A new collection of rejigged tales gets much closer to the spirit of these stories than the ‘traditional’ versions we’re force-fed There’s a book called Politically Correct Bedtime Stories, written by James Finn Garner, which used to be on my parents’ shelves, and is now on mine. Published in 1994, it was a massive bestseller in its time, satirising changing social attitudes and acting as an amusing corrective for the holier-than-thou: Little Red Riding Hood, for example, finds the wolf’s suggestion that it isn’t safe for a little girl to walk through the woods alone “sexist” and “offensive in the extreme… ” but, she says, “I will ignore it because of your traditional status as an outcast from society, the stress of which has caused you to develop your own, entirely valid, worldview”. It also stands as a reminder that the so-called culture wars, all that rightwing fury at the “tyranny of woke”, are simply the political-correctness-gone-mad wars of yesteryear rebranded for a new, digital age.Right-on children’s books have had a resurgence, as demonstrated by the success of series such as Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. This autumn, children have been gifted four rejigged fairytales in the form of Vintage Children’s Classics’ new Fairy Tale Revolution series, which sees Bluebeard, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel and The Ugly Duckling revisited by Malorie Blackman, Rebecca Solnit, Jeanette Winterson and Kamila Shamsie respectively. They are all just lovely: sweet and funny... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2020-11-04 09:00:13 UTC ]
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'Why can we come up with fantasy stories that are like dragons and mythical creatures,' asks Swedish manga artist Natalia Batista, 'but we can’t come up with a story with women as the ruling gender?' She answers her own question with 'Sword Princess Amaltea.' The post Damsels Rescuing Princes in... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-07-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In her final speech as Irish Fiction Laureate last year, Anne Enright called out the trade for its underwhelming representation of women across the board, from the percentage of women’s titles reviewed in newspapers’ books pages, to the ratio of women to men on publishers’ lists. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-07-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hachette Children’s Group has acquired a three-book teen series from founder of #UKYAChat, blogger and YouTuber Lucy Powrie in a pre-emptive deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-07-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House, Virago, 4th Estate and the team behind The Women’s Prize have all made significant book donations to The Feminist Library to celebrate Feminist Book Fortnight and the collection’s 43rd birthday. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-07-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Belgian director Amélie van Elmbt’s lovely trifle “The Elephant and the Butterfly” is as sweet and gentle — and at times simplistic — as its storybook title may imply. This fable-like drama involves a 30-ish chef, Antoine (Thomas Blanchard), who shows up unexpectedly to visit his ex-lover,... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-06-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Icon Books founder Peter Pugh was rescued on the Norfolk coast by police, after going missing for 18 hours. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-06-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The starting pistol for Feminist Book Fortnight sounded this weekend, with approaching 50 independent bookshops around the country taking part. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-06-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Award-winning author Holly Bourne wants to "blow the lid off" the truth about abusive relationships. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2018-06-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Chelsea Clinton is "excited" to be a part of the trend for feminist children’s books, she told The Bookseller ahead of her appearance at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-06-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Profile Books has acquired Diary of a Suburban Lady by Lucy Mangan, a "brilliant" fictional account of life in the suburbs. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-06-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Writer and poet Nikita Gill is publishing a book of "empowering" reimaginings of traditional fairytales with Trapeze. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-06-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Kit de Waal are fronting a new feminist teen YA series from Hachette Children’s Group, called Bellatrix. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-05-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bonnier Zaffre has struck a deal to publish two more novels by Stephanie Butland. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-05-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Week in Libraries, May 25, 2018: Among this week's headlines, why it's time to change the way libraries win support; the Internet Archive wins a grant to digitize university press books; and a University of Arizona study sheds light on how consumers view ebooks. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-05-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pamphlet publisher Stewed Rhubarb is set to reissue two poetry collections previously taken out of print following the collapse of Scottish press Freight Books late last year. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-04-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Over 25 radical and independent bookshops are taking part in a two-week long celebration of feminist books in a bid to add to the debate about diversity in publishing and showcase books by women writers. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-04-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hi, I’m books editor Carolyn Kellogg. I’m writing this after the L.A. Times met our soon-to-be owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong on Friday and I am looking forward to the new era at our paper. I caught up with him afterward and invited him to the L.A. Times Festival of Books next weekend. I don’t... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-04-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fierce bidding wars between publishers saw several big deals happen for politically charged novels at this year’s fair, as new books from Jeanette Winterson and Caitlin Moran were also revealed• What will you be reading next year? A roundup of London book fairFrom a distance, the only thing that... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2018-04-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Historical and dystopian fiction tapping into conversations around feminism and the #MeToo movement were the hot manuscripts going for big money at this year’s London Book Fair. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-04-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Daisy Khan, the global activist for Muslim women who helped establish an Islamic community center in Lower Manhattan, offers the ‘nuances of Islam’ in her spiritual memoir. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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