On eve of Costa awards, experts warn that top books prizes are harming fiction

The dominance of three honours in the UK can be prohibitively expensive for small publishers, and end up discouraging risk-taking on ‘difficult’ authorsCutting-edge British literary fiction risks being undermined by its growing reliance on a handful of powerful book prizes, a leading literary agent has warned. But the associated costs of entering the biggest awards mean independent publishers willing to take risks on “difficult” works without obvious marketing potential are being shut out of contention.The warnings, from Jonny Geller of Curtis Brown, come as the Costa book of the year judges prepare to announce the shortlist for the £30,000 award. He said: “Literary fiction is under threat in this country due to a combination of factors – reluctance by major houses to take risks; a bottleneck in the distribution chain [and] diverse voices being ignored by a predominantly white, middle-class industry.” Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2017-01-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #curtis brown #costa book #literary fiction #major houses #diverse voices #predominantly white

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German publisher halts sale of top author’s books after leak reveals he received €600,000 from Putin ally

Broadcaster NDR launches investigation after Hubert Seipel admits receiving support for work on two books on Russian leaderA German publisher has announced a stop to the sale of books authored by a leading journalist and Russia expert after an investigation showed he had received at least... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-11-15 14:31:23 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #vladimir putin #russian leader #german publisher


Torres, Blackhawk, Santos Perez, Santat Win 2023 National Book Awards

'Blackouts,' 'The Rediscovery of America,' 'unincorporated territory [åmot],' 'The Words That Remain,' and 'A First Time for Everything' took home this year's National Book Awards at a ceremony that concluded with more than a dozen finalists calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-15 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Zibby Media Withdraws National Book Award Sponsorship over Potential for 'Hate Speech'

With several National Book Awards finalists planning to call for a ceasefire in Gaza at tomorrow's ceremony, Zibby Media has withdrawn its sponsorship of the event over what CEO Zibby Owens called the "inappropriate conduct and collusion of its nominees." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-14 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hate speech #national book award


Book Review: Children’s Science Fiction Novels by Donna Barba Higuera, Patricia Forde and Jeanne DuPrau

Jeanne DuPrau’s “Project F,” Patricia Forde’s “The Girl Who Fell to Earth” and Donna Barba Higuera’s “Alebrijes” answer the question, Could this be the beginning of the end? Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-11-03 09:01:10 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book review #science fiction


Here’s the winner of the £25,000 British Academy Book Prize.

Today in London, the British Academy announced the winner of the 11th British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding: Courting India: England, Mughal India and the Origins of Empire by Nandini Das. “Nandini Das has written the true origin story of Britain and India,” said Professor... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-10-31 19:20:23 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book prize


20 Must-Read Historical Fiction Books Set in France

These must-read historical fiction books set in France span more than 800 years, from the reign of Eleanor of Aquitaine to post-WWII Paris. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-10-26 10:31:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #historical fiction


Deep Drop in Fiction Led a 3.2% Decline in Weekly Print Book Sales

Unit sales of print books fell 3.2% last week at outlets that report to Circana BookScan. The performance wasn’t a bad one—it was just unable to match the same period last year, when 'It Starts with Us' by Colleen Hoover sold more than 810,000 copies in its first week on sale. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #2% decline #circana bookscan #print book


Penguin Random House launches high schoolers’ award to combat book bans

The publisher’s $10,000 Freedom of Expression prize invites teens to write about a banned book that changed their life, against a backdrop of rising censorshipPublisher Penguin Random House has launched a new writing award in the US celebrating freedom of expression in response to a rise in... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-10-24 12:34:56 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #writing award #book bans #penguin random house #banned book #random house


A new $25,000 book prize will recognize the best new literature about the arts.

Attention all writers who write about writing (or painting, or dancing, or music…): the Interlochen Center for the Arts and The Pattis Family Foundation have established a new annual award that seeks to recognize “outstanding works of fiction or nonfiction” that “inspire, illuminate, or... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-10-19 16:06:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #creative writing #annual award #creative process #book prize


Penguin Random House and We Need Diverse Books Open Submissions for the 2024 Creative Writing Awards

The awards partnership between Penguin Random House and We Need Diverse Books will award $60,000 in scholarships. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-10-18 18:22:57 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #diverse books #penguin random house #random house


In Frankfurt: Sheikh Zayed Book Award Events

The week at Frankfurter Buchmesse features discussions ofissues in Arabic literature and its translation into other languages. The post In Frankfurt: Sheikh Zayed Book Award Events appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-10-17 22:48:03 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #arabic literature #frankfurter buchmesse #zayed book


8 Queer Historical Fiction Books Set Around the World

When you hear the phrase “queer history,” how far back does your mind go? For many, there’s a sense that LGBTQIA+ history is fairly recent, starting with Marsha P. Johnson or maybe Oscar Wilde. Beyond that, we start to get into murky territory: stories of “lifelong bachelors” and “happy... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-10-17 11:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #world appeared #oscar wilde #electric literature #historical fiction


Frankfurt: Tonio Schachinger Wins the German Book Prize

Tonio Schachinger's 'Echtzeitalter' from Holtzbrinck's Rowohlt Verlag has won the €25,000 German Book Prize. The post Frankfurt: Tonio Schachinger Wins the German Book Prize appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-10-17 03:47:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #post frankfurt #german book


Frankfurt Book Fair Cancels Award Ceremony for Palestinian Author

Organizers cited the Israel-Hamas war as the reason for stepping back from honoring a novel about the 1949 murder of a Palestinian girl by Israeli soldiers. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-10-13 17:01:12 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #palestinian author #israel-hamas war #stepping back #book fair


LeVar Burton to Host National Book Awards

The actor and literacy advocate will host the ceremony after the National Book Foundation dropped its original host, Drew Barrymore. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-10-13 14:37:31 UTC ]
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9 Science Fiction Books that Mix in Medieval Elements

These nine medieval science fiction books play with limits of time, space, and history to tell fascinating stories with medieval elements. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-10-13 10:32:00 UTC ]
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LeVar Burton to Host 2023 National Book Awards

Burton replaces Drew Barrymore, whose invitation to host the awards was rescinded following her decision to continue filming and airing her talk show amid the Writers Guild of America strike. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #levar burton #writers guild


England’s Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize 2023 Shortlist

With a new five-year sponsorship from the Trivedi Family Foundation, the 35-year-old Royal Society Prize names its 2023 shortlistees. The post England’s Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize 2023 Shortlist appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-10-07 02:08:05 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #post england #book prize


Winners in the South Africa Book Awards: Voted for by Booksellers

The SA Book Awards program bases its shortlist on the bestseller date of Nielsen BookScan in a program now 23 years old. The post Winners in the South Africa Book Awards: Voted for by Booksellers appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-10-05 17:18:44 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #post winners #booksellers appeared #nielsen bookscan


A saint, a sinner and a sprog: Goldsmiths book prize shortlist announced

Six books are up for the award celebrating innovative fiction, including Benjamin Myers’ account of St Cuthbert and a ‘great trans novel’ set in a small northern townA bildungsroman, a story within a story and two novels set across a single day feature in the six-book shortlist for this year’s... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-10-04 19:30:02 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #goldsmiths prize #novels set #six-book shortlist #judging chair #creative writing #book prize