'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

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Amazon's New Page-Flip Feature Makes Kindle Books More Skimmable

Skip ahead. Skip backward. Roam as you please. Then go back to where you were in a jiffy.The advantages that ebooks have over their dead-tree forebears are so many and varied that I'm not going to bother detailing them here.Read Full Story Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2016-06-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon made flipping through books on Kindles and tablets easier

As useful (and as crazy thin) as e-readers can be, there's something terribly satisfying about thumbing through a sheaf of processed plant matter with words on it. While you'll never get the same sensory experience using a Kindle, Amazon at least tri... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2016-06-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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AAP Reports Book Sales Down in January

The two major trade segments--adult and children's/YA--had a slow start to the year, according to the Association of American Publishers' StatShot program. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-06-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pressure mounts on book review pages

This year’s haemorrhaging of literary journalists from the national newspapers has been described as “heartbreaking” for the book industry, and has renewed the spotlight on the long-running problem of dwindling review space.     Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-06-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Record Number of Applications: Frankfurt Book Fair Announces Its 2016 Fellows

Applications from 100 candidates in 34 countries were received this year, Frankfurt administrators choosing 16 participants to become the fair's fellows in October. The post Record Number of Applications: Frankfurt Book Fair Announces Its 2016 Fellows appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-06-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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What Makes a Bestseller? Two SMP Authors Say They Know the Formula.

What's the perfect manuscript? The authors of the forthcoming 'The Bestseller Code' assessed some 20,000 works to find that a 2013 novel by Dave Eggers had all the attributes of a book destined for literary success. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-06-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Frankopan book on Russia to Bloomsbury

Bloomsbury has acquired a new book by Peter Frankopan, the author of The Silk Roads (Bloomsbury). Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-06-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PW Picks: Books of the Week, June 27, 2016

This week: two must-read debut novels, plus a search for one's identity in the Arctic Circle. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-06-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sharing Experience, Expectations: Book Fair Directors Meet in Mexico

13 international book fair directors gathered in Mexico to discuss their progress and evolving viewpoints on the industry and its trade events. The post Sharing Experience, Expectations: Book Fair Directors Meet in Mexico appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-06-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book Deals: Week of June 27, 2016

Razorbill buys an essay collection from a BuzzFeed editor, a University of Texas prof sells an epic science fiction fantasy poem, Broadway actress Alexandra Silber takes a novel—and a memoir—to Pegasus, and more in this week's notable book deals. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-06-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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What Brexit Means for Book Publishing

The editor of the London-based book trade BookBrunch, Neill Denny, offers his take on the implications of the historic vote that just wrapped in the U.K. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-06-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Storytel buys Swedish publisher Norstedts for £12.5m

Subscription audio- and ebook streaming service Storytel has bought Sweden’s oldest and largest publisher, Norstedts Förlagsgrupp, for £12.5m from Swedish co-operative union and retail group, KF (Kooperativa Förbundet). Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-06-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How Dey Street Crashed Sheffield's Bowie Book in Under Six Months

'On Bowie,' a meditation on the life of the late David Bowie by Rob Sheffield ('Love Is a Mix Tape'), is landing in bookstores next week. The quickly turned around title was something of a feat for its publisher, since it was conceived and executed in less than six months. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-06-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mother Teresa Books Cluster Around Canonization

As Mother Teresa’s September 4 elevation to sainthood approaches, publishers celebrate the Nobel Prize-winning nun with books by and about her. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Religion and Spirituality Books Preview: July 2016

Check out some of the most-anticipated religion and spirituality books publishing in July, including a new edition of Lew Wallace’s ‘Ben-Hur’ written by his great-great-granddaughter, Carol Wallace. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A Familiar Newcomer to Czech Books: Empresa Media

The Czech Republic's largest media conglomerate, Empresa Media, has just launched a book publishing division, adding to its television, radio and magazine businesses. The post A Familiar Newcomer to Czech Books: Empresa Media appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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E-book lover? Check your Amazon account - you might have money from a class-action suit

Ticketmaster isn't the only site giving you freebies this week. Thanks to a class-action lawsuit, Apple is paying for Amazon account credit for people who bought certain ebooks between April 2010 and May 2012. You can check here to see if you've got any settlement money in your account. Amazon... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2016-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Books Shine at Licensing Expo

Books are playing a starring role at this year’s Licensing International Expo in Las Vegas, which began yesterday. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Religion Book Deals: June 2016

Welcome to a new column focusing on book deals in the religion and spirituality market. This month, Zondervan nabs the latest books from Karen Ehman, Red Wheel/Weiser signed books of collected wisdom from Pope Francis and the Dalai Lama, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Alice-Miranda books will be turned into TV series

Roald Dahl's Matilda may have her own stage show but Australian author Jacqueline Harvey's Alice-Miranda character has snaffled her first animated international television series. Continue reading at The Sydney Morning Herald

[ The Sydney Morning Herald | 2016-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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