'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'


PW Picks: Books of the Week, February 29, 2016

This week: a novel about the controversial Little Albert experiment, and Tom Bissell travels to the tombs of the apostles. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


The Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year

The Bookseller/Diagram Prize for the Oddest Title of the Year was originally conceived in 1978 by Trevor Bounford and Bruce Robertson of The Diagram Group as a way to avoid boredom at the Frankfurt Book Fair. It was first awarded to Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Nude Mice.... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #avoid boredom #international workshop #nude mice #horace bent #award due


Oddest book title prize shortlist gets behind cultural history of the anus

Reading From Behind lines up for public vote alongside works including Soviet Bus Stops and Paper Folding With ChildrenIt might sound like a pain in the behind to read, but an academic tome about the cultural history of the anus is among the contenders on the shortlist for the 2016 Diagram prize... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #cultural history #subject matter #horace bent #prize administrator


Strange sights: Oddest book title prize 2016 – in pictures

A photographic study of Soviet bus stops and a craft manual for flexible children go head to head with a cultural history of the anus on the shortlist for the 38th Diagram prizeDiagram prize: oddest book title shortlist gets behind cultural history of the anus Continue reading... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #cultural history


More bad news: Meredith Corp. shutters upscale women's magazine

More magazine, which began publishing in 1997 and billed itself as "the magazine for women of style and substance," is shutting down, publisher Meredith Corp. announced Thursday. In a statement, the... To view the full story, click the title link. Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2016-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bad news #meredith corp #began publishing #announced thursday


Book Deals: Week of February 29, 2016

Simon & Schuster’s Atheneum imprint buys a picture book by Richard T. Morris, Da Capo nabs a book about the battle of Antietam, Dial signs Jessica Taylor for two YA novels, and more in this week's notable book deals. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book deals #picture book #simon schuster #ya novels


Trans Vampire Nuns book up for prize

A consideration of cult films and a photographic history of Soviet bus stops are among the contenders for an award given to the year's oddest book title. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2016-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Reedsy Grows, Launches Online Book Editor Tool

U.K. self-publishing platform Reedsy launched the Reedsy Book Editor, an online editing and typesetting tool, and the site reports growing membership and new partnerships with Ingram and Kobo. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


10 Books About Loneliness

"The strange, almost magical thing about these books is that in examining loneliness they also serve as an antidote to it." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


To Boost Sales, Japanese Bookseller Kinokuniya Experiments With New Book Covers

The bookseller will sell limited-edition, exclusive versions of graphic novels with variant covers at its stores around the world. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #boost sales #book covers #graphic novels #variant covers


Lord of the Rings colouring book from HarperCollins

HarperCollins, in partnership with Warner Bros Consumer Products, is publishing the official The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Colouring Book.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Jungle Books under threat of eviction in Calais

Jungle Books, a library for migrants set up in the French port city of Calais, is at risk of eviction after half of the camp has been threatened with demolition. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


What's Selling at Folio Books

Alissa Hugel, assistant manager and children's book buyer at Folio Books in San Francisco, shares her enthusiasm for a handful of titles that are hitting a sweet spot any bookseller can appreciate. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book buyer #sweet spot


‘The Markets’ Announced for 2016’s Global Summit at Frankfurt Book Fair

Issuing a call for papers, Frankfurt Book Fair and Publishing Perspectives announce the seven-nation focus for 'The Markets' 2016. Regions highlighted include Southeast Asia, Europe, South America, and the Middle East. The post ‘The Markets’ Announced for 2016’s Global Summit at Frankfurt Book... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #global summit #south america #middle east


To Kill a Mockingbird most popular book-club pick

Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is the most popular reading group title in the UK, according to new research from The Reading Agency. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #harper lee #reading agency


Good Book Guide closes, subscriber list moves to Lovereading

The subscriber list and review archive for mail-order book business the Good Book Guide has been acquired by book review and recommendation site Lovereading, following a “turbulent” decade for the Guide. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book review


What It’s Like to Pitch a Book at the Berlinale Film Festival

For a second time, Turkey's Kalem Literary Agency pitched a book to a crowd of film producers at the Berlinale Film Festival. Agent Nazlı Gürkaş shares the experience and some advice. The post What It’s Like to Pitch a Book at the Berlinale Film Festival appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-02-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #film producers


iBooks Bestsellers: Debut Author Barton Hits #2

Released on February 16, 'The Widow' by Fiona Barton came in at #2 on the iBooks bestsellers chart for the week ended February 21. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-02-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ibooks bestsellers #fiona barton


Banned Books Week to Focus on Diversity

The annual celebration of the freedom to read, set this year for Sept. 25-Oct. 1, will focus on banned books written by people of color. The event will also look to examine why titles by diverse writers are so often challenged. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-02-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #annual celebration


Havana Book Fair 2016 in Photos

PW captured a range of images during the Havana Book Fair, including photos of the book fair and the thousands of Cubans searching for books during the event. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-02-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book fair