Why must writers from Africa always bear the burden of representing their continent? They should be granted artistic freedom, as other authors areAfrican literature, as it’s called, is enjoying a bit of a moment, with the western media regularly heralding splashes, rebirths, dawns. When I published my novel Ghana Must Go in 2013 I joined a list of writers that, on the face of things, appears encouragingly long. There are my fellow Nigerians Chinelo Okparanta, Chimamanda Adichie, Helen Oyeyemi, Helon Habila, Chris Abani, Teju Cole; the Kenyans Yvonne Owuor, Binya Wainaina, Mukoma Wa Ngũgĩ; the Ethiopians Maaza Mengiste, Dinaw Mengestu; the Sierra Leoneans Aminatta Forna, Olufemi Terry; the Zimbabweans Petina Gappah, NoViolet Bulawayo. It seems that African literature is the literary dish du jour, like the Indian (more Lahiris!) and Middle Eastern (more Hosseinis!) dishes before.Of course, one could argue that 50-odd writers emerging from a continent of 1.1 billion people represent more of a trickle than a wave. So, too, might one question the media’s fondness for these little ethnic trends. (When did the white male novelist’s moment begin, and when will it end?) One might pause to wonder what so-called African novels have in common: does the commercial category function as a creative one, as well? The Scottish-born novelist Aminatta Forna has asked why her novel The Hired Man, set in Croatia, is sometimes found in the “African section” of bookshops. What of Helen Oyeyemi’s... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2015-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Now with a 'pitch slam' event in which writers present projects to agents, the November 'Writer's Summit' is co-chaired by The Guardian's Alison Flood. The post ‘Writer’s Summit’ from London Book Fair and Writer’s Digest Announces Pitch Slam Agents appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-09-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A 68-year-old man who was rejected by the prestigious Iowa Writers' Workshop has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education, claiming he was discriminated against because of his age. Dan Thomson, a former lawyer and self-published author, was among the 97% of applicants to the... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2017-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Author and writing coach William Zinsser, who penned the best-selling book On Writing Well, dies in New York, aged 92. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2015-05-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In China we have a saying that reading a banned book on a snowy night is one of the true joys of life. From this, one can well imagine the kind of satisfaction that reading a banned book may bring—like candy locked up in a cabinet, it releases a sweet fragrance into solitary spaces. Whenever […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-04-23 08:56:19 UTC ]
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This week, TIME magazine published its annual list of the 100 Most Influential People of the year. Usually, when this list comes out, I complain (to the universe, I guess) that there aren’t enough novelists (“enough” meaning “more than one”) on it. Last year, though, there were four, which was a... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-04-18 17:45:48 UTC ]
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In the past decade, Writer’s Block, which sells new books for both adults and children, has become a literary hub of the Greater Orlando metro area. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-04-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Five more publishers, including the remaining Big Five publishers, have now joined as plaintiffs to help defend against the state’s bid to lift the block on appeal on Iowa's book banning law, SF 496. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-04-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Aaliyah Bilal, Elisa Gonzalez, Javier Zamora, and Ada Zhang are among the 10 winners of this year's Whiting Awards for emerging writers of poetry, fiction, nonfiction and drama. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-04-10 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Jury comments about the Sunday Times Young Writer-winning debut, 'The New Life,' call Tom Crewe's book, a 'tenderly sensual account of masculine sexuality.' The post London: Tom Crewe Wins the Sunday Times’ Young Writer Award appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-03-20 12:50:02 UTC ]
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At the Salt Lake City–based press, founder Kenechi Uzor aims to “champion African perspectives,” publishing five to 10 English-language originals and works in translation by African authors annually. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Two authors discuss their experience doing school visits through the nationwide literacy nonprofit. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-15 04:00:00 UTC ]
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At London Book Fair, the top honor from the Writers' Prize, formerly the Rathbones, goes to Liz Berry for 'The Home Child.' The post At London Book Fair: Writers’ Prize Names Its Winners appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-03-14 05:01:24 UTC ]
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There’s nothing quite like finding six new releases on display in a bookstore – all of which you’ve written, and none of which has your name on itA few years back, a long-held dream of mine came true: a book I wrote became a runaway hit.You’ve probably read the book. You’ve definitely seen the... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-03-11 14:00:31 UTC ]
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One of my duties every single day as an author, journalist, and constituent, is to read. I study the written word the way a football coach studies football games. I don’t read for pleasure just like a football coach doesn’t attend games to zone out. As much as I’d like to avoid it, I have […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-03-11 11:48:51 UTC ]
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There’s a new online bookstore in town—and this time it’s helmed by RuPaul. Yes, that RuPaul. (Reading being, after all, fundamental.) Allstora, announced today*, is a membership-based bookstore that offers a profit-split to authors. RuPaul serves as Allstora’s Chief Creative Officer and... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-03-04 16:45:28 UTC ]
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The Phnom Penh Post, a newspaper founded in 1992 as Cambodia sought to re-establish stability and democracy after decades of war and unrest, says it will stop publishing a print edition this month, the latest blow to the country’s dwindling independent... Continue reading at ABC News
[ ABC News | 2024-03-01 11:58:31 UTC ]
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Praising 'their attentiveness to the world,' the 2024 Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year jury names four authors to its shortlist. The post UK: The Sunday Times Young Writer 2024 Shortlist appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-02-27 17:20:22 UTC ]
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From one girl’s aspiration to Olympic gymnastics glory, to a boy’s stint living in the Idaho wilderness in hopes of fixing his unruly behavior, something that remains a guiding principle in Black storytelling is the breadth of our lives. These stories, a collection of some of EL’s most-loved... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2024-02-22 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Probing the lives and work Barbara Comyns, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Carson McCullers, these literary biographies, out this week, take a fresh look at three of our most visionary writers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-22 05:00:00 UTC ]
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The “Aya” series explores the pains and pleasures of everyday life in a working-class neighborhood in West Africa. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2024-02-10 10:02:39 UTC ]
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