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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Susan Golomb Joining Writers House

Veteran literary agent Susan Golomb, whose clients include Jonathan Franzen and William T. Vollmann, will be starting at Writers House on March 1. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Women writers dominate Waterstones kids' shortlist

Female authors account for the vast majority of this year’s Waterstones Children’s Book Prize this year, with 15 of the 18 titles written by women (see full shortlists below). The prize is divided into three categories – best illustrated book, best fiction for 5-12s and best book for teens –... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Male writers feature on RNA shortlists

Three male authors are among the many writers shortlisted for the Romantic Novel Awards 2015 (full lists below), which are traditionally overwhelmingly dominated by women. Stephen Burke is shortlisted in the Historical Romantic Novel category for his novel The Good Italian by (Hodder &... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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B&N Names 2014 Discover Great New Writers Finalists

The program, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, recognizes great fiction and nonfiction debuts from authors at the start of their careers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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On Writers and Writing review – Margaret Atwood on her profession

Drawing on her panoramic reading and her experiences of the authorly life cycle, Atwood surveys her trade with a mix of seriousness and gentle fun“You may find the subject a little peculiar,” warns Margaret Atwood, before she discusses the writer’s relationship with mortality. “It is a little... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Fantasy Writers and Internet-Haters Dominate Our Favorite Books This Month

While January can suffer from a post-holiday publication lull, it's a great time room for cooler, less conventional reads. The post New Fantasy Writers and Internet-Haters Dominate Our Favorite Books This Month appeared first on WIRED. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2015-01-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Diana Gabaldon, Poisoned Pen Launch Writers' Program

The bestselling author has partnered with her local bookstore on a writer-in-residence program in Scottsdale, Ariz. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Virago Press gives women writers a voice: from the archive, 26 January 1981

Carmen Callil’s publishing company has set about proving that there are many excellent but neglected women writers well worth publishing and reprintingMore women than men buy books; more women read books and more women write books, especially novels, and they always have. Yet women writers are... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-01-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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RLF podcast to highlight writers’ cultural capital

A new blog and podcast launched this week by the Royal Literary Fund (RLF) aims to help the public acknowledge the contribution writers make to the cultural landscape, assist aspiring writers and provide professional authors with an extra income. The charity, which helps commercially published... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'The Terrible Two' writers Mac Barnett and Jory John embark on a whirlwind book tour

The writers reportedly visited 22 schools over the course of one week for their children's book. 'Two' centers on prankster rivals living in the town of Yawnee Valley. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Serial killer thriller for Michael Joseph

Michael Joseph has acquired a thriller about a woman who survived an attack by a serial killer. Publishing director Maxine Hitchcock bought UK and Commonwealth rights to Black-Eyed Susans, and one other untitled thriller, by Julia Haeberlin from Rachel Kind at Random House in the US. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Writers join call to legalise assisted dying

Novelists Ian McEwan, Julian Barnes and Deborah Moggach and the former Poet Laureate Andrew Motion are among the signatories to a letter calling on the next government to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill people. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Usborne launches Korean imprint

Usborne will launch a South Korean imprint in partnership with Seoul-based publisher BIR next year.   Usborne Korea will launch in autumn with around 40 titles and is Usborne’s first Asian imprint.   “I have long wanted to expand our very successful foreign imprint policy into Asia, where we... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How A Comic Book Writer Helped Ghostface Killah Create His New Album

Most great hip-hop collaborations involve an MC and a producer. For 36 Seasons, Pretty Toney turned elsewhere.Last year, comic artist Matthew Rosenberg, a lifelong Wu-Tang Clan fan, sent off pitches to several rappers with ideas for album stories. When he got the call that rapper Ghostface... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2014-12-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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UK writers cheer as 'despicable' ban on sending books to prisons is lifted

J.K. Rowling, Philip Pullman, Julian Barnes, and others expressed delight when a high court in the United Kingdom struck down a ban on sending books to prisoners. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-12-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon goes head to head with Wattpad in battle for fanfic writers

The retail colossus is aiming to recruit fan fiction writers with their own ambitions to sell, but Wattpad is winning users who want to shareIt’s a cheerful orange giant stuffed with fan fiction and smileys which can garner a billion reads for an erotic One Direction story – scoring 25-year-old... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-12-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Animal Kingdom wins Educational Writers' Award

A book about animals illustrated with infographics has won the 2014 Educational Writers’ Award. The £2,000 prize was presented to Jon Richards and Ed Simkins for The World in Infographics: Animal Kingdom (Wayland) by Tristram Hunt, shadow secretary of state for education, at a ceremony... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Three thrillers to Orenda Books

New independent publisher Orenda Books has made a flurry of new acquisitions since launching just last month. Orenda Books founder Karen Sullivan has acquired world English language rights for Canada-Australia writer Paul E Hardistry’s debut eco-thriller The Abrupt Physics of Dying. The book... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Reinventing Book Printing: Toward a Hybrid Market

Even though the physical book market is more unpredictable than ever, “print is here to stay,” declares Stuart Applebaum, spokesman for Penguin Random House. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-11-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Reinventing Book Printing: Digital Printing for Every Stage in a Book’s Life

Multinational publishers know that regional book editions increase their options for selling titles, especially in the education segment. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-11-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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