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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In her memoir, the activist tells her story — and warns that it's no sentimental tale. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-09-09 10:00:13 UTC ]
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The first in-person Heartland Fall Forum since 2019 will be used to mark the first decade of the partnership between the Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association and the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association, which resulted in HFF. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The perennial bestseller is now disconnected from its reason for being. It wants to evoke our affection for nature but shows little interest in human nature or science. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-08-24 11:00:49 UTC ]
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In "The Displacements," a hurricane destroys Miami and makes millions of Americans homeless. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-07-19 13:19:37 UTC ]
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Robin Whitten turned her passion for audiobooks into one of the first publications to cover that medium. As 'AudioFile' marks its 30th birthday this summer, Whitten reflected on how the venture initially got off the ground, how it has evolved and where it’s headed next. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-07-15 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Tuttle Publishing, which has been bringing English-language editions of Asian books to an international audience since 1948, is set to release a total of seven books by Filipino authors between now and October 2022. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-07-06 04:00:00 UTC ]
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David C Cook is expanding its staff and comic book offerings through the acquisition of the graphic arts studio Corvus Comics. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-06-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The year 2021 saw a substantial increase in the number of independent bookstores in the United States. And a growing proportion of these stores is owned by individuals from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2022-06-17 15:44:11 UTC ]
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Sunny summer days are on the horizon and so is love in Jenny Han's 2009 book turned screen adaptation of 'The Summer I Turned Pretty.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-06-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Ann Leary‘s thrilling novel was inspired by the early 20th-century incarceration of “feebleminded” women. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-06-02 13:54:15 UTC ]
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In his new book, 'Life Fighting: Why We Must Sometimes Fight and How to Do So Well,' author Robert W. Sweet sets out to answer the thorny question: Is it always wrong to use force to achieve a goal? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-05-30 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Initially writing stories and making television reports was secondary for the journalists as many focused on survivalRussia-Ukraine war: latest updatesWhen the war started journalists in Ukraine found themselves at the centre of the biggest story in the world. They became war correspondents... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-05-10 17:24:57 UTC ]
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Oded Galor examines the drivers of progress and innovation, and the reasons for inequality. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-04-29 12:00:53 UTC ]
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The MSNBC counter-terrorism expert and former US navy servicemember discusses his decision to take up arms in UkraineMalcolm Nance, MSNBC’S former military and counter-terrorism expert, is always fighting someone.As a personal and professional acquaintance of Nance, I wasn’t the least bit... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-04-29 10:00:38 UTC ]
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The failure of progressive change in contemporary book publishing is so total that there is now a whole string of books about the failure of progressive change in contemporary book publishing, often backed enthusiastically by big corporate publishers, in an elaborate circuit of denial and... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-04-20 08:55:05 UTC ]
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These essays from Enlightenment thinkers help show how pseudoscience about race developed, Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Andrew S. Curran write. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-04-15 12:00:00 UTC ]
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The HarperCollins imprint has four straight bestsellers, thanks in large part to the cable news channel's promotional pop. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-04-13 15:00:58 UTC ]
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The author behind such favorites as “You’ve Got Mail” shares her own made-for-Hollywood tale in “Left on Tenth” Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-04-09 12:00:29 UTC ]
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Are you tired of getting your short stories rejected by literary magazines with weird names like Ploughshares, The Paris Review, and, lol, The New Yorker? Do you, a writer of a searing, minimalist narratives of longing and loss amid the ruins of late capitalism, need to eat? Sure you do! Well,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-03-17 16:16:55 UTC ]
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To heal after an agonizing divorce, writer Florence Williams consulted researchers and communed with nature. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-03-11 13:00:37 UTC ]
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