I’ve met, interviewed and shared stages with many authors over the years, and seen all too many signs of pride and oversensitivity to criticism. There is an inherent egotism in believing your voice matters – but that’s no reason not to put pen to paperMany years ago, when I had just started... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bloomberg’s Justin Smith: ‘Platforms have done a better job at media.’

It's been a year since Justin Smith became Bloomberg Media's global CEO with the mandate of raising the financial news and information brand's awareness with business executives. We chatted with him about how publishers can Facebook-proof their business, why print still has a future, and working... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2015-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why Writers Need to Know the Publishing Business

Publisher Deborah Emin argues that as publishing professionals, we should want writers to understand each stage of the process: how they are acquired, marketed and sold. The post Why Writers Need to Know the Publishing Business appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Susan Golomb Joining Writers House

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Women writers dominate Waterstones kids' shortlist

Female authors account for the vast majority of this year’s Waterstones Children’s Book Prize this year, with 15 of the 18 titles written by women (see full shortlists below). The prize is divided into three categories – best illustrated book, best fiction for 5-12s and best book for teens –... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Male writers feature on RNA shortlists

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[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The great internet swindle: ever get the feeling you've been cheated?

The internet was meant to liberate and empower its users. But the real effect has been to create vast monopolies and turn us into victims, argues web sceptic Andrew Keen in his controversial new book The Internet is Not the AnswerDuring every minute of every day of 2014, according to Andrew... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Car Brands Are Starting to Get the Marketing Data They've Always Wanted

The car industry isn't slowing down when it comes to employing more data for everything from vehicle malfunctions to marketing. In fact, in terms of digital advertising, the category looks like it's putting the pedal to the metal, as tech vendors, publishers and other players increasingly roll... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2015-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Six jobs go as Ripley closes London office

Six people have been made redundant following the closure of the London office of publisher Ripley. The publisher moved its editorial functions to Orlando in America from the start of this month (1st February). The change means half a dozen people have been made redundant, with the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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B&N Names 2014 Discover Great New Writers Finalists

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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On Writers and Writing review – Margaret Atwood on her profession

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[ The Guardian | 2015-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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