Rethinking fairytales as feminist fables is rescuing them, not ruining them | Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett

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 ]

Other news stories related to: "Rethinking fairytales as feminist fables is rescuing them, not ruining them | Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett"


Dapo Adeola | '[Malorie Blackman] is like the aunt I didn’t even know I had'

"She is literally my favourite person in the whole of children’s publishing.” Dapo Adeola is talking about Malorie Blackman, his co-creator on new picture book We’re Going to Find the Monster (published by Puffin in September). His editor Joe Marriott approached Adeola about the project in 2018,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-18 23:17:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Malorie Blackman | 'I can only hope that my books encourage further debate and discussion'

This August, former Waterstones children's laureate Malorie Blackman will release the conclusion to her Noughts & Crosses series, Endgame (Penguin Random House Children’s UK). Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-05-29 00:40:24 UTC ]
More news stories like this


U.S. Book Show: Indie Bookselling in the Digital Age

A panel of executives from Bookshop.org, Libro.fm, and IndieCommerce discussed ways in which booksellers could use their platforms to take full advantage of the shifts in consumer behavior since the pandemic began. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Blackman and Adeola collaborate on 'timeless' picture book

Malorie Blackman, author of the bestselling Noughts & Crosses series, and Dapo Adeola, illustrator of the Waterstones Book Prize winning picture book Look Up!, are collaborating on a picture book: We’re Going to Find the Monster.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-25 23:42:24 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Trade bodies look to proposals for new pro-competition regime to check Amazon

Publishing trade bodies have welcomed advice from the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) that a new pro-competition regulatory regime "fit for the digital age" be rolled out to hold the most powerful tech firms to account through a new enforceable code of conduct.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-12-08 23:35:11 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Blackman to conclude Noughts & Crosses journey with Endgame next summer

Malorie Blackman is completing her Noughts & Crosses YA series with the sixth and final novel, Endgame, publishing with Penguin Random House Children’s UK in summer 2021. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-12-02 18:32:59 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Rethinking fairytales as feminist fables is rescuing them, not ruining them | Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett

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... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-11-04 09:00:13 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Resisting censorship

Last month, 58 writers, journalists and artists signed a letter in the Sunday Times in support of JK Rowling, condemning the ‘onslaught of abuse’ she has received regarding her views on sex, gender and trans rights. Signatories included Tom Stoppard, Ian McEwan and Lionel Shriver. Three days... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-04 20:35:25 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Scribner scoops 'Covid-Age' Decameron

Scribner is to publish The Decameron Project, an anthology of 29 stories about a modern plague, written by authors including Margaret Atwood, Andrew O’Hagan, Colm Tóibín, Kamila Shamsie, Rachel Kushner and David Mitchell.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-02 08:28:47 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Blackman and Cottrell-Boyce support LoveMyRead subscription service

Malorie Blackman and Frank Cottrell-Boyce are supporting a book subscription service that launches today (3rd September). Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-09-02 13:55:58 UTC ]
More news stories like this


How Amazon puts misinformation on your reading list | John Naughton

Algorithms routinely come up with ‘recommendations’ for anti-vax ‘bestsellers’ or juices that cure cancerIt’s a truism that we live in a “digital age”. It would be more accurate to say that we live in an algorithmically curated era – that is, a period when many of our choices and perceptions are... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-08-08 16:00:12 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Winterson, Black and O'Connor make Polari Prize longlist

This year's Polari Prize longlist sees titles from Jeanette Winterson, Dustin Lance Black and Joseph O'Connor in the running for the £2,000 award. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-23 05:03:35 UTC ]
More news stories like this


We've come a long way with LBGTQ+ literature

In 2012, the literary critic Suzi Feay lamented the lack of new lesbian voices in UK publishing. Describing what she saw as “a shortage of lesbian writers in Britain today”, she wondered who would follow in the footsteps of established authors like Ali Smith, Sarah Waters and Jeanette Winterson.... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-22 12:20:04 UTC ]
More news stories like this


'Change is not happening fast enough': UK publishers promise to tackle inequality

Responding to the newly formed Black Writers’ Guild, all five of the biggest publishers say they will make more room for black authors and staffThe “big five” UK publishing houses have separately acknowledged that “change is not happening fast enough” and that they must do a lot more to address... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-06-17 12:45:22 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Black Writers’ Guild calls for sweeping change in UK publishing

More than 100 authors join new body calling for the industry to address deep-seated inequalities in output and personnelMore than 100 writers including Booker winner Bernardine Evaristo, Benjamin Zephaniah and Malorie Blackman have called on all major publishing houses in the UK to introduce... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-06-15 17:08:57 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Black Writers' Guild tells UK publishing how to get its own house in order

The Black Writers' Guild has issued an open letter, signed by writers including Dorothy Koomson, Malorie Blackman, Candice Carty-Williams, David Olusoga and Bernardine Evaristo, telling British publishers it is "deeply concerned" they are "raising awareness of racial inequality without... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-14 19:50:25 UTC ]
More news stories like this


To Change How You Publish in the Digital Age, Start with a Question

Publishers considering transforming their businesses from print first or print-centric to digital first or digital-centric should begin by asking lots of people a simple question: what would you like to be able to do that you can’t do now? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-06-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Literature on Lockdown 8: #BlackLivesMatter

The sadness, exhaustion, anger and frustration that have been expressed by Black people across social media this week have, of course, been felt for centuries.But, by living so much through our screens right now, observing video footage, scrolling through reposted statements and infographics,... Continue reading at British Council global

[ British Council global | 2020-06-05 16:46:27 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Rebecca Solnit, who inspired the term ‘mansplaining,’ explains herself (sort of)

“Recollections of My Nonexistence,” a memoir by the feminist icon, is both revealing and not. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-05-07 15:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Lit Hub Daily: April 23, 2020

Rebecca Solnit: Life inside this strange new fairytale doesn’t have to be lonely. | Lit Hub “The most detrimental book in existence,” and more one-star Amazon reviews of… the dictionary. | Lit Hub “How could I know how precious that hug would feel weeks later.” Gabriel Bump on a book tour in the... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-04-23 10:30:13 UTC ]
More news stories like this