The Observer's books of the year

From new voices like NoViolet Bulawayo to rediscovered old voices like James Salter, from Dave Eggers's satire to David Thomson's history of film, writers, Observer critics and others pick their favourite reads of 2013. And they tell us what they hope to find under the tree …Curtis SittenfeldNovelistMy favourite books of 2013 are Drama High (Riverhead) by Michael Sokolove, Sea Creatures (Turnaround) by Susanna Daniel, and & Sons (Harper Collins) by David Gilbert. Drama High is incredibly smart, moving non-fiction about an American drama teacher who for four decades coaxed sophisticated and nuanced theatrical performances out of teenage students who weren't privileged or otherwise remarkable and in so doing, changed their conceptions of what they could do with their lives. Sea Creatures is a gripping, beautifully written novel about the mother of a selectively mute three-year-old boy; when she takes a job ferrying supplies to a hermit off the coast of Florida, her world is upended. & Sons is a fabulously clever, warm-hearted novel about fathers, sons, literature, art, lust, envy, fraudulence, and Manhattan.As for a book I'd love to be given, Mohsin Hamid has recently been writing wonderful columns for the New York Times that make me curious about his novels. If Santa's reading this, I believe I'll start with How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia (Hamish Hamilton).Hilary MantelNovelistTime to recall the more energising parts of the year's reading: Kate Atkinson's... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2013-11-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Four-year-old lands book deal for his 'astonishing' poetry

Nadim Shamma-Sourgen’s words, evoking a ‘whole world full of hugs’, were spotted by the writer Kate Clanchy and will be published next summerKeats’s first book of poetry was published when he was 21; Mary Shelley was 18 when she started writing Frankenstein. But both of their youthful... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-07-22 11:17:39 UTC ]
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Fury autobiography wins Telegraph's Sports Book of the Year Award

Tyson Fury's autobiography Behind the Mask (Century) has won Sports Book of the Year at this year's Telegraph Sports Book Awards. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-15 15:05:13 UTC ]
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This year’s National Book Awards Ceremony will be held online.

The National Book Foundation has announced that this year’s National Book Awards events—including the 71st annual ceremony—will be held digitally, due to the ongoing, not-even-remotely-controlled, coronavirus pandemic. Lisa Lucas, the National Book Foundation’s Executive Director, said of the... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-07-10 14:22:53 UTC ]
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Conran and Griffiths on Wales Book of the Year shortlist

Alys Conran and Niall Griffiths are among writers shortlisted for the Wales Book of the Year award, which includes a new category for children's books for 2020. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-03 06:05:19 UTC ]
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I'm the first black author to win book of the year. I'm proud, but not completely happy

Instead of celebrating myself, I’m going to celebrate the books by black authors that came before meI have a funny thing about winning. I find it overwhelming. I don’t know how to cope or act when things are meant to be “good”. What do I do? Should I be happy? What is that? How many ways can I... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-07-02 07:00:46 UTC ]
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Black Bookstore Selling Out of Books For First Time in 30 Years: Critical Linking, June 14, 2020

An awesome daily roundup of the most interesting bookish links from around the web. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-06-14 10:30:00 UTC ]
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Like the rest of our lives, the National Book Festival will be online this year.

The latest live event to shift its plans in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic: the National Book Festival. Organizers announced Thursday that the festival, which was originally set to take place Aug. 29 at the Washington Convention Center will now run online from Sept. 25-27. The event... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-05-28 16:22:19 UTC ]
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Coronavirus forces National Book Festival to shift to online-only format this year

The Library of Congress’s annual event usually draws hundreds of thousands of attendees. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-05-28 15:10:21 UTC ]
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With a Dozen New Books This Year Alone, Kate Messner Is Smashing Expectations

The children’s book author will publish 12 new books this year and launch a new series despite the strain the industry is under. How does she do it? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-08 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Dawson-edited anthology wins Visionary Honours Book of the Year

Author Juno Dawson has won the Visionary Honours Book of the Year for Proud, published by Little Tiger Press. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-07 10:59:40 UTC ]
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Publishing for the future: how children’s books have changed in 20 years

Looking back and charting changes in a business as multi-faceted and all-encompassing as children’s books is a tricky business. Given that the peak titles from the past last a very long time while most titles fade away fairly fast and the least successful disappear surprisingly completely it is... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-29 19:37:34 UTC ]
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Kuala Lumpur Opens its World Book Capital Year

In Malaysia as it launches its World Book Capital year under the restrictions of the pandemic, the city's mayor quotes the Quran and 'Winne the Pooh.' The post Kuala Lumpur Opens its World Book Capital Year appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-04-23 16:33:24 UTC ]
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Here are the winners of this year’s LA Times Book Prizes.

This is the 40th year of the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes (which celebrates excellence in the following twelve categories as well as champions new writers), but it is the first time the winners were announced on Twitter. You can feel like you’re a part of the virtual celebration with this video... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-04-17 18:00:36 UTC ]
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The L.A. Times Book Prizes ceremony will be virtual, and free, this year

Winners of the L.A. Times Book Prizes will be announced in a special, virtual Twitter ceremony this year because of the global health crisis. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-04-09 17:53:22 UTC ]
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Orme wins Business Book of the Year

Greg Orme's The Human Edge (Pearson Business) has been named book of the year the Business Book Awards. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-03-25 15:18:03 UTC ]
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Harry Potter named favourite Blue Peter Book Award winner of last 20 years

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Bloomsbury) has been voted viewers’ favourite Blue Peter Book Award winner of the last 20 years, while Amanda Li’s Rise Up (Buster) and Vashti Hardy’s Wildspark (Scholastic) have also won prizes. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-03-05 02:44:21 UTC ]
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Ex-Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh Sentenced To 3 Years In Children's Book Scam

Fraud involving the former mayor's "Healthy Holly" books generated more than $850,000, prosecutors said. Continue reading at HuffPost

[ HuffPost | 2020-02-27 19:47:47 UTC ]
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The British Book Awards 2020: Small Press of the Year

The Small Press of the Year Award returns for a second year: last year the overall award was won by Bath-based publisher Wild Things Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-02-21 11:25:57 UTC ]
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Gallery Books Marks 10 Years

The imprint, born the “love child of the merger of Pocket Books and Simon Spotlight Entertainment” in 2010, marked a decade in the business this January. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-02-21 05:00:00 UTC ]
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New Jill Murphy picture book for Macmillan after 37 years

Macmillan Children’s Books is publishing its first new title in 37 years from writer and illustrator Jill Murphy this September. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-02-20 04:50:08 UTC ]
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