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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Author and USC professor Percival Everett joins the Los Angeles Times Book Club on Nov. 16 to discuss "Dr. No" at the Autry Museum. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-11-08 21:41:13 UTC ]
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“Words and Bullets” is a project launched by the Ukrainian independent publisher Chytomo and PEN Ukraine with the support of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). It is a series of interviews with authors and journalists who became soldiers or volunteers following the Russian invasion of... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-11-07 09:53:45 UTC ]
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She documented her attempt to cook every recipe in Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” in a popular blog that became a best-selling book and a hit movie. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-11-01 17:10:48 UTC ]
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Blockbuster first-week sales of Colleen Hoover’s 'It Starts with Us' was not enough to prevent unit sales of print books from falling 9.1% last week compared to the week ended October 23, 2021. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-10-27 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Publisher who founded Virago Press began as a campaigning outsider who introduced UK readers to authors including Angela Carter and Margaret AtwoodCarmen Callil, the publisher and writer who championed female writers and transformed the canon of English literature, has died of leukemia in London... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-10-18 09:09:25 UTC ]
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It is a truth universally acknowledged that there are as many definitions of “feminism” and “science fiction” as there are people who identify as feminists and science fiction enthusiasts—in fact, that is part of what makes both of these communities attractive to many people. However, by 1981,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-10-11 08:53:20 UTC ]
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Novelist and television script writer Michael Malone, 80, died of pancreatic cancer on August 19. Malone was one of the first established writers to be published under the Sourcebooks Landmark imprint launched in 2001. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-23 04:00:00 UTC ]
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He wrote best-selling mysteries and family sagas, and also examined homophobia and sexual assault as head writer of the soap opera "One Life to Live." Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-08-23 02:01:50 UTC ]
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Literary world riven by conflict as trade union is accused of inappropriately taking sides in culture warIt is a literary row that threatens to consume the very organisation set up to protect authors’ rights. And, in spite of the involvement of three prominent names in children’s books, it has... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-08-21 09:00:05 UTC ]
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The 'African Book Box' program from Book Aid International is delivering books to 76 schools in Uganda, Ghana, and Zimbabwe. The post Book Aid International Programming: Books for 56,000 African Students appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-08-09 19:02:10 UTC ]
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His portfolio included the adventures of Richie Rich and graphic treatments of 9/11 and torture by the C.I.A. He also wrote dozens of songs. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-08-06 15:16:54 UTC ]
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In our final column for The Post, we revisit books we have savored and many more we hope to read. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-08-04 12:00:00 UTC ]
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The justice department is seeking to block the $2.2bn merger between Penguin Random House and Simon & SchusterThe government and publishing titan Penguin Random House exchanged opening salvos in a federal antitrust trial Monday as the US seeks to block the biggest US book publisher from... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-08-01 16:24:36 UTC ]
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Facebook's parent company Meta is telling its U.S. publishing partners that the company will no longer pay for news content that aggregates on Facebook's news tab. Facebook's News Tab and Bulletin newsletters will be put on the back burner as Meta moves forward with investing in AI-based video... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2022-07-29 17:11:09 UTC ]
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Erika L. Sánchez's insightful memoir might not resonate with the easily offended. But those looking for an unfiltered, feel-good story will find it here. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-07-17 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Rafael Agustin dishes about "Illegally Yours," his candid new memoir about a childhood without documents, and the TV pilot that never made it. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-07-07 13:00:42 UTC ]
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Forefront Books and the Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives are teaming up to form Frederick Douglass Books, a publishing imprint meant to “establish a pathway for Black and Brown authors” into the publishing industry, the two organizations announced in a press release last week. The imprint... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-06-16 13:04:40 UTC ]
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“I absolutely do not believe that racism is practiced against white writers," the bestselling author said. Continue reading at HuffPost
[ HuffPost | 2022-06-15 06:32:10 UTC ]
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“It’s even harder for older writers," Patterson, whose net worth is estimated to be $800 million, told the Sunday Times. "You don’t meet many 52-year-old white males.” Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-06-14 14:28:52 UTC ]
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The author, who is white, told British newspaper The Times that job difficulties were "another form of racism." Continue reading at The Huffington Post
[ The Huffington Post | 2022-06-13 08:03:37 UTC ]
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