The Desmond Elliott prize reminds us that authors need long-term support

With her prizewinning debut, Claire Fuller could be following in the footsteps of Ian Rankin and Hilary Mantel who found success with their later work – but only with the support of her publisherAs one of the judges for the Desmond Elliott prize for best debut novelist this year, I couldn’t help reflect on some of the challenges still to come for the authors. With three such accomplished novels on our shortlist, there was some hard talking in the judges’ room, but in the end we decided, by an honourable 2:1 vote, to award the prize to Claire Fuller for Our Endless Numbered Days. It is a dark and perfectly poised account of a survivalist father hiding out in a remote forest with his increasingly embattled daughter that recalls the early work of Ian McEwan in its brooding slow build to a dramatic climax. But nobody could dispute the literary skill evident in the other books on the shortlist: Elizabeth Is Missing by Emma Healey and Carys Bray’s A Song for Issy Bradley.The vital thing now is that these writers are offered long-term support from their agents and publishers. The amount of publicity given to those first novels that become instant bestsellers distorts the reality for the majority of debut novelists, even very gifted ones: a moderate advance, a small amount of acclaim, a continuing battle to get their next book written and then published. This is the reality for authors who want a sustained career in books. Related: Desmond Elliott prize goes to Claire Fuller's... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2015-07-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #emma healey #carys bray #debut novelists #book written #sustained career

Other Publishing stories related to: 'The Desmond Elliott prize reminds us that authors need long-term support'


A saint, a sinner and a sprog: Goldsmiths book prize shortlist announced

Six books are up for the award celebrating innovative fiction, including Benjamin Myers’ account of St Cuthbert and a ‘great trans novel’ set in a small northern townA bildungsroman, a story within a story and two novels set across a single day feature in the six-book shortlist for this year’s... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-10-04 19:30:02 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #goldsmiths prize #novels set #six-book shortlist #judging chair #creative writing #book prize


Bestselling author Naomi Wood wins 2023 BBC national short story award

The UEA creative writing lecturer won for Comorbidities, which judging chair Reeta Chakrabarti called a ‘sparkling gem’ that tackles serious issues with a ‘light and wry touch’• Read the story belowNaomi Wood has won the 2023 BBC national short story award for Comorbidities, a story about a... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-09-26 19:00:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #judging chair #bestselling author


Read the Winners of American Short Fiction’s 2023 Insider Prize, Selected by Nickolas Butler

Last spring, I approached Nickolas Butler, internationally bestselling author of the novels Shotgun Lovesongs, The Hearts of Men, and Godspeed, to be the judge for this year’s Insider Prize, American Short Fiction’s annual literary award for incarcerated writers in Texas. He’d worked with... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-09-22 08:15:30 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #incarcerated writers #literary award #bestselling author


Leading Christian Authors Look to Little Readers

Christian-living megaselling authors, renowned Bible scholars, Christian fiction stars, and more are eager to open the doors to faith for little ones with new books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-09-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #christian fiction


Here’s the shortlist for the 2023 Dos Passos prize.

This week, Longwood University announced the finalists for the 2023 John Dos Passos Prize, which is the oldest literary award given by a Virginia college or university, and which honors “one of America’s most talented but underappreciated writers…whose work offers incisive, original commentary... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-09-21 17:03:34 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #virginia college #original commentary #american themes #literary award


2023 Booker Prize Shortlist Announced

The six-book shortlist for this year's Booker Prize for Fiction includes books by the Americans Jonathan Escoffery and Paul Harding. The winner will be announced on November 26. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-09-21 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #six-book shortlist #booker prize #paul harding


Amazon restricts authors from self-publishing more than three books a day after AI concerns

The company announced the new limitations after an influx of suspected AI-generated material was listed for sale but said that ‘very few’ publishers will be affectedAmazon has created a new rule limiting the number of books that authors can self-publish on its site to three a day, after an... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-09-20 16:22:58 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #company announced #recent months #kindle #self-publish


The German Book Prize Announces Its 2023 Shortlist

The awards ceremony for the German Book Prize is set for Frankfurt on October 16 before the start of Frankfurter Buchmesse. The post The German Book Prize Announces Its 2023 Shortlist appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-09-19 18:55:02 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #awards ceremony #frankfurter buchmesse #german book


Sharjah Book Authority Announces its 2023 Publishers Conference

The three-day Publishers Conference professional program this year runs October 29 to 31, just ahead of Sharjah International Book Fair. The post Sharjah Book Authority Announces its 2023 Publishers Conference appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-09-18 17:22:40 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


'Big Bang of Numbers' – The Conversation's book club explores how math alone could create the universe with author Manil Suri

A book-length thought experiment uses math to investigate some of life’s big questions. Continue reading at The Conversation

[ The Conversation | 2023-09-18 12:19:43 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #big bang #big questions #book club


TikTok Cookbook Authors

A growing number of video stars are using their online clout to break into the publishing world. And they’re changing the shape of the American cookbook. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-09-18 09:01:07 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #growing number #video stars #publishing world #cookbook


The Paris Review Wins 2023 Whiting Literary Magazine Prize

“We are thrilled to announce that The Paris Review has won a 2023 Whiting Literary Magazine Prize.” Continue reading at The Paris Review

[ The Paris Review | 2023-09-13 14:10:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #paris review #literary magazine


More Authors, Including Michael Chabon, Sue AI Developers Over Copyright

The claims in the new suits are nearly identical to claims in two previous author class actions filed over the summer by writers, alleging the companies used unauthorized copies of their books to train their AI models. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-09-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #unauthorized copies


WaterBrook’s Wingfeather Saga Sells 1 Million Copies ‘On Its Own Terms’

Wingfeather, Andrew Peterson’s middle grade fantasy series from Christian publisher WaterBrook, follows three siblings as they encounter good versus evil, in a story ‘that doesn’t cheapen the reality that the world can be a scary place,’ the author says. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-09-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Pulitzer Prize board expands eligibility pool for arts awards to non-U.S. citizens

The Pulitzer Prize Board announced on Tuesday that it will be dropping its U.S. citizenship requirement for awards in books, drama and music beginning in 2025. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-09-12 22:41:31 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #citizenship requirement #pulitzer prize


Pulitzer Prizes Expand Eligibility to Noncitizens

The jury for the memoir category had raised concerns that the citizenship requirement was excluding a large part of American culture. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-09-12 21:31:43 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #raised concerns #citizenship requirement #large part #american culture #memoir


Here are the winners of the 2023 Whiting Literary Magazine Prizes.

Today, the Whiting Foundation announced the winners of its sixth annual Literary Magazine Prizes, honoring “seven print and digital magazines that are among the most distinctive and lively publications at the forefront of American culture.” This cycle, each winner will be granted $20,000 in... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-09-12 12:00:56 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital magazines #american culture #literary magazine


2023 Whiting Literary Magazine Prize Winners Announced

'Guernica,' 'Mizna,' 'Orion,' the 'Paris Review,' the 'Los Angeles Review of Books,' 'n+1,' and 'Oxford American' are the winners of this year's Whiting Literary Magazine Prizes. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-09-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #paris review #oxford american #literary magazine


Here’s the shortlist for the 2023 British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding.

Today, the British Academy announced the shortlist for the 2023 British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding, an international book prize, now in its 11th year, that “celebrates ground-breaking research-based works of non-fiction that have made an outstanding contribution to the... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-09-12 00:00:56 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #11th year #outstanding contribution #public understanding #world cultures #book prize


How Does a Best-Selling Author Name Her Characters?

Lisa Jewell puts a great deal of thought into the monikers she chooses for the people who populate her books. Here are her rules of thumb. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-09-07 09:02:29 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #great deal #best-selling author