'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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The New International Trailer with Lots of Footage: The Jungle Book

The new international trailer for Jon Favreau's Rudyard Kipling adaptation is entirely in Russian. We don't understand what's being said, but it looks beautiful. The post The New International Trailer with Lots of Footage: The Jungle Book appeared first on WIRED. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2015-09-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hungary Draws Fire at the Göteborg Book Fair

Representatives from Hungary, a market focus at this year's Göteborg Book Fair, were openly criticized for the country's harsh treatment of refugees. The post Hungary Draws Fire at the Göteborg Book Fair appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-09-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Karen Finley, Banned Books Week and the responsibilities of art

It's only fitting that the 25th anniversary edition of Karen Finley's “Shock Treatment” (City Lights: 144 pp., $15.95 paper) should come out in time for Banned Books Week, the literary holiday about which I feel most consistently ambivalent. If Banned Books Week represents, in many ways, a... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2015-09-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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YA Book Prize teams up with Hay Festival

The Bookseller is teaming up with the Hay Festival for next year’s YA Book Prize, whose submissions open today.   The Bookseller launched the 2016 prize at its children’s conference in London today (29th September), alongside the winner of the 2015 prize, Louise O’Neill. Submissions are now... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pharrell, publisher donate books to kids in need

Pharrell Williams and his book publisher have launched a "Happy" campaign for young readers. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2015-09-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers more content with digital transition than authors

Publishers are more content about how the book business is weathering the digital transition than authors, early results of the FutureBook Digital Census have found. The Digital Census, the annual tracker of the book business’ digital evolution, was launched two weeks ago and so far more than... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Jung Chang book to Jonathan Cape

Jonathan Cape has acquired the new book by Jung Chang, author of Wild Swans (William Collins). Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Banned Books Week: How it's being celebrated across the country

Banned Books Week, which celebrates works that have been challenged or banned, is being held this year from Sept. 27 to Oct. 3. The number of challenges reported this year is low in comparison to recent figures, according to the American Library Association. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bild owner to buy Business Insider

German publisher, Axel Springer, agrees to buy a controlling stake in the US news website Business Insider for $343m (£226m). Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2015-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why Self-Published Book Covers Are Better Than You Think

CompletelyNovel's 'Lord of the Book Covers' competition revealed many indie authors are using the same professional designers as traditional houses. The post Why Self-Published Book Covers Are Better Than You Think appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Grace Jones book is here!

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[ Stuff | 2015-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Honoring Picture Book Champions at the 2015 Carle Awards

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Does Banned Books Week Really Matter Anymore?

Banned Books Week garners headlines and is easy to support, but some believe its an anachronism that 'traffics in fear-mongering over censorship.' The post Does Banned Books Week Really Matter Anymore? appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Can children's books help build a better world?

Author SF Said on how almost all the world’s problems come down to ‘us and them’ – and how children’s books can knock down the barriers Do you believe it’s the books we read when we are young that have the deepest impact? Let us know by emailing [email protected] or on Twitter... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PW Asks: Which Book Would You Un-Ban?

BannedBooksWeek.org made a list of the 10 most challenged titles of 2014. Which one would you make a case for lots of people reading? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book world joins forces for charity

Some of Britain's bestselling authors and their publishers are donating their books to raise money for Syrian refugees. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2015-09-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Banned Books Week Is a Crock

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[ Slate | 2015-09-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The 10 Most Challenged Books of 2014

Seven of the ten most challenged books of 2014 earned starred reviews from PW. Here they are. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Virgin Books wins auction for medical detection dogs title

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[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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My Job in 5: Helen Chapman, Picture book designer, Penguin Random House UK

Describe your role My job title is picture book designer but people outside the industry always think that I must illustrate all the books! Unfortunately I’m not that talented (though I do a mean stick man) so I end up describing my job as being an editor for the illustrators. Working in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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