The Man Booker Prize: the highs and lows of the books in contention

What a to-do there has been about this year's Man Booker Prize. First, it was the shortcomings of the longlist, which, according to Britain's Telegraph, had "overlooked some of the year's most exciting releases". Then, of course, it was all about the shortlist, which had too many Americans on it (three) and two worryingly young women, one of whom was analysed almost to death after saying she wrote her book on her phone and who both wrote about nature in a lyrical way and were inevitably accused of "overwriting". The biggest conundrum, however, was the way the big names evaporated. The longlist had been a mix of newcomers and heavy-hitters, with the latter expected to sail through to the next round: Arundhati Roy, Zadie Smith, Sebastian Barry. Of the lions from the pre-American era on the longlist, only Mohsin Hamid and Ali Smith – three times nominated, thoroughly deserving – made the cut. Paul Auster is a big name in po-mo circles, of course, but American and thus a newcomer in Booker terms. They couldn't say their books weren't good enough. This shortlist was simply perverse. Thus spake the pundits. Continue reading at 'Stuff'

[ Stuff | 2017-10-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #sebastian barry #paul auster

Other Publishing stories related to: 'The Man Booker Prize: the highs and lows of the books in contention'


TV Book Club titles take £3m through the tills

Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Wed, 30/03/2011 - 15:17 Just shy of £3m has been spent on the 10 titles of More 4's latest "TV Book Club" in 2011, with sales over the series up 2% on the 2010 selections and against an overall book market decline of 7%. A grand total of 506,200... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Pullman, Kelman make Booker list, le Carré withdraws

Written By: Katie Allen Publication Date: Wed, 30/03/2011 - 09:15 Three authors from the UK have made it onto the list of finalists for the Man Booker International Prize 2011. James Kelman, Philip Pullman and John le Carré have joined the list of 13 for the biennial £60,000 award, which... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #philip pullman #james kelman


Eason to inject €20m into book chain as part of resructure

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Wed, 30/03/2011 - 09:36 Eason is pumping €20m into the company over the next three years, at the same time as embarking on trade union talks over a restructure that will likely include some job losses. The Irish bookselling chain announced to staff... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #inject 20m #book chain #pumping 20m #job losses #strategic plan


Eason to inject €20m into book chain as part of restructure

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Wed, 30/03/2011 - 09:36 Eason is pumping €20m into the company over the next three years, at the same time as embarking on trade union talks over a restructure that will likely include some job losses. The Irish bookselling chain announced to staff... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #inject 20m #book chain #pumping 20m #job losses #strategic plan


Print book sales continue to fall

Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Tue, 29/03/2011 - 15:50 Book sales slipped for the fourth week in a row last week, and were down more than £3.3m last year, according to Nielsen BookScan data. A total of £24.2m was spent on printed books at UK retail outlets in the seven days to 26th... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fourth week #previous week #printed books


"Upbeat" start to Bologna Book Fair

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Tue, 29/03/2011 - 08:51 Busy schedules and a strong presence from US publishers in an "upbeat" mood were reported on the first day of the Bologna Book Fair. Hodder Children's Books publishing director Anne McNeil said the fair was busier than it had... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #strong presence #hodder children #devastating earthquake


Book Ruling Cuts Options for Google

Google may seek help from Congress as it tries to salvage a book publishing settlement that was rejected by a federal judge. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #federal judge


Dictator dentistry wins odd title prize

Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Fri, 25/03/2011 - 00:05 A book advising dentists to manage their practices according to the leadership techniques of a legendary Mongolian warlord has been voted the winner of the Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #diagram prize


Media Decoder: Self-Publisher Signs Four-Book Deal With St. Martin's

Amanda Hocking, the 26-year-old author who shot to fame by selling more than a million copies of her self-published books, has signed a deal with St. Martin's Press. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #media decoder #amanda hocking #million copies #self-published books


Judge throws out revised Google Book Settlement

Written By: Philip Jones Publication Date: Tue, 22/03/2011 - 19:52 A New York judge has ruled that the revised Google Book Settlement is not "fair, adequate, and reasonable" and has denied final approval. Judge Denny Chin has instead told the parties to redraft the settlement as an "opt-in"... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #york judge


Forbes wins £50k Warwick Prize for Writing

Publication Date: Wed, 23/03/2011 - 07:50 Writer, journalist and editor Peter Forbes' exploration of mimicry and camouflage in nature, art and warfare has been awarded the £50,000 Warwick Prize for Writing. His Dazzled and Deceived (Yale University Press) was described by chair of judges... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Mainstream, J R Books and Pan to rush Elizabeth Taylor titles

Written By: Katie Allen and Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Wed, 23/03/2011 - 15:48 Mainstream, J R Books, Pan and Faber are to rush publication of titles on Elizabeth Taylor, after the Oscar-winning film star died today [23rd March]. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #katie allen


Japanese book trade facing worst crisis since WWII

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Tue, 22/03/2011 - 16:31 The Japanese earthquake and tsunami has caused the worst disruption to the Japanese book industry since the Second World War, the president of the Japanese Publishers Association has said. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #japanese earthquake #world war


B&N Is #1 in Trade Books

Barnes & Noble, through its combination of physical bookstores and bn.com, remained the largest outlet for the sale of trade books in 2010. That was one of the first findings from Bowker’s annual rollup of its monthly book consumer tracking program, PubTrack Consumer. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #trade books #barnes noble #physical bookstores #largest outlet


Media Decoder: Noted Self-Publisher May Be Close to a Book Deal

Amanda Hocking, the darling of the self-publishing world who has sold more than 900,000 copies of nine books in the last year, has been shopping a four-book series to major publishers. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #media decoder #book deal #amanda hocking #four-book series #major publishers


Julian Barnes awarded David Cohen Prize

Publication Date: Fri, 18/03/2011 - 08:20 Three-times Man Booker-shortlisted author Julian Barnes has been awarded the £40,000 David Cohen Prize for Literature for his lifetime’s achievement in literature. Barnes was presented with the award by chair of judges Mark Lawson at a gala ceremony at... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #gala ceremony #reading agency


Knitting book proves favourite Royal Wedding yarn

Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Wed, 16/03/2011 - 14:50 Fiona Goble's 64-page Knit Your Own Royal Wedding (Ivy Press), which comes with a backdrop of Westminster Abbey "so that you can display your creations in authentic surroundings", is the current sales leader in the incredibly... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #12th march #popular purchase #royal wedding


Big French publishing houses to return to Paris Book Fair

Written By: Barbara Casassus Publication Date: Wed, 16/03/2011 - 09:03 The new-look Paris Book Fair will open on Friday [18th March] for four days as five of the leading French publishers ponder the raids by the European Commission competition officials a fortnight ago. Hachette Livre, Bayard... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hachette livre #scaled back #opening hours


Mulholland Books acquires debut by "Saw" writers

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Wed, 16/03/2011 - 09:04 Hodder thriller imprint Mulholland Books has acquired a fiction debut by "Saw" writers Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan, and author, screenwriter and illustrator Stephen Romano. Editor Ruth Tross bought British... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fiction debut #european rights #nancy wiese


As Library E-Books Live Long, Publisher Sets Expiration Date

While librarians are pushing for access to more ebooks to satisfy demand, publishers are reconsidering how much that access should be worth. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-03-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #satisfy demand