'Nobody in Tesco buys spy books by women': how female authors took on the genre

Publishing’s long established boys’ club in espionage fiction is having its cover blown by a new school led by Stella Rimington, Manda Scott and Charlotte PhilbyWhen Stella Rimington, the former director general of MI5 and spy author, wrote a new foreword last year to The Spy’s Bedside Book, Graham Greene and his brother Hugh’s 1957 anthology , she was glowingly complimentary. She had just one complaint. “After everything we have done for spying, there is, apart from the obligatory reference to Mata Hari, hardly anything in this book about women!” she wrote.The Greene brothers aren’t alone in their short sight. Wikipedia lists 127 notable writers of spy fiction, dead and living, and only seven of them are women. (Rimington is one of them.) Pick any list of the best spy novels, and it will usually be peopled only by male writers such as John le Carré, John Buchan, Rudyard Kipling, Erskine Childers, Joseph Conrad, Len Deighton, Ian Fleming, Tom Clancy and Robert Ludlum.Publishing has become much more gender-blind – before it was: ‘Only blokes can write this’ Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2020-01-07 09:00:54 UTC ]
News tagged with: #male writers #rudyard kipling #joseph conrad #ian fleming #tom clancy #anthology

Other Publishing stories related to: ''Nobody in Tesco buys spy books by women': how female authors took on the genre'


WIRED Book Club: The Secret Behind Three-Body Problem’s Ticking Clock

After the first 10 chapters, we fancy ourselves scientist-philosophers, theorizing about aliens, humans, and the nature of the universe. The post WIRED Book Club: The Secret Behind Three-Body Problem's Ticking Clock appeared first on WIRED. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2016-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #three-body problem #ticking clock


U.K.'s Informa Agrees to Buy Aviation Week Publisher Penton for $1.6 Billion

Informa, the U.K.-based business information provider, has agreed to buy Penton Information Services for 1.18 billion pounds ($1.6 billion) to add exhibitions and professional services in the U.S.The company will fund the purchase through new debt and equity, according to a statement Thursday.... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2016-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #statement thursday #named ceo #business intelligence #academic publishing


Parnassus Books Launches Online Auction to Help One of Its Own—and Binc

An outpouring of support from bestselling authors to raise money for a children's bookseller with cancer led the Nashville store to hold a larger auction to support the Book Industry Charitable Foundation. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bestselling authors #raise money


Athens named World Book Capital 2018

Athens has been named World Book Capital 2018 by the director general of UNESCO, Irina Bokova.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #director general


EC DSM proposals: Pullman welcomes directive on 'unjust' author contracts

The European Commission has released a new raft of proposals for copyright reform as part of its Digital Single Market (DSM) strategy, with one clause suggesting that authors should have the opportunity to renegotiate contracts where renumeration is “disproportionately low” relative to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #author contracts #european commission #copyright reform


Faber picture book gifted to school starters

Reading charity BookTrust is giving out 700,000 free copies of Kitchen Disco, a picture book by Clare Foges and illustrated by Al Murphy (Faber Children’s), to every reception age child in England this month. The giveaway will take place up to the end of October as part of BookTrust’s Time to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-09-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #school starters #picture book #read campaign


Tokyo Art Book Fair This Week: Works ‘Lovingly Crafted’

Art book lovers head for the Tokyo Art Book Fair, which has a new award program from Germany's Steidl Verlag, plus a Brazilian partnership. The post Tokyo Art Book Fair This Week: Works ‘Lovingly Crafted’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-09-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #award program


L,B wins book on the 'superhuman'

Little, Brown has won an auction for a book about the extremes of human ability by Rowan Hooper, the managing editor of New Scientist magazine. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-09-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #managing editor


Amazon Prime members get free audio books and access to 'Audible Channels'

As someone on the go, I have always craved the ability to listen to audio books in my car. Whenever I research getting them, however, the high prices always scare me away. Look, I understand a lot of time and effort goes into creating versions of books that are read aloud, but with current... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2016-09-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #audio books #high prices #read aloud #average person #prime service


The Man Booker Prize Gets a Triple Highlight at Frankfurt Book Fair

Six days before the announcement of the winner of the 2016 Man Booker Prize, Frankfurt Book Fair will have three events in recognition of its international influence. The post The Man Booker Prize Gets a Triple Highlight at Frankfurt Book Fair appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-09-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #international influence


Bonnier Books CEO Jacob Dalborg: ‘Digitization Is Not Necessarily Evil’

The book business hasn't experienced disruption as dramatic as that of industries, says Jacob Dalborg. The 'core publishing activities of acquiring, editing and publishing stories' are resilient. The post Bonnier Books CEO Jacob Dalborg: ‘Digitization Is Not Necessarily Evil’ appeared first on... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-09-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #jacob dalborg


International Hot Book Properties, Week of September 12, 2016

Among the titles heating up abroad are a Swedish thriller set in Russia and a Korean novel about masterminds who invent assassination plots for the government. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-09-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #titles heating


Israel’s Short-Lived Fixed-Price Book Law: A Rights Agent’s Viewpoint

International publishing rights agent Stephanie Barrouillet of Tel Aviv describes the effects of a short-lived fixed-price law, just repealed by Israel. The post Israel’s Short-Lived Fixed-Price Book Law: A Rights Agent’s Viewpoint appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-09-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #post israel #rights agent


The Philippines’ National Book Awards Longlist Is Out

A wide array of poetry and prose, in English and Filipino and other languages, goes into competition in The Philippines' awards program, which comprises work in multiple languages. The post The Philippines’ National Book Awards Longlist Is Out appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-09-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #multiple languages #wide array #awards program


The Audio Book Club Hangs Out With the Girls

To listen to the Audio Book Club discussion of The Girls, click the arrow on the player below. Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2016-09-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Corsair buys Roxane Gay short stories

Little, Brown imprint Corsair has acquired Difficult Women, a collection of short stories by US writer Roxane Gay, for publication in January 2017.   Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-09-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #short stories


Saqi to publish 'creative call to arms for Muslim women'

Saqi Books has acquired an anthology, edited by poet and playwright Sabrina Mahfouz, intended to be "a creative call to arms for Muslim women in Britain". Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-09-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #saqi books #muslim women


Balancing the books at Laurence King

Laurence King talks to Philip Jones about Laurence King Publishing's 25 years of steady progress. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-09-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #laurence king #philip jones #steady progress


Monthly E-Book Ranking: Moyes the merrier as sequel surpasses Me Before You

Jojo Moyes becomes only the third author to claim the monthly ebook pole with multiple titles. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-09-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #jojo moyes #multiple titles


PW Picks: Books of the Week, September 12, 2016

This week: Ian McEwan's new novel, which is narrated by an unborn baby, plus novels from Ann Patchett and Alan Moore. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-09-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ian mcewan #ann patchett #alan moore