'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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Bowing to Pressure, Scholastic Recalls Children’s Book Accused of Being Racist

Scholastic has halted distribution of A Birthday Cake for George Washington amid criticism of the book's sugar-coated portrayal of slavery. The post Bowing to Pressure, Scholastic Recalls Children’s Book Accused of Being Racist appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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What happens when children's books fail to confront the complexity of slavery? | Michael W Twitty

We need literature that wrestles with the evils of slavery while confronting its complexity – especially when it’s written for childrenA book called George Washington’s Birthday Cake has caused controversy for depicting a smiling black cook, in this case chef Hercules and his daughter, preparing... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book festivals are worth far more than fees | Claire Armitstead

Writers, championed by Philip Pullman, may object to attending literary gatherings for free. But the events help to sustain a reading culturePhilip Pullman became cheerleader for a growing band of refuseniks last week when he resigned as president of the Oxford literary festival because it... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-01-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How to Turn Both Paper and Digital Text Into an E-Book

Give your paperbacks new life on a screen. The post How to Turn Both Paper and Digital Text Into an E-Book appeared first on WIRED. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2016-01-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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German Fantasy Authors Empowered by New Network

PAN is a newly founded network for German fantasy authors, aiming to unite its members and to give them a voice within the German literary community. The post German Fantasy Authors Empowered by New Network appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-01-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Dolly Parton to give books to children in Southwark

Country singer Dolly Parton is to support a scheme to provide free books for children born in Southwark this year. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-01-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Identities of Costa Short Story authors revealed

The anonymity of six finalists in the running for the Costa Short Story Award has been lifted, revealing a novelist who made it into David Bowie's "Top 100 Must-Read books of all time". Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-01-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors rally behind festival boycott campaign

Authors have continued to express their support for a campaign to boycott literary festivals which do not pay authors for appearances. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-01-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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French Readers Put Arab Authors on the Bestseller List

After years of writing about radicalization and terrorism in the Middle East, Arab authors are now in the spotlight in France as readers try to understand the recent Paris attacks. The post French Readers Put Arab Authors on the Bestseller List appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-01-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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APNewsBreak: Criticized Book on Washington Slave Pulled

The children's publisher Scholastic Inc. is pulling a new picture book about George Washington's slaves Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2016-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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George Washington slave book pulled

Children's picture book A Birthday Cake for George Washington is pulled from publication by publishers Scholastic following criticism of its depiction of slaves. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2016-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Echo can read your Kindle books aloud on request

You don't even need to lift a finger when you're done playing Jeopardy! on Amazon Echo and want to relax with a book. Simply say "Alexa, read [Kindle book title]," and the voice assistant will start narrating almost anything you purchased from the Ki... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2016-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Exclusive revamps Johannesburg flagship store to ‘make books sexy’

Exclusive Books has redesigned its flagship Johannesburg store, with the result breaking “the shackles and restraints of the chain-store mentality” in order to make books “sexy” again. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-01-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book Deals: Week of January 18, 2016

Diane Novak in a seven-figure deal with Harlequin; a horse-and-squirrel picture book, for adults, to Blue Rider; Chronicle buys an illustrated yoga book, with photos by Jaimie Baird; Europa nabs Alexander Maksik’s novel about love and mental illness and more in this week's notable book deals. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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At 75, Avon Books Is Still Going Strong

The romance publisher has changed with the times, and is a major force in romance publishing on both the print and digital fronts. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pearson joins David Fickling Books as publishing director

David Fickling Books has hired Bella Pearson to the newly created role of publishing director, beginning 11th April. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Review of 2015: Donaldson is top author, extends record run

Recent reports about a widening disparity between the earnings of authors at the top of the charts and those at the bottom of the food chain are borne out in 2015’s figures—but the story is far from black and white. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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3 Reasons UK Publishers Are Not Buying into Diversity

Trying to instill diversity into the UK publishing industry is like “working on a car while it is still running,“ says Bobby Nayyar. The answer, he asserts, can only be entrepreneurship. The post 3 Reasons UK Publishers Are Not Buying into Diversity appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pam Krauss, Eponymous Imprint Move to Avery Books

Krauss will be editor-at-large for Avery Books as well as v-p and publisher of her eponymous imprint, Pam Krauss Books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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GBBO's Nadiya Hussain to write children's book

Nadiya Hussain, the winner of last year’s “The Great British Bake Off”, is writing a children’s book of stories and recipes, which is due to hit shops in September. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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