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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