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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Betty and Winston are grizzled veterans. On this, their third visit to the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, the twin 11-year-olds are ready for action. Not only are they festival experts; they’re also my kids. Like many parents on the USC campus, I trail them around the festival, from panel... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-04-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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E L James has said she has written a paranormal romance, a "ghost story set in contemporary London", according to an interview in the New York Times. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-04-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A new pocket photo book celebrates one of Great Britain's most iconic landmarks. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2019-04-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Java-born poet is using his work to challenge gender and sexuality norms in his homeland—and hopes his words reach further afield, too. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The illustrator who attended art school merely to avoid getting a job, and whose inimitable patchwork creation came about by conflating his Paul Klee tendencies with his love of elephants, will be celebrated by London Book Fair at Olympia. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Welcome to our weekly rundown of the Top 5 most innovative brand ideas you need to know about now.5. Shutterstock: Pop-Art Oscars PostersIn time for the Academy Awards, Shutterstock debuted yet another round of pop-art inspired versions of movies for Oscar-nominated films. Among them, a comic... Continue reading at Advertising Age
[ Advertising Age | 2019-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Historian Hallie Rubenhold’s story of Jack The Ripper’s victims, The Five (Doubleday), is to be turned into a drama series by Mainstreet Pictures. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-02-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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David D. Kirkpatrick was Cairo bureau chief for The New York Times between 2011 and 2015, and is the author of a recent book on the country. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2019-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The 48 subject category winners of the 2019 PROSE Award cycle from the Association of American Publishers will yield four top category titles and an overall winner. The post AAP Announces 2019 PROSE Award Category Winners, Board Officers appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-02-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Rep. Ilhan Omar, who made headlines last November after becoming the first Somali American ever elected to the U.S. Congress, will tell her life story in an upcoming memoir, Forbes reports. Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, is writing "This Is What America Looks Like" for publisher Dey Street... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-01-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors Cathy Newman and Jonathan Coe have urged customers to take their business to the high street this Christmas season after suffering stock shortages of their titles on Amazon.co.uk. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-12-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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You might think that you are a night owl, but new research says that less than 1% of the population are actually genetically programmed to work best later in the day. The age old proverb, “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise” may just be true, according to an... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2018-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stan Lee, who died in November at the age of 95, turned comic books into art through his ability to empower others. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2018-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tons of comic books have come to life as movies, but researchers at the Warsaw University of Technology have developed a system for turning live-action video into a comic. Comixify picks out the best frames from any video you feed it and turns it int... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2018-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Audience reactions to blockbusters are difficult to predict, but it’s unlikely anyone will come out of “Aquaman” asking “Is this all there is?” Not only does the new comic book superhero movie from the DC Extended Universe clock in at an over-extended 2 hours and 23 minutes, it throws everything... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-12-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Agents this week have held meetings in Guadalajara International Book Fair's rights center, searching for new stars and promoting their authors. The post Four Agents on Rights Trading at Guadalajara: ‘Hunger and Passion’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-11-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This year's Hay Festival Winter Weekend, featuring writers such as Rose Tremain, Horatio Clare, and Jeanette Winterson, drew record ticket sales of over 9,000. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-11-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Having worked for large literary lists and on one of the UK’s premier literary magazines, Ellah Wakatama Allfrey says she’s right at home at three-strong independent list Indigo Press. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-11-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Association of American Publishers' PROSE Awards for scholarly and professional books will be named in February. The National Book Awards winners ceremony is on November 14. The post AAP Opens 2019 PROSE Awards to Entries; National Book Awards Host Is Nick Offerman appeared first on... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-10-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A show that maps Los Angeles and another that makes art of FBI files. Here are six exhibitions and events to check out in the coming week: “Here,” at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery. A group exhibition examines the physical and geographical boundaries that define Los Angeles and its... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-10-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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