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 ]

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Pandemic Love (in 13 Romance Tropes) March 2020–2021, by Laura Bernstein-Machlay

Pandemic Dispatches Photo by Daniel Tafjord / Unsplash Unrequited love I download a book. One of those books—for women. Certainly not porn, but you know. Never mind the shirtless guy gracing its cover (his lumpy, bumpy abs—oh my!), or the wanton... Continue reading at World Literature Today

[ World Literature Today | 2021-06-16 13:40:35 UTC ]
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5 Contemporary Literary Fiction Books That Are Game-Changers

If you want to do some serious reading to reflect on humanity and its many aspects, these 5 contemporary literary fiction books are for you, including A Burning By Megha Majumdar. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-05-28 10:38:00 UTC ]
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U.S. Book Show: PW Editors' Picks, Literary Fiction

Sally Rooney, Lauren Groff, and Atticus Lish were among the authors whose upcoming works of literary fiction were highlighted during this Editors' Picks panel hosted by 'PW' reviews editor David Varno. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
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How women conquered the world of fiction

From Sally Rooney to Raven Leilani, female novelists have captured the literary zeitgeist, with more buzz, prizes and bestsellers than men. But is this cultural shift something to celebrate or rectify?In March, Vintage, one of the UK’s largest literary fiction divisions, announced the five debut... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-05-16 06:00:48 UTC ]
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Indie publishing 'crucial' for literary fiction writers, Roffey says

Independent publishers are "crucial and critical" for literary fiction writers, Costa-winning author Monique Roffey has said, enabling them to take risks no mainstream publisher would allow. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-05-11 11:27:01 UTC ]
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Our Autofiction Fixation

Why do we assume that a work of literary fiction must be based on its author’s life? Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2021-03-14 12:00:33 UTC ]
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Power to the Peepal: Leeds-based indie enjoys reward of second major award win

Peepal Tree Press is behind the dark, magical realist novel that scooped the £30,000 Costa Book of the Year last week, with The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey putting a new spotlight on a small publisher that has consistently supported international Caribbean writing for 35 years. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-04 21:20:53 UTC ]
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Roffey's Peepal Tree tale wins Costa Book of the Year

Monique Roffey has won the £30,000 Costa Book of the Year award for her “utterly original” sixth novel, The Mermaid of Black Conch: A Love Story, published by independent Peepal Tree Press. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-26 22:02:30 UTC ]
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Costa Book Awards Names Its Three Short Story Finalists

Three writers who work in literature and screenwriting are behind the shortlisted trio of works in the Costa honors' 2020 cycle. The post Costa Book Awards Names Its Three Short Story Finalists appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-01-13 22:04:22 UTC ]
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UK: The 49th Costa Book Awards Name Category Winners

The five category winners of the 2020 Costa Book Awards are announced, with the 'book of the year' honor to come later this month. The post UK: The 49th Costa Book Awards Name Category Winners appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-01-05 13:59:16 UTC ]
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Indies dominate Costa Book Award winners

Indies dominate the Costa Book Awards 2020 category winners, with two Faber & Faber authors among the victors—Natasha Farrant and Ingrid Persaud—along with Monique Roffey, Lee Lawrence, and the late Eavan Boland. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-04 11:53:28 UTC ]
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Here is the shortlist for the 2020 Costa Book Awards.

The Costa Book Awards, inaugurated in 1971, are a set of annual literary awards, which recognize and honor British and Irish writers of the English language. The Award comes with £5,000, and the winner from each category will be announced on January 4th. This year, Evan Boland’s posthumous... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-11-25 16:01:53 UTC ]
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The Costa Book Awards Program Announces Its 2020 Shortlists

Twenty writers from the United Kingdom and Ireland have been chosen from an initial pool of 708 Costa Book Award entries. The post The Costa Book Awards Program Announces Its 2020 Shortlists appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-11-25 14:14:19 UTC ]
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Barnes, Clarke and host of debuts make Costa shortlists

Susanna Clarke, Julian Barnes and Meg Rossoff are joined by 10 debut authors in the shortlists for this year's Costa Book Awards. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-11-24 05:20:33 UTC ]
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The Magic of Plot and Catharsis: A Conversation with Smith Henderson and Jon Marc Smith

LET’S DISPENSE WITH the small surprises up front. The latest outing from Smith Henderson, acclaimed author of what others might call literary fiction — his award-winning 2014 debut, Fourth of July Creek — is indeed a thriller. And it’s not a solo endeavor — he’s teamed up with a friend, Jon Marc... Continue reading at Los Angeles Review of Books

[ Los Angeles Review of Books | 2020-10-11 12:30:47 UTC ]
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16 Brilliant Bi and Lesbian Literary Fiction Novels to Keep You Thinking

Bi and lesbian books from the last two decades for fans of literary fiction, from haunting collections to atmospheric historical fiction like Miss Timmins’ School for Girls by Nayana Currimbhoy. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-10-02 10:38:36 UTC ]
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How Yaa Gyasi Found Religion (in Literature)

“There isn’t much literary fiction that deals with evangelicalism. ‘Go Tell It on the Mountain,’ by James Baldwin, was the first book I read that spoke to that part of my life and it moved me so deeply to see faith rendered on the page with such care and brilliance.” Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2020-08-20 09:00:04 UTC ]
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10 Eclectic Books With Beatles Songs as Titles

A wide array of books, from literary fiction to romance to YA, have borrowed their titles from songs by The Beatles. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-07-10 10:34:48 UTC ]
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Bestseller, Comedian Robinson Gets Imprint at Plume

Multihyphenate Phoebe Robinson is launching her own imprint, Tiny Reparations Books, with her publisher, Plume. The bestselling author, actress, and comedian will, PRH said, publish fiction and nonfiction titles "that highlight and amplify unique and diverse voices." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-07-08 04:00:00 UTC ]
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