The Cif community challenges its writers – and can change their minds | Seth Freedman

Georgina Henry's kind but firm encouragement to go below the line on my pieces has transformed my life as well as my idealsFor a wide-eyed, wannabe writer, being cast into the Cif lions' den induced fear and pride in equal measure. The chance to contribute to such a paradigm-shifting project was one any budding journalist would jump at, but at the same time there was no hiding from the army of commenters ready to tear each and every article to shreds in the threads below. And since I was writing about the most incendiary topic under the Cif sun, the venom and vitriol would start flying from the minute the publish button was pressed on each of my pieces.Despite alarmingly inauspicious beginnings – ending my debut BTL comment with a sneering "Whatever mate – I write, you read …" – it soon became apparent that the Cif process was a two-way street. The site's original editor, Georgina Henry, encouraged me to participate in the threads from day one, telling me firmly but kindly that venturing below the line was "more than good form – they expect it". To her and her burgeoning ranks of readers and commenters, writers' jobs had only just begun when their pieces were put up on the site; the real work took place in the lengthy and vociferous threads that followed.No sooner had I started joining in the debate I found – like so many others – that I just couldn't stop. The addictive nature of the Cif beast meant I always wanted to respond, forever craved the last word, couldn't help... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2014-03-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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ALA Releases Top 13 Most Challenged Books of 2022

With book bans and legislative challenges to the freedom to read surging to record levels, even the top 10 most banned books list is bigger. In 2022, multiple books received the same number of challenges, resulting in the expansion of the list to 13 titles. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-04-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Live from New York: Curtis Sittenfeld on Dating Up, Writing Funny, and How SNL and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop Are Alike

Bestselling author Curtis Sittenfeld joins co-hosts V.V. Ganeshananthan and Whitney Terrell to discuss her new novel, Romantic Comedy, which begins behind the scenes at a television show similar to Saturday Night Live, where a female comedy writer is gobsmacked that her schlubby straight male... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-04-20 08:53:29 UTC ]
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At London Book Fair: Translation Markets’ Expansion, Challenges

'A major shift in English and American culture' toward translation is examined in a session at London Book Fair. The post At London Book Fair: Translation Markets’ Expansion, Challenges appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-04-20 02:16:29 UTC ]
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Charkin: ‘The Challenges of International Diplomacy’

Publication day: 'The IPA continues to quietly do good work in the background' on the freedom to publish and diplomacy, writes Richard Charkin in 'My Back Pages'—his memoir releasing today. The post Charkin: ‘The Challenges of International Diplomacy’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-04-17 04:05:03 UTC ]
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The NewFronts Evolves Amid a Changing Marketplace—but Is It Enough?

The Interactive Advertising Bureau's annual NewFronts is almost here, which for advertisers means a week of sprinting around Manhattan to view multiple presentations from digital publishers. But for Day 3 of this year's digital content event, taking place May 1-4, in-person attendees will be... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2023-04-10 10:00:00 UTC ]
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Rachel Pollack, trans activist and comic book writer, dies aged 77

Pollack, who created the first mainstream transgender superhero, Kate Godwin, had been fighting Hodgkin’s lymphomaRachel Pollack, award-winning author, leading authority on tarot and the occult, trans activist and comic-book writer who created the first mainstream transgender superhero, has died... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-04-08 10:45:56 UTC ]
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‘LBF-BCBF’ 2024 Conflict Resolved: London Date Change

Gareth Rapley announces a long-term move for London Book Fair to March, away from Bologna's 2024 dates. The post ‘LBF-BCBF’ 2024 Conflict Resolved: London Date Change appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-04-06 15:08:55 UTC ]
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Writing History Showed Me a New Way to View Climate Change

Two new books, a U. K. paperback and a world first edition, were delivered to my door on the same day last week. I put the books side by side on the table. The first, suggestive of dark happenings in the past,  was The Lion House: The Rise of Suleyman the Magnificent. The second book’s […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-04-03 08:52:43 UTC ]
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8 Compelling Horror Manga That Will Haunt Your Mind

The compelling horror manga have some of the most disturbing scenes I’ve ever read, with panels will haunt my mind for years to come. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-03-30 10:31:00 UTC ]
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Are Literary Agents Seeing Changes in Publishing with Increased Book Bans (A Survey): Book Censorship News, March 24, 2023

Are publishers acquiring fewer LGBTQ+ and diverse books in the wake of rising censorship? This week's book censorship news. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-03-24 10:40:00 UTC ]
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Braving a blizzard to meet the most promising (and most offline) young writer in the West

In a writer-as-brand era, Taylor Koekkoek's obscurity is almost as refreshing as the hilarious, stealthily profound stories in his debut, 'Thrillville, USA.' Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-03-22 13:00:29 UTC ]
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4 Amazon privacy settings you should change right now

Like most big tech companies, Amazon collects large amounts of data on its users, in part of the purpose of targeting ads and training its Alexa voice models. Look in the right places, though, and much of this data collection can be minimized or prevented, and you can even opt out of... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2023-03-22 10:45:00 UTC ]
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2023 Walter Dean Myers Awards: Life Changing Literature and Book Bans

The eighth annual ​Walter​ ​Awards ​Ceremony​ and Symposium took place as a hybrid event at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C., and online on March 17. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-21 04:00:00 UTC ]
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I believed readers only wanted trauma stories from writers of colour. Then I became an author | Zoya Patel

For so long, it seemed that readers were only interested in the experiences of people like me if we were traumatised, not triumphant – and I internalised this as an indisputable factGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailI can’t pinpoint exactly when I started imagining myself in the stories... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-03-18 19:00:19 UTC ]
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John Steinbeck’s House May Become a Writers Retreat

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Tom Benn Wins England’s Young Writer of the Year Award

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-03-15 17:35:58 UTC ]
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Library minds own business as anti-gay pedophile self-destructs—some thoughts.

A man so upset by the Pride programming at his local libraries that he felt moved to graffiti “GROOMERS” onto the windows has been charged with possession of child pornography, the Washington Post reports. The man, Charles M. Sutherland, vandalized two branches in Maryland’s Prince George’s... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-03-14 15:13:40 UTC ]
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[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-03-09 22:20:34 UTC ]
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The Best Short Stories by Latin American Writers

If the literary landscape of the early twentieth century, at least when it comes to short stories, is dominated by Anglophone writers like Katherine Mansfield, James Joyce, and Virginia Woolf, then the mid-twentieth century arguably belongs to the Latin American writers who helped to move the... Continue reading at Interesting Literature

[ Interesting Literature | 2023-03-05 18:00:38 UTC ]
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WI2023: Booksellers Respond to Book Challenges and Bans

On the closing day of the ABA's Winter Institute 2023, a keynote and idea exchange tackled book banning and other threats to the freedom to read. Stories of outrage were easy to come by, but solutions were in shorter supply. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-27 05:00:00 UTC ]
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