The new Scandi noir: the Korean writers reinventing the thriller

The country has emerged as a surprising literary force as a novel by the ‘Korean Henning Mankell’ bags a six-figure deal and sparks a global bidding warLast December, Korean novelist Un-su Kim set out on an eight-month deep-sea fishing trip as part of research for his next book. Unreachable by phone or email until next August, when his boat docks in Fiji, he has no idea that his thriller The Plotters has been the subject of a wildly enthusiastic auction in the US, where it recently sold to Doubleday for a six-figure sum. German publisher Europa Verlag has called Kim “the Korean Henning Mankell”, while publishers in the UK, Czech Republic and Turkey have placed offers, and international film companies are also battling for rights.His agent, Barbara Zitwer, who plans to meet him in Fiji to reveal the news, believes Kim’s novel, about an organisation that masterminds assassinations, has caught a wave of interest in Korean thrillers – a previously unknown quantity. “The world is finally embracing them. Korean thriller writers are invigorating the genre,” she said. “They are pumping new life into it. Readers are tiring of Scandinavian thrillers – they crave something new.”Human Acts by Han Kang Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2018-03-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'PW' Announces New Nonfiction Reviews Editor, Writer-at-Large

Harmony Difo joins 'Publishers Weekly' as nonfiction reviews editor, replacing Mark Rotella, who left the magazine earlier this summer. Zoe Christen Jones has been hired in a newly created writer-at-large position, which includes a new magazine column on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-09-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
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DHA focuses on fiction for New Writers Open Week

David Higham Associates (DHA) is running a series of events for adult and children’s fiction writers in its next New Writers Open Week. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-31 14:20:32 UTC ]
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‘Winter Counts’ hits the sweet spot between gritty thriller and social novel

David Heska Wanbli Weiden’s novel is mostly set 200 miles southeast of Mount Rushmore on South Dakota’s Rosebud Indian Reservation. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-08-28 15:59:09 UTC ]
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Writers Against Trump wants to mobilize the literary community in advance of the election.

With voter registration deadlines approaching and misinformation around voter fraud spreading, a newly-formed coalition of writers is volunteering their time to defeat Donald Trump in the presidential election this fall. The group, Writers Against Trump—whose initial members include Paul Auster,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-08-25 17:07:21 UTC ]
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Avon takes two more Amanda Robson thrillers

Avon has bagged two more domestic thriller novels from e-book bestseller Amanda Robson. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-25 09:13:08 UTC ]
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Ninety writers offer their thoughts on life during a pandemic

“Alone Together,” edited by Jennifer Haupt, is a timely gift for the quarantined reader. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-08-20 12:09:09 UTC ]
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Pan Mac nets Barber's 'perfect summer thriller'

Pan Macmillan has netted a “perfect summer thriller” set in Tuscany by Lizzy Barber, in a two-book deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-19 18:19:51 UTC ]
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Remember when famous writers used to shill for consumer products?

Ah, yes, the good old days: when novelists lent their faces and testimonials to advertisers hoping to sell tires, or a certain kind of beer, or fancy watches. It’s something you don’t see very much anymore, because we writers have become too principled to participate in advertising campaigns.... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-08-19 17:14:06 UTC ]
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It’s Time for Disabled Writers to Tell Their Own Stories

Alice Wong’s work as an activist, podcaster, writer, qualitative researcher, and editor is on full display in her new anthology Disability Visibility: First Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century. Her new anthology is an extension of the projects she’s become known when it comes to always... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2020-08-19 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Terpstra and Richardson to be 'Noirwich' crime festival writers in residence

Noirwich Crime Writing Festival has today confirmed Anita Terpstra and Paddy Richardson will be its Unesco City of Literature virtual writers in residence for 2020. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-18 15:45:42 UTC ]
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A Road Trip With One of the 20th Century’s Greatest Writers

“Borges and Me,” a memoir by Jay Parini, recounts a young poet’s travels with Jorge Luis Borges, the Argentine master. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2020-08-18 09:00:07 UTC ]
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Spread the Word launches London Writers Awards 2021

Submissions are now open for Spread the Word's 2021 London Writers Awards, which this year focus on developing authors of literary fiction, commercial fiction, YA/children’s fiction and narrative non-fiction. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-18 03:44:16 UTC ]
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Fantasy noir combines the best of two genres. These are the books that do it well.

Since William Hjortsberg’s “Falling Angel” in 1978, fantasy noir has been steadily growing in popularity. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-08-15 12:00:00 UTC ]
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HQ signs new Diane Jeffrey thriller

HQ has signed the new psychological thriller from Diane Jeffrey, The Silent Friend. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-14 09:09:43 UTC ]
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Follow the new Ohio Literary Trail for the state’s best writerly spots.

This is cool: The Ohioana Library Association has released a map and list tracing a new “literary trail” through the state, featuring historical landmarks, museums, unique libraries, and other hidden destinations. The list isn’t limited to the state capital of Columbus, either. The selections... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-08-12 19:09:38 UTC ]
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Trade invited to join 2021's Working Class Writers' Festival

The artistic director for The Working Class Writers' Festival is issuing a call-out to publishers, agents and booksellers to get involved in next year's event.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-10 22:51:27 UTC ]
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Bookouture signs three more 'heart-stopping' thrillers from Weatherley

Bookouture has signed crime writer Anna-Lou Weatherley, author of Kindle success The Stranger’s Wife, for three new psychological thrillers. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-10 19:20:36 UTC ]
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SoA launches fundraising drive as money for Covid-hit writers runs low

The Society of Authors is launching a fundraising drive to help top up its Authors’ Contingency Fund, ensuring it can continue to offer hardship grants to authors as the effects of the health crisis continue to be felt.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-09 17:04:03 UTC ]
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Society of Authors gives £185,000 in grants to writers

The Society of Authors (SoA) had awarded grants totalling £185,000 to writers including Derek Owusu and John Mapanje for their works in progress. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-06 14:46:48 UTC ]
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