By encouraging the young to publish fan fiction, story-sharing startup Movellas is tackling English children's low literacy levelsLiteracy levels among English young adults compare poorly with those in other industrialised countries, according to an OECD survey last autumn which ranked England a "must try harder" 22nd out of 24 in tests for literacy.Turning this around is a challenge that appeals to Movellas, an online story-sharing startup. Taking to heart the maxim that "reading for pleasure" is vital to a child's educational attainment, the company's founders believe that encouraging young people to write about their passions and share those stories with others can have a positive effect on literacy.In other words, if your daughter's writing One Direction fan fiction on her phone, she could be on her way to an A* at English GCSE. Or, at the very least, a book deal. "Movellian" Emily Baker's 1D-inspired Loving the Band was snapped up by Penguin. Helen Hiorns's The Name on Your Wrist was published by Random House after she won the inaugural young movellist of the year, sponsored by Sony and judged by children's laureate Malorie Blackman.High-profile success stories can help build its user base (200,000 and growing), but Movellas does more than sell the dream of literary fame.When surveyed, 50% of respondents said Movellas had made them enjoy reading more; 70% enjoyed writing more. Importantly, 20% of its users get free school meals (about the national average). Only 25%... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2014-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bad Idea is a newly launched comics publisher designed to revive monthly periodical comics and provide economic support to direct market comics shops. Beginning in May the house will publish a limited number of monthly serials by popular artists, sold exclusively via comics shops. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-02-18 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Bradford Council has reversed planned £1.05m cuts to its libraries but says some services could still be moved to other buildings in a bid to make them financially viable. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-02-16 18:54:07 UTC ]
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Bookshop Santa Cruz in California and Changing Hands Bookstore in Arizona, have partnered in a drive to register Arizona voters and persuade them to vote Democrat in this year's presidential election. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-02-14 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Maeve Binchy, Carl Sagan and Fredrik Backman have all professed their love in indelible ways. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-02-11 18:15:34 UTC ]
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I feel creatively lost most of the time. It doesn’t matter if I’m beginning a fresh project, wading through the middle, or racing toward the end—I often find myself in a fugue state that makes it impossible for me to understand what I’m doing, even as I’m doing it. This is what I love about […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-02-05 09:48:59 UTC ]
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If you're a One Piece fan, this may be the best or the worst piece of news ever, depending on how you feel about Netflix's anime adaptations: The streaming giant has approved a 10-episode live-action series based on the classic manga and anime. Even... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2020-01-30 02:20:00 UTC ]
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Wary of shifting marketing budgets and rising production costs, publishers across the magazine industry have spent the past few years evaluating ways to reconcile difficult financial realities without sacrificing the print foundations that have anchored their brands for decades. In Chicago,... Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2020-01-28 18:44:20 UTC ]
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In 1898, corruption and violence drove blacks from Wilmington, N.C., writes David Zucchino. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-01-24 02:32:12 UTC ]
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“Lo—TEK: Design by Radical Indigenism” reveals how ancient cultures worked with the environment, rather than against it, to make life more livable. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-01-23 13:08:10 UTC ]
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Donna Rifkind’s “The Sun and Her Stars” explores the unusual career of Salka Viertel. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-01-22 17:34:10 UTC ]
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Khaled Lotfy, whose firm Tanmia published a new edition of a book about Egyptian double agent Ashraf Marwan, has been sentenced to five yearsCairo international book fair has excluded imprisoned publisher Khaled Lotfy’s firm from the event citing “security reasons”, the International Publishers... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-01-22 13:55:22 UTC ]
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He didn’t publish his first novel (which he illustrated himself) until he was 46. But his impact, as both a writer and an artist, has lasted. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2020-01-11 01:15:42 UTC ]
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The start of the year is a great time to look for a new job. But sometimes a less radical change can be equally effective. If you dread going to work, now isn’t a bad time to look for a new job. After all, it’s the start of a new year, and the unemployment rate is low. Another option, however,... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2020-01-10 09:00:46 UTC ]
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The inaugural Postscript Woman of Colour Residency at London co-writing space Clean Prose has been awarded to Middle Grade writer Avantika Taneja. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-01-08 23:10:16 UTC ]
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Some ideas from a seasoned bookseller on events to generate business in the slow month of January. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-01-08 13:00:11 UTC ]
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Author-illustrator Benji Davies reveals how his latest picture book spawned from a single sketch. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-25 06:16:49 UTC ]
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Malorie Blackman sold her life story to them, other hot authors are lining up. What makes Stormzy’s imprint so different?In a glass-walled meeting room on the fifth floor of Penguin Random House headquarters in Pimlico, Theophina Gabriel is talking about her love of reading while laughing at her... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2019-12-16 08:00:15 UTC ]
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For almost a decade now, Italian author and academic Giovanni Catelli has been researching and writing about the untimely death of Albert Camus, the French author who died in 1960, at age 46, when a car driven by his publisher swerved off-road and crashed into a tree. Camus’ death was certainly... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-12-05 17:20:17 UTC ]
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London’s newly opened first co-working space for writers, Clean Prose, will host an edible book launch for author Irenosen Okojie on Thursday. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-03 07:14:44 UTC ]
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A right-wing hero called the Question inspired Watchmen’s faceless vigilante. But later stories took the character in a very different direction. Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2019-11-22 19:45:46 UTC ]
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