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

Other Publishing stories related to: 'On eve of Costa awards, experts warn that top books prizes are harming fiction'


Kent wins Libraries Change Lives award

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Wed, 13/07/2011 - 08:41 This year's CILIP Libraries Change Lives award has been won by Kent county council's 'Making the Difference' project. The project welcomes adults with learning disabilities into libraries. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Orla Kiely to create range of baby and toddler books

Written By: Caroline Horn Publication Date: Wed, 13/07/2011 - 07:47 Designer Orla Kiely, best known for creating handbags and hats, will launch a new range of baby and toddler books in September with Colours and Numbers, inspired by her own trademark designs. The books will be published by... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #egmont press


Ziff Davis Promotes Dan Costa to VP of Content and Editor-in-Chief of PC Mag

Dan Costa is now senior VP of content for Ziff Davis and editor-in-chief for PC Mag, harnessing his 17 years in technology journalism. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-07-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #senior vp #ziff davis


Fathers Day fails to boost June book sales - BRC

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Tue, 12/07/2011 - 09:37 Widespread offers and Fathers Day failed to affect book sales falling in June compared to 2010, according to the British Retail Consortium. Figures out today show total sales in the UK were up 1.5% last month in comparison to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #june compared #year-earlier level #fathers day #e-book readers


Media Decoder: Sheila Bair to Write Book on Financial Crisis

Sheila C. Bair, who ended a tumultuous five-year term as chairwoman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation this month, has landed a book deal to give her inside account of the financial crisis. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #media decoder #write book #financial crisis #book deal #inside account


Print book sales decline in first half of 2011

Written By: Charlotte Williams and Philip Stone Publication Date: Fri, 08/07/2011 - 09:55 Print sales across the book market have dropped by 3% in the first six months of 2011, compared to the same period last year, with Jamie Oliver the bestselling author over the period, ahead of Julia... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #charlotte williams #book market #jamie oliver #bestselling author #julia donaldson #james patterson #simon schuster #sales growth


BA opposes Amazon and Book Depository merger

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Thu, 07/07/2011 - 09:06 The Booksellers Association has announced it will formally oppose the merger of Amazon and The Book Depository, saying that Amazon already had a "de facto monopoly". read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #booksellers association #formally oppose #book depository


BA and PA set to oppose Amazon-Book Depository merger

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Thu, 07/07/2011 - 09:06 The Booksellers Association has announced it will formally oppose the merger of Amazon and The Book Depository, with the BA saying that Amazon already had a "de facto monopoly". Meanwhile, the PA is actively considering... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #booksellers association #formally oppose #book depository


Dikötter scoops Samuel Johnson Prize

Publication Date: Wed, 06/07/2011 - 20:00 Academic Frank Dikötter has won the BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction 2011 for his “meticulous account of a brutal manmade calamity”, Mao’s Great Famine (Bloomsbury). The announcement was made by chair of the judges, Ben Macintyre, at an awards... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ben macintyre #awards ceremony


Claudia Mody leaves Waterstone's for The Book People

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Wed, 06/07/2011 - 08:01 Waterstone’s children’s range buyer Claudia Mody is to join The Book People as a buyer for Red House it's children's consumer-facing book club. Mody will start on 1st August at The Book People. Seni Glaister, chief executive... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book people #1st august #seni glaister


Gollancz deal to put Encyclopedia of Science Fiction online

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Wed, 06/07/2011 - 09:19 The third edition of the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction is to be released online later this year by ESF Ltd, a new company set up by the contributors to the book, in association with Orion imprint Victor Gollancz. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #science fiction #company set


OFT set to probe Book Depository deal

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Tue, 05/07/2011 - 11:26 The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has announced it is to investigate Amazon’s acquisition of The Book Depository. The official body has issued an “invitation to comment” notice asking for written representations about “any... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #announced yesterday #book depository


Amazon to Acquire U.K. Online Book Seller and Publisher

Amazon.com has acquired The Book Depository International, a seven-year old online bookseller based in the UK, which also republishes titles that are no longer in print or poorly available. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2011-07-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Amazon to acquire The Book Depository

Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Mon, 04/07/2011 - 12:29 Amazon.com has reached an agreement to acquire The Book Depository, the fast-growing online retailer founded by Andrew Crawford in 2004. Greg Greeley, Amazon's vice president of European Retail, said: "Customers in more... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book depository #vice president #free shipping


Book Depository to "operate independently" of Amazon

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Mon, 04/07/2011 - 16:00 The Book Depository has said it will continue to operate independently of Amazon, as the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) said it was "too early" to say if today's takeover of the online bookseller would trigger an investigation.... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book depository #operate independently #online bookseller #continuing growth


Lecturers posting notes online "harming" bookshops

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Mon, 04/07/2011 - 08:31 University lecturers posting course notes online are "harming" academic booksellers, and the posts can also deter students from reading around the subject, the chairman of the Booksellers Association's Academic, Professional... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #academic booksellers #booksellers association #iain finlayson #serves students


"Spotify for books" service launches

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Thu, 30/06/2011 - 15:58 An online view-on-demand books service dubbed “the Spotify of books” has launched today. 24symbols, created by a Spanish team co-founded by Justo Hidalgo, is offering access to 1,000 book titles for a subscription fee. The... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #read books #service launches #launched today #justo hidalgo #offering access #offers customers


E-booksellers silent on eve of new app rules

Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Thu, 30/06/2011 - 09:30 CNN reports that Amazon and Barnes & Noble are remaining tight-lipped on the eve of new app rules being introduced by Apple. Today, 30th June, is the deadline for app makers to get in compliance with Apple's strict new... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #remaining tight-lipped #30th june #app makers #kindle app #buy buttons #web browser #30% cut


AUDIO: The 'worrying' battle for books

Arts editor Will Gompertz's second report into the impact of technology on the publishing industry Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2011-06-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #arts editor #publishing industry


Judging E-Readers by Their Book Readability

If you're heading to the beach this summer and you plan to read an ebook, you won't want to take your iPad. Luckily, the latest versions of the Nook and the Kindle offer glare-free screens and other reader-friendly functions. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2011-06-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |