Parakeet Brings out the Delightfully Weird, Unexpectedly Wise Side of Marie-Helene Bertino, by Taylor Hickney

Cultural Cross Sections Taylor Hickney In this profile, one of Marie-Helene Bertino’s students at the New School provides a personal glimpse of the author, whose new novel, Parakeet, was published June 2. On the evening of the National Book Awards, Marie-Helene Bertino strolled into our workshop ready for the after party adorned in a gold, sequined ball gown and black hoodie. There was already an electric air in the program that night, because we, her students—mostly aspiring and emerging writers—were impressed to know the faculty invited or involved in what we perceived as a night for authors who’ve Made It. Her hair had been curled—it was typically pin-straight—and accented with a rose behind her ear. She laughed and blushed at the compliments and laid her small, gold watch on the table next to her notes as she does in every class she teaches. She commands the space in a room: even with five minutes left before the start, our chitchat dies down, our attention drawn to her because she gives it back to us. Even with five minutes left before the start, our chitchat dies down, our attention drawn to her because she gives it back to us. On June 2, her second novel, Parakeet, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, hit the shelves. In the book, a soon-to-be-wed woman known only as “the bride” is confronted by her late grandmother, who takes the form of a bird. Her grandmother tells her to seek out her estranged brother, a reclusive... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'

[ World Literature Today | 2020-06-04 19:40:55 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "Parakeet Brings out the Delightfully Weird, Unexpectedly Wise Side of Marie-Helene Bertino, by Taylor Hickney"


Ian Williams wins Canada’s prestigious Giller Prize for his debut novel.

Ian Williams, winner of this year’s $100,000 Scotiabank Giller Prize for his debut novel Reproduction, began his acceptance speech Monday night with an emotional tribute. “Margaret Atwood over there is the first book I bought with my own money at a bookstore in Brampton,” he told the audience.... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2019-11-19 20:30:03 UTC ]
More news stories like this


3 Keys for Future Readiness in Publishing Operations

In the modern media environment, publishers need a formula for success that they can depend on—not just for today, but one that will allow them to adapt for the trends of tomorrow. That means embracing three key ingredients that every publisher needs to ensure future-readiness, regardless of... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2019-11-19 17:38:05 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Interview With Beth O’Leary, Author of WHSmith 2019 Fiction Book of the Year

Congratulations to Beth O'Leary! Her debut novel The Flatshare was recently announced as 2019 Fiction Book of the Year by the British retailer WHSmith—an honor previously bestowed on books such as Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman and The Girl on the Train by Paula... Continue reading at Writer's Digest

[ Writer's Digest | 2019-11-19 11:00:22 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Jessie Cave's debut novel goes to Welbeck

Welbeck Publishing Group has snapped up actor, comedian and memoirist Jessie Cave's debut novel.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-19 09:56:37 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Pushkin lands Elena Medal's 'exceptional debut'

Pushkin Press will publish a debut novel by "the next great literary voice in Spain", Elena Medel. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-18 09:03:50 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The PW Publishing Industry Salary Survey, 2019

More small strides were made in 2018 toward addressing issues of pay disparity and diversification of the workforce. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-11-15 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Five questions for... Kit de Waal

From cultural appropriation to literary snobbery, campaigning author Kit de Waal is well known for holding the publishing industry to account. Her passionate, inclusive and activist spirit has seen her named 2019 FutureBook Person of the Year. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-14 16:22:05 UTC ]
More news stories like this


'Awful and fabulous': the madness of Flowers in the Attic

Forty years ago, VC Andrews’ novel about incest, rape and murder-by-doughnut was declared ‘deranged swill’, but new books under her name still sell. Why?Forty years ago this month, Flowers in the Attic, the debut novel of one VC Andrews was published. A review in the Washington Post didn’t mince... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-11-14 14:02:15 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Arrow snaps up Paula Greenlees Singapore-based debut in two-book deal

Arrow will publish a "breathtaking" debut novel by Paula Greenlees, inspired by the three years she lived in Singapore. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-13 19:37:40 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Rosalie Knecht and Idra Novey on Translation, Writing Tension, and Literary ‘Retrenchment’

The Authors in Conversation series for Slice Literary Magazine grew out of connections I noticed in my reading. I wanted to bring together authors who explored similar themes in their work or walked adjacent paths in life, to see what resonances might come forth in conversation. Rosalie Knecht... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2019-11-06 09:47:55 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Love, Sex and Atom Bombs in a Debut Novel of the American West

Shannon Pufahl’s “On Swift Horses” weaves an entanglement of attractions in postwar California. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2019-11-05 10:00:10 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Announcing the Sunday Times PFD Young Writer of the Year Award shortlist

From meditations on the d/Deaf experience to short stories blurring the mythic and the gothic with the everyday, from mixing the personal and political to a young woman uncover the truth about her family’s past – four outstanding writers have today been named on the shortlist for The Sunday... Continue reading at British Council global

[ British Council global | 2019-11-04 12:55:09 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Are You a New York Writer or an LA Writer?

You go to a coffee shop in order to focus on your craft. What do you order?  A. A black coffee.  B. An almond milk matcha.  What is your critically acclaimed debut novel about?  A. A man getting stuck on a subway train and revisiting the weight of all of the mistakes he’s made in […] The post... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2019-11-01 11:00:37 UTC ]
More news stories like this


NaNoWriMo Has The Writers To Solve The Book Industry’s Diversity Problem

As the writing challenge turns 20, it’s time for the publishing industry to challenge itself. Continue reading at HuffPost

[ HuffPost | 2019-11-01 09:45:13 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Publishers Are Missing the Point: Private Browsing Isn’t a Roadblock, It’s a Road Map

The publishing industry was up in arms over the summer when Google officially closed the loophole in its Chrome browser that allows website owners to detect whether a visitor has enabled Incognito mode to view their site. The complaint? It effectively undermined publishers’ efforts to prevent... Continue reading at Publishing Executive

[ Publishing Executive | 2019-10-31 16:47:22 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Oneworld signs Frances Macken debut about complex female friendships

Oneworld has bought a debut novel from Irish writer Frances Macken, billed as “a major voice in contemporary fiction”. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-30 07:19:30 UTC ]
More news stories like this


An Interview With Rena Barron, Author Of KINGDOM OF SOULS

We chatted with Rena Barron about her debut novel KINGDOM OF SOULS, the process of writing it, the story and the excitement behind it. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2019-10-29 10:40:44 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Is this inclusive? Why only 4% of children's book heroes are BAME – video

More than 33% of students at UK schools are from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, but only 4% of the protagonists in children's books in the UK are BAME. The publishing industry has made big claims about its push for inclusivity both on and off the page, but some believe progress is... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-10-29 10:10:28 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The Trouble with “Adam”

WHEN YA PUBLISHER Houghton Mifflin Harcourt put out Ariel Schrag’s Adam in 2014, it felt predetermined that this debut novel would eventually become a movie. Indeed, the promotional materials included a trailer for an imagined film, a digital elevator pitch. Moreover, as a preexisting YA... Continue reading at Los Angeles Review of Books

[ Los Angeles Review of Books | 2019-10-26 17:00:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this


H.G. Parry: When We Read Books, We Bring Their Worlds Into Life

While all fiction writers can pull characters from their imaginations and commit them to the page, most readers can’t do what Charley Sutherland can: pull characters from the page and commit them to the real world. Sutherland’s fantastical ability is at the center of H.G. Parry’s debut novel The... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2019-10-25 08:46:30 UTC ]
More news stories like this