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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Condé Nast Pitches Diversity to Advertisers at NewFronts

Publishing giant Cond? Nast is committed to championing more diverse voices, executives told potential advertisers today at the company's virtual NewFronts presentation. The event comes two weeks after charges of racist and biased behavior toward former and current employees who were outspoken... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2020-06-23 19:36:48 UTC ]
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10 Works of Literary Fiction for Runners

Over the past few months, as gyms and yoga studios and fitness centers have remained closed, many of you antsy yogis and barre-enthusiasts and Zumba-addicts have gone back to that most elemental of exercises: the run. For those of us who like to read and run, well, plenty of books on the subject... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-06-23 08:49:25 UTC ]
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Translation in Service of More Empathy, Less Fear: A Conversation with Megan McDowell, by Veronica Esposito

Interviews Veronica Esposito Photo by Camila Valdés Megan McDowell has translated many contemporary authors from Latin America and Spain, including Alejandro Zambra, Samanta Schweblin, and Lina Meruane. Shortlisted for the Man Booker... Continue reading at World Literature Today

[ World Literature Today | 2020-06-22 15:20:00 UTC ]
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Amanda Johnson named new director of Costa Book Awards

Costa Coffee has appointed Amanda Johnson as the new director of the Costa Book Awards, succeeding Bud McLintock, who stepped down from the role after 25 years in February.   Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-31 13:23:03 UTC ]
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Yes, Literary Fiction With Happy Endings Exists: Here are 20 Must-Read Examples

If you think lit fic endings are all sorrow or question marks, think again. Here are some happy literary fiction books that will leave you hopeful. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-05-21 10:34:27 UTC ]
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Normal People in Love: Sally Rooney’s Ordinary Universal Characters, by Natalia Lomaia

Book Reviews Natalia Lomaia Left: Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal in Normal People (2020) / Courtesy of IMDB Sally Rooney’s 2018 novel is a meticulous observation, or even a study, of how one human being can have immense, intense power over another.... Continue reading at World Literature Today

[ World Literature Today | 2020-04-23 13:18:03 UTC ]
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5 of the Best Books That Celebrate Male Friendships

From literary fiction to fantasy, here are five books that celebrate male friendships to fight toxic masculinity and homophobia. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-03-05 11:35:47 UTC ]
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Curtis Brown parent company Original Talent withdraws from LBF

Curtis Brown, C&W, Fane, Tavistock Wood, CBC and Ed Victor Ltd will all be absent from this year's London Book Fair, after parent company Original Talent made the decision today (3rd March) to withdraw. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-03-03 06:46:37 UTC ]
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When Did Self-Help Books Become Literary?

Walk into a contemporary bookstore and self-help manuals are likely to be among the first books you’ll see. In my local Barnes & Noble, a “self-improvement” section is featured in the vestibule, luring customers before they even open the store’s main doors. Inside the store, the boundary... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-01-29 09:49:07 UTC ]
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Listen to Book Riot’s New Podcast NOVEL GAZING!

Get a fresh take on literary fiction with Book Riot's new podcast, Novel Gazing, your destination for lit fic news, book recommendations, and more. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-01-14 11:34:19 UTC ]
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Brown and Morris promoted to agents at Curtis Brown

Becky Brown and Lucy Morris have both been promoted to agents at Curtis Brown's books department. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-01-07 14:10:50 UTC ]
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Collins and Coe triumph at Costa Book Awards 2019

Sara Collins has won the Costa First Novel Award for her gothic romance, The Confessions of Frannie Langton (Viking), in a stellar year for début authors after three out of the five award categories were won by first-time writers.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-01-06 21:35:49 UTC ]
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Costa Book Awards Names Its 2019 Category Winners

With a total purse of £60,000 (US$79,000), the Costa Book Awards' first winners are in the five categories. One of this group will be named the overall winner on January 28. The post Costa Book Awards Names Its 2019 Category Winners appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-01-06 19:30:25 UTC ]
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Ann and Jeff VanderMeer On Classic Fantasy, Fearsome Ducks, and Dead Astronauts

In this episode, taped live at the Miami Book Fair, writer Jeff VanderMeer and editor Ann VanderMeer talk to Fiction/Non/Fiction podcast co-hosts V.V. Ganeshananthan and Whitney Terrell about editing The Big Book of Classic Fantasy anthology, historical understandings of fantasy, editing beyond... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2019-12-05 09:48:07 UTC ]
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Blackman and Carty Williams compete on Costa Book Award shortlists

Candice Carty-Williams, Malorie Blackman and Rowan Hisayo Buchanan are among the 20 authors shortlisted for this year’s Costa Book Awards. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-26 21:14:59 UTC ]
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Border crossing: How translated fiction can open up the world

The new Elena Ferrante is just one of the exciting novels in translation coming next year. Lara Feigel talks to the UK editors who are rediscovering classics and finding new audiencesThere are voices that speak to us across oceans and centuries with more intimacy than the people who surround us... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-11-23 08:00:49 UTC ]
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7 Standup Comedy Memoirs That Will Make You Laugh And Cry

Writers of literary fiction are supposed to disdain celebrity memoirs. They’re sucking up all the big advances and lowering the bar of what’s supposed to be Literature, right?  But I’ve got a dirty reading secret. I love celebrity memoirs, particularly by standup comedians (and not just because... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2019-11-20 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Arifa Akbar appointed as the Guardian’s chief theatre critic

Katharine Viner congratulates ‘wonderful’ arts writer who is already a vital contributor to the paperArifa Akbar has been appointed as the Guardian’s chief theatre critic. Akbar, who will take up the role in the new year, said she was “honoured, utterly thrilled and immensely excited” by the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-11-08 10:52:21 UTC ]
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Beginning with Abortion

ALMOST NO CONTEMPORARY literary fiction recounts the experience of getting an abortion. Perhaps this is because it can seem politically suspect to write in a nuanced way about its difficulties; opponents of legal abortion are all too eager to turn any mention of these difficulties into evidence... Continue reading at Los Angeles Review of Books

[ Los Angeles Review of Books | 2019-11-07 13:30:09 UTC ]
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8 Eerie Reads From the Literary Fiction Shelves

While you're perusing the literary fiction shelves, create a haunting atmosphere with these eerie literary fiction titles for Halloween and beyond. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2019-10-31 10:40:16 UTC ]
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