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

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Author says the Apple TV+ 'Tetris' movie ripped off his book

The Apple TV+ film Tetris was copied from a book written years ago, according to a lawsuit filed against the tech giant and the Tetris Company. Dan Ackerman, the editor-in-chief of Gizmodo, has accused the plaintiffs of ripping off his book The Tetris Effect, which tells the history of the game... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-08-09 06:17:44 UTC ]
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Prince Harry and Meghan buy film rights to Canadian author Carley Fortune's romantic novel

A Canadian author says a production company belonging to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has bought the screen rights for her romantic novel. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2023-08-08 18:39:04 UTC ]
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What the sale of a major American book publisher means for authors, the industry — and you

Book publisher Simon & Schuster's sale to investment firm KKR is novel in many ways, but also part of a long-term trend. History tells us to expect the unexpected. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-08-08 17:35:35 UTC ]
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‘A smorgasbord of unlikability’: the authors helping ‘sad girl lit’ grow up

In this post-Fleabag world, publishing has become obsessed with the inner turmoils of messy millennials – but isn’t it time they pulled themselves together? Meet the novelists subverting the clichesYou’ve probably come across this woman: she is unfulfilled in her career, has been abandoned by at... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-08-08 15:19:43 UTC ]
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In an Open Loft in Gowanus, Six Authors and Artists Collaborate and Commune

For the children’s book creators Doug Salati, Brian Floca, Sophie Blackall, Rowboat Watkins, Johnny Marciano and Dasha Tolstikova, the light-filled space has become much more than just a place to work. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-08-03 09:01:00 UTC ]
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Here is the 2023 Booker Prize longlist!

The freshly announced “Booker’s dozen” of titles longlisted for the 2023 Booker Prize is making its way around the literary internet, so let’s see what the morning tides have brought in. There are four debut novelists on the list, and Irish writers nabbed a record four out of the 13 nominations... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-08-01 14:43:06 UTC ]
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New Voices Dominate Booker Prize Nominations

Four of the 13 books that will compete for the prestigious literary award are debuts, in a longlist that the judges said was “defined by its freshness.” Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-08-01 13:21:55 UTC ]
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Booker prize reveals ‘original and thrilling’ 2023 longlist

Previously nominated authors Sebastian Barry, Tan Twan Eng and Paul Murray join 13-strong field including four debuts• Irish writers, debuts – and groundbreaking sci-fi: the Booker longlist in depthA longlist of 13 “original and thrilling” books offering “startling portraits of the current” are... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-08-01 08:00:00 UTC ]
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2023 Booker Prize Longlist Announced

The longlist for the 2023 Booker Prize was announced on August 1. Among the 13 authors to make the list, 10, including four debut novelists, were longlisted for the first time. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-01 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Bruce Handy on Becoming a Children’s Picture Book Author in His 60s

“Writing for kids had long been an ambition of mine, but until recently I didn’t know it had long been an ambition.” Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-07-28 09:00:25 UTC ]
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Bruce Handy on Becoming a Children’s Picture Book Author in His 60s

“Writing for kids had long been an ambition of mine, but until recently I didn’t know it had long been an ambition.” Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-07-28 09:00:24 UTC ]
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Q+A on life support as executive producer joins Stan Grant and heads for the door | The Weekly Beast

Q+A’s executive producer, Erin Vincent, quits the ABC. Plus: News Corp staff told to pay for print copies of SMH and AFRQ+A is on life support. The ABC talk show is highly unlikely to be commissioned after this year, ending a headline grabbing 15-year run on ABC TV.Two days after Stan Grant... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-07-28 05:07:54 UTC ]
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Zamora: It's time for the Pulitzer Prize for literature to accept noncitizens

As a previously undocumented person, all I've wanted was to be considered the same as everyone else. Defined by my merit, not by the place of my birth. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-07-20 20:55:53 UTC ]
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Children's Author Becomes a 'Loudmouth' for Banned Books

Author Leah Johnson isn't simply speaking up against censorship—she's putting banned books into people's hands, and will open Loudmouth Books in Indianapolis in late September. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-20 04:00:00 UTC ]
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How to watch bestselling author Luis Alberto Urrea at the L.A. Times Book Club

Luis Alberto Urrea, author of 'Good Night, Irene,' joins L.A. Times Book Club readers live on July 19. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-07-19 20:38:21 UTC ]
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Yes, it can be very stressful to publish a book, and young writers need more support.

An April report by the UK-based publishing site, The Bookseller, showed that more than half of the debut authors they surveyed said the experience of publishing a book adversely affected their mental health. Further reporting from The Guardian reveals that (some) publishers have quickly... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-07-19 19:03:31 UTC ]
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An A-Z Alphabet of Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors of Color

Looking to diversify your reading list? Then this alphabet of SFF authors of color is a great place to start! Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-07-19 10:37:00 UTC ]
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Margaret Atwood among thousands of authors demanding compensation from AI companies

Margaret Atwood, James Patterson and Suzanne Collins are among thousands of writers endorsing an open letter from the Authors Guild urging AI companies to obtain permission before incorporating copyrighted work into their technologies. ... Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2023-07-18 21:52:26 UTC ]
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‘There’s an industry-wide mental health crisis’: authors and publishers on why the books sector needs to change

After a survey revealed the stresses that authors face when placed in the spotlight for the first time, publishing houses and industry bodies have pledged extra training and pastoral careAuthor and publisher welfare has been a hot topic in the books industry of late. Publishing houses, trade... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-07-18 15:13:43 UTC ]
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Authors Join the Brewing Legal Battle Over AI

Two new class action copyright lawsuits ramp up the growing scrutiny of large language models and other generative artificial intelligence tools. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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