Shock ending: how the Costa book awards changed reading – and pitted husband against wife

After 50 years, the prize has been scrapped. How did it change Britain’s literary landscape? And what happened at the awards when Margaret Drabble was seated next to Theresa May?Margaret Drabble was a bright young star with five novels to her name in 1971, when she was talked into joining her old friend JB Priestley on the judging panel for a new book prize. “Jack told me that I should spend the fee (which came in wine) by choosing some very nice half-bottles to drink by myself, which I did,” she recalls.Drabble argued for a biography of the playwright Henrik Ibsen, Priestley was keen on a novel by Gerda Charles, and their fellow judge, the critic Anthony Thwaite, championed a poetry collection by Geoffrey Hill. The glory of the new, brewery-sponsored awards was that all three could have prizes, so it all went swimmingly, with none of the squabbles that had already begun to bedevil the Booker, launched two years earlier. These arguments had included one over the literary quality of a certain Margaret Drabble, who (according to Booker judge Dame Rebecca West) would insist on lowering the tone by writing about the washing-up. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2022-06-23 05:00:38 UTC ]
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10 books to add to your reading list in March

Books to read in March include "James" by Percival Everett, "Wandering Stars" by Tommy Orange and "Age of Revolutions" by Fareed Zakaria. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2024-03-01 11:02:40 UTC ]
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Bill to End Book Bans on Table in Minnesota

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[ Book Riot | 2024-02-29 14:32:52 UTC ]
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Freedom to Read Advocates Blast Alabama Library's Ban on LGBTQ Book Purchases

The criticism comes after the Autauga-Prattville Public Library’s newly appointed board enacted a new policy suspending the purchase of children’s or young adult books that include "sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender discordance," a move the National Coalition Against Censorship... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-23 05:00:00 UTC ]
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What’s Next for Max Lucado? An End Times Book

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-20 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Starting this year, the National Book Awards will be open to non-citizens.

Today, the National Book Foundation announced a change in the eligibility criteria for the annual National Book Awards for Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Young People’s Literature. Beginning with the 75th National Book Awards, submissions for which open on March 13 of this year, the prizes... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-02-15 15:30:03 UTC ]
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National Book Awards Expand Eligibility to Non–U.S. Citizens

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-15 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Why Do We Even Read?: Book Censorship News, February 9, 2024

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[ Book Riot | 2024-02-09 12:30:00 UTC ]
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UK: The New Parliamentary Book Award Winners

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-02-07 17:24:31 UTC ]
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The Books Behind the 2024 Academy Award Nominations, Reviewed

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-01 05:00:00 UTC ]
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5 New Books to Read for Black History Month

These books by Black authors include moving explorations of the past, bold visions of the future, and sage advice for the present. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

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The UK’s New Nero Book Awards Name Their First Category Winners

The successor to the Costa Book Awards, the new Nero Book Awards announce several winners ahead of the Nero Gold Prize book of the year. The post The UK’s New Nero Book Awards Name Their First Category Winners appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-01-30 22:52:15 UTC ]
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Finalists for the 2024 National Book Critics Circle Awards Announced

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[ Book Riot | 2024-01-25 15:20:11 UTC ]
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2024 National Book Critics Circle Awards Finalists Announced

Thirty finalists in six categories for this year's National Book Critics Circle Awards, which recognize books from the publishing year 2023, have been announced. 'Washington Post' critic Becca Rothfeld, author Judy Blume, and the American Library Association have also won special awards. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-25 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Inaugural Eleanor Roosevelt Banned Book Awards Set for Next Month

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-18 05:00:00 UTC ]
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15 Small Press Books You Should Be Reading This Winter

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[ Electric Literature | 2024-01-15 12:00:00 UTC ]
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UAE: Sheikh Zayed Book Award Supports 10 Translations in 2023

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-01-11 17:32:47 UTC ]
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The First Books You Should Read in 2024

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-04 05:00:00 UTC ]
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10 books to add to your reading list in January

Bethanne Patrick recommends 10 new books to kick off 2024, including an alternate Mexican history, memoirs of wildfire seasons and open marriage and more. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-12-29 11:00:49 UTC ]
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18 New Books to Read in January

A look at the Trump-DeSantis rivalry, a witty tribute to “Murder on the Orient Express,” a memoir of open marriage and an epic Swedish novel in verse, among others. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-12-29 10:01:35 UTC ]
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