The Guardian view on modern writers: the myth of the reclusive author | Editorial

These days, most writers cannot afford to live secluded from their public. But when a very private author like Thomas Harris announces a new novel, there’s always special excitementAuthors – at least as far as their relationship with the public goes – fall into several distinct categories. There are those who wish they had a public at all, who long for an invitation to speak at a book festival, and whose publishers try in vain to tempt journalists to interview them and podcast producers to book them. This category embraces a larger proportion of authors than most people would like to imagine; the average income earned by writers from writing (as opposed to teaching, or other day jobs) is £12,500, according to a recent study.Then there are those who have a sufficient standing to attract the attention of festivals, book clubs and other public events, and a publisher who can be persuaded to fork out travel expenses for them to attend. These events are almost invariably poorly paid, and at their worst – when audience members and sales are few – can be dispiriting. On the other hand, good literary festivals pride themselves on being welcoming and warmly social places, where authors can enjoy swapping solitary hours of writing for intelligent interaction with readers and conversation with colleagues. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2018-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Register Today for AAPI Communities in Conversation #12 with Elizabeth Miki Brina, Author of 'Speak, Okinawa'

Brina will appear in conversation with Elizabeth Joseph of New Rochelle Public Library. The live stream is set for Tuesday, December 6th at 1 p.m. ET. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-02 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Inaugural Russell Freedman Award Honors Late Author's Impact

The winners of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators' inaugural Russell Freedman Award for Nonfiction for a Better World were announced on November 29. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-01 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Venezuela's Editorial Dahbar Receives 2022 AAP International Freedom to Publish Award

The AAP cited the Venezuelan publisher for exhibiting "tremendous courage and commitment in continuing to publish, even as the social and political environments in Venezuela have deteriorated, causing many others to flee the country,” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-11-30 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Koos Prinsloo: the cult Afrikaans writer has been translated to English – here's a review

Challenging myths about heterosexual white South African men, Prinsloo published four books of short stories in 12 years. Continue reading at The Conversation

[ The Conversation | 2022-11-28 05:37:53 UTC ]
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I’m a HarperCollins author. Here’s why (and how) I won’t cross the virtual picket line.

In days of yore—that is, my childhood in the paper-mill town of Mexico, Maine—a labor strike looked like an ugly affair. Picketing men in steel-toed boots screamed themselves hoarse at every shift change, their righteous anger rising into a sky thick with the sulfurous clouds of... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-11-23 16:38:06 UTC ]
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An Indigenous Writer Discovers New and Old Ways to Connect With the Land and With Each Other

Joshua Whitehead can’t be held by genre. Following on the success of his Lambda Literary Award winning novel Jonny Appleseed and poetry collection full-metal indigiqueer, Making Love with the Land is Whitehead’s first full-length work of creative nonfiction. But to describe this book as merely... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2022-11-23 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Children’s authors of colour published in UK rose to 11.7% of market in 2021

BookTrust research shows, however, that the overall picture ‘remains far from representative’ with some writers and illustrators reporting tokenismNew research has found that 11.7% of children’s book creators published in the UK in 2021 were people of colour, up from 5.6% in 2017.Despite the big... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-11-23 06:01:50 UTC ]
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Are these America’s “most talented but underappreciated” writers?

On Friday, Longwood University announced the finalists for the 2022 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... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-11-21 14:30:02 UTC ]
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Heartstopper author Alice Oseman: ‘If you don’t have sex and romance, you feel like you haven’t achieved’

The writer and illustrator on turning her ‘weird hobby’ into a bestselling YA series and Netflix hit, the importance of asexual representation and lessons from her fans on love bitesAt 28, the author and illustrator Alice Oseman recently achieved what so many of her peers cannot: she bought a... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-11-19 09:00:53 UTC ]
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Female Authors are Speaking Up, Strengthening Spirits

Female authors reveal honest stories of trauma, the challenges of motherhood, sexual dysfunction, and other rarely-talked about topics in new religion and spirituality books for women. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-11-18 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Children’s Author Marcus Sedgwick Dies

Celebrated children's author Marcus Sedgwick, who was nominated for more than 30 awards, has passed away unexpectedly. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-11-17 17:42:32 UTC ]
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Marcus Sedgwick, celebrated children’s author, dies aged 54

Tributes have flooded in for the much-loved writer, who wrote more than 40 books for children and adults including the recent Be the Change handbooksAuthor Marcus Sedgwick, who wrote more than 40 books for children and adults, has died aged 54. His literary agency RCW has confirmed his death,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-11-17 13:02:14 UTC ]
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Authors Guild Applauds Arrest, Indictment of Major E-Book Pirates

Two Russian nationals are now facing criminal charges in the U.S. for their role in running Z-Library, one of the world's most notorious e-book pirate sites before its domains were seized by U.S. officials earlier this fall. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-11-17 05:00:00 UTC ]
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10 Picture Book Biographies of Authors to Show Kids How to Use Their Words

These picture book biographies of authors, including John Ronald's Dragons: The Story of J.R.R. Tolkien, show children how they can use their words to describe their inner and outer worlds. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-11-15 11:31:00 UTC ]
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Desperate Writer Query Template*

Esteemed Agent, I’m seeking representation for my [300,000-word rhyming memoir / novel-in-grocery-coupons / famous literary graves calendar**] which is a cross between [Maid and Green Eggs and Ham / a bag of Halloween candy and that novel-in-texts you just sold / an apple watch and a mortuary... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2022-11-11 12:05:00 UTC ]
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Sheikh Zayed Award Names Longlists: Literature, Children’s Literature, Young Authors

The first three categories' longlists have been released in the 17th edition of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, based in Abu Dhabi. The post Sheikh Zayed Award Names Longlists: Literature, Children’s Literature, Young Authors appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-11-10 20:55:04 UTC ]
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These famous authors are expressing solidarity with the striking HarperCollins workers.

As you may have seen on Book Twitter today, the unionized workers of HarperCollins are striking to secure a fair contract, livable wages, and a more equitable publishing industry. Some 250 employees—across the editorial, publicity, sales, marketing, legal and design departments—agreed to go on... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-11-10 19:23:57 UTC ]
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Meet Percival Everett: 5 novels that showcase the L.A. writer's enigmatic style

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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Four Ukrainian Writers on Literature, Solidarity, and the Future of Justice

“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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Julie Powell, bestselling author of 'Julie & Julia,' dies at 49

Julie Powell was known for documenting her mission to cook every recipe in Julia Child's cookbook, 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking,' on her blog. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-11-01 18:39:54 UTC ]
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