The Character Loses Battles, but the Writer’s Won the War 

In Moranthology, Caitlin Moran’s 2012 compendium of her decades of brash, personal columns for the British press, Moran jokes that as a teenage girl living in public housing in Wolverhampton, England, her career options were limited to “prostitution,” “working the checkout at the Gateway supermarket,” or “becoming a writer.” Moran chose door No. 3, of course, and in this month’s novel How to Build a Girl, she loans the line to protagonist Johanna Morrigan, a 14-year-old girl living in public housing in Wolverhampton, England. Johanna—a voracious reader and even more insatiable masturbator—is too poor for records and too young to fuck, so she learns what rock music sounds like and what semen tastes like via borrowed library magazines, then rebrands herself as the London party girl Dolly Wilde, cinches a job as a teen music journalist, and sets out to hear and taste for herself. “If I don’t keep this job,” Johanna tells her mother, “then my only future career options are working in Argos or being a prostitute.” Continue reading at 'Slate'

[ Slate | 2014-09-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #caitlin moran #voracious reader

Other Publishing stories related to: 'The Character Loses Battles, but the Writer’s Won the War '


SoA and PA join English PEN in fight to free imprisoned writers worldwide

The Society of Authors, the Publishers Association and English PEN are launching a joint campaign in aid of imprisoned writers worldwide, called Speak Out. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-06-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishers association #english pen


Kiwi writer Anthony McCarten on Queen, the Popes, John Lennon and Weed

It's been a whirlwind of a time following the success of The Theory of Everything, but Anthony McCarten certainly hasn't been resting on his laurels. The New Zealand-born writer, based in London, has just finished screenwriting a film based on Winston Churchill's life, polished off Bohemian... Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2017-06-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #john lennon #winston churchill #yoko ono #non-fiction book #darkest hour


In Memoirs, Religious Writers Tell of Faith Lost and Found

New and forthcoming memoirs in the religion and spirituality category tell stories of overcoming adversity, and of faith found, changed, or regained. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-06-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #religious writers


Greenpeace Wars with Paper Company, Sticking Publishers In the Middle

The Big Five have found themselves in the middle of a long-running battle between Greenpeace and Resolute Forest Products over logging practices in Canada’s Boreal Forest. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-06-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #logging practices #boreal forest


Indies battle it out for £5k Ledbury Forte Poetry Prize

Seven titles from independent publishers are in the running for the inaugural £5,000 Ledbury Forte Poetry Prize, which celebrates second poetry collections. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-06-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #independent publishers #poetry collections


Libraries minister Wilson loses his seat

The future of the government’s libraries brief has been thrown into doubt after libraries minister Rob Wilson lost his seat in Thursday’s General Election. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #general election


Podcast series explores Polygon writer's path to publication

A new podcast series exploring a debut crime author’s 14-year journey to publication will be released on 20th June. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-06-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #20th june


BookExpo 2017: Setting Her Characters Ablaze: Celeste Ng

Celeste Ng’s second novel starts with an actual blaze, but it is an emotional inferno that ultimately consumes the characters in "Little Fires Everywhere" (Penguin, Sept.). Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #celeste ng


BookExpo 2017: ‘Empire’ Writer Returns to Her Texas Roots: Attica Locke

Attica Locke—writer and producer of the Fox hit show "Empire"—is also the author of four acclaimed novels. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-06-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #attica locke


From social media star to bestselling writer, the young ‘Instapoet’

Rupi Kaur’s first book, Milk and Honey, sold 1.4 million copieSOrdinarily, the illustration adorning the cover of a new book is not a big story, but such is the hype around the young Canadian poet Rupi Kaur that her plan to release the picture to her 1.3 million Instagram followers on 1 June is... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-05-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #big story #first-time writer #poetry collection


Leading writers to take up residencies in London libraries

Leading writers Irenosen Okojie, Courttia Newland, Bidisha, and Alex Wheatle MBE are to take up residencies in London libraries as part of a new literary initiative. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #leading writers


Facebook Just Lost a Big Battle to Google for Publishers

Facebook hasn't lost the war against Google for publishers' content, but it looks like it's losing one fight.The company said Thursday that it's created a software extension that lets publishers easily transfer content formatted for its Instant Articles to the No. 1 competition for mobile... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2017-05-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #google amp #facebook hasn #mobile readers #widespread adoption #load faster


Anthony Horowitz's claim he was told not to write black characters sparks row

Other writers have reacted with scepticism to the Alex Rider author’s claim that he was discouraged from ‘artificial and possibly patronising’ writingA furore has broken out in the children’s books world around claims by Alex Rider creator Anthony Horowitz that he was “warned off” creating a... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-05-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #anthony horowitz #books world #patrice lawrence #bestselling author


Horowitz's UK publisher says it did not warn author off creating black character

Anthony Horowitz children's publisher at Walker has said it would not instruct authors on whether or not to include characters of a different race or background in their books. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-05-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #uk publisher


Creative Future: bringing new writers from the margins to the mainstream

Dominique De-Light blogs about why Creative Future is determined to help underrepresented writers. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-05-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #underrepresented writers #creative future


Scientific writer snapped up by Hachette Children's

Hachette Children’s Group has bought a middle-grade novel from scientific writer Sharon Cohen. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hachette children


At the Huntington, see the inspirational note black sci-fi writer Octavia Butler wrote to herself

Before her first novel sold in 1975, before she won her MacArthur grant, sci-fi writer Octavia Butler fought years of rejection by writing inspirational notes to herself. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2017-05-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #macarthur grant


Oneworld to publish Hay anthology of Latin American writers

Oneworld is to publish a new anthology of work from a selection of the best fiction writers under 40 from across Latin America. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fiction writers #latin america


Teaching Writing At the Writers Studio

The non-MFA writing school, run by Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Philip Schultz, turns 30 this year, and marks the milestone with a new anthology. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #teaching writing #pulitzer prize


Pontas marks 25 years as a home for writers worldwide

The Barcelona-based agency that is global in both mindset and client list invited its authors to toast its quarter-century. Katherine Cowdrey meets the woman who founded the firm. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #writers worldwide