Drawing on her panoramic reading and her experiences of the authorly life cycle, Atwood surveys her trade with a mix of seriousness and gentle fun“You may find the subject a little peculiar,” warns Margaret Atwood, before she discusses the writer’s relationship with mortality. “It is a little peculiar. Writing itself is a little peculiar.” Atwood’s survey of her profession makes this seem like an understatement: after all, she argues, writers have been placed in close company with the devil and the dead; they have secret identities and hidden doubles; they are death-defying magicians, self-erasing nobodies, even – if you want to get “murky and pretentious” – shamanistic travellers. This book prefers to stay on the side of clarity and self-deprecation, combining evidence drawn from her panoramic reading – one chapter deals with The Tempest, The Wizard of Oz and Klaus Mann’s Mephisto – with her own experiences of the life cycle of an author. She tempers the seriousness of her questions – What is a writer? For whom do writers write? – by poking gentle fun at her trade, describing the machine-like publishing industry as “cog eat cog”, and quietly mocking endless discussion panels. Yet Atwood sees her kind reflected everywhere – from Gilgamesh to The Beast With Five Fingers – and works hard on their behalf: advocate, analyst and always, writer.•To order On Writers and Writing for £7.99 (RRP £9.99) go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call 0330 333 6846. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2015-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
There’s been a rapid rise in submissions from would-be authors since the coronavirus outbreak. If you’re dusting off your manuscript, here are some things to keep in mindIf you’re one of those people who always said they would write a novel if only they had the time: this is your moment. As more... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-03-26 16:00:31 UTC ]
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A lot has happened since I wrote to you last week about the rapid spread of COVID-19, its impact on all of us in publishing and our continued commitment to serve you. As I stated then, Folio: will keep our promise to seek out positive stories on how our community can get through this... Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2020-03-26 13:00:37 UTC ]
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The Publishers Association has unveiled a brand and website redesign, including a new logo, icon and colour scheme that have been chosen "to reflect the creativity and dynamism of the publishing industry". Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-03-25 01:18:09 UTC ]
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The publishing industry looks for the way forward–in a world in which what's truly essential simply may not include physical bookselling for a time. The post Weekend Reality Check: Our Bookstores and What’s ‘Essential’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-03-23 14:30:16 UTC ]
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Mlawer, one of the most recognized and respected people in the Hispanic publishing industry in the U.S., died on March 21; 'PW' Spanish-language editor Leyhla Aquile, who worked with Mlawer, offers a tribute. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-03-23 04:00:00 UTC ]
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A reader explains why working in the publishing industry made him appreciate the value of a book more. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-03-17 10:35:25 UTC ]
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The growing impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the publishing industry came into view this week as some independent bookstores reported slowing sales and the number of book festival and author tour cancellations rose. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-03-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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[caption id="attachment_162389" align="alignright" width="270"] John Yedinak[/caption] John Yedinak, CEO of Aging Media Network, jokingly refers to himself as a college dropout who went to work with his “really smart brother,” George, to try and make his own business work. Yet the company the... Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2020-03-10 15:10:55 UTC ]
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There’s no bigger global news story right now than the slow but intractable spread of coronavirus, which has been hobbling the normal ebb and flow of everything from the stock market to cruises, theme parks and tourism. The virus has affected the publishing industry as well, and there’s perhaps... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-02-26 17:39:37 UTC ]
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Among this week’s notable deals is the seven-figure sale of a debut novel titled The Other Black Girl. The send-up of the publishing industry, by a former Knopf assistant editor, was pitched as Get Out meets Younger. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-02-21 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Below is a collection of articles that respond to American Dirt, consider the injustices of the publishing industry’s Big Five, and highlight books by Chicanx and Latinx writers. ¤ A reading list assembled from these articles: The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo Heart Like a Window, Mouth Like a... Continue reading at Los Angeles Review of Books
[ Los Angeles Review of Books | 2020-02-14 19:23:11 UTC ]
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Boris Johnson | Marmalade years | US publishing industry | Quick crossword | Roysters crispsIt’s all very well Labour demanding an inquiry into who paid for Boris Johnson’s Caribbean holiday (Report, 14 February), but what I should really like to know is when will the Independent Office for... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-02-14 17:21:53 UTC ]
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Critics of "American Dirt" invited Oprah Winfrey on Wednesday to discuss "#DignidadLiteraria and other Latinx groups and the publishing industry that has systematically erased us." Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-02-13 04:43:13 UTC ]
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The "American Dirt" uproar is prompting the book industry to review, reenforce, and revamp plans to become more diverse and inclusive. The publishing industry is predominantly run by white women, according to a new study. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2020-02-12 17:29:22 UTC ]
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The "American Dirt" uproar is prompting the book industry to review, reenforce, and revamp plans to become more diverse and inclusive. The publishing industry is predominantly run by white women, according to a new study. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2020-02-12 17:29:22 UTC ]
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THE CONTRETEMPS OVER Jeanine Cummins’s American Dirt revolves around a narrative of a publishing industry eager for blockbusters, white authors who inhabit the stories of marginalized people, and embarrassment when the multiple flaws and tone-deaf passages of the hyped-up book are exposed.... Continue reading at Los Angeles Review of Books
[ Los Angeles Review of Books | 2020-02-05 18:00:58 UTC ]
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Children’s book publisher Lee & Low Books, a minority-owned company that focuses on multicultural literature, recently released the results of a survey geared towards finding out one thing: What do the numbers say about the widely perceived lack of diversity in the publishing world? The... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-01-29 21:40:46 UTC ]
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As the challenges and competition in the consumer publishing industry intensify, publishers have sought top talent from betting firms, streaming music services and scientific publishing. The post The Guardian is the latest old-line publisher to reach outside the business for a CEO appeared first... Continue reading at Digiday
[ Digiday | 2020-01-16 05:01:09 UTC ]
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The publishing industry mourns Ram Dass, the bestselling author of ‘Be Here Now’ and other books on spirituality, following his recent death at age 88. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-01-08 05:00:00 UTC ]
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There are a multitude of effects the changes in publishing have had on the industry -- but less well understood are what it has meant for the people working in the industry. We surveyed over 200 publishing employees in business and revenue roles to understand how work culture, mental health, the... Continue reading at Digiday
[ Digiday | 2020-01-07 05:01:49 UTC ]
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