Harper Lee never wanted Go Set a Watchman brought out, Sylvia Plath’s diary was burned by Ted Hughes – the controversial world of literary legacies When a writer is born into a family, the Polish poet Czesław Miłosz said, that family is finished. Yes, but when a writer dies that family’s troubles have only just begun. Wills may be contradictory and instructions to literary executors confused. Works left behind on computers or in desk drawers may be of uncertain status: were they intended for publication or not? And if the writer is famous enough, there’ll be biographers to deal with: can they be trusted to paint a kindly portrait? In their lifetime, authors have a measure of control. Once they’re gone, it’s left to others to guard their reputations.The vigilance can be fierce, with the appointed custodians (whether spouses, children, lawyers, agents, editors or friends) not so much keepers of the flame as dragons guarding a cave. Posterity is rarely kind to them: however they act, they will be accused of acting badly. If they deny the author’s wishes, as those acting for the French philosopher Michel Foucault have recently done by consenting to the publication of a book he hadn’t finished and didn’t want to come out, they will be called treacherous. And if they are overly loyal, destroying work the author disowned but that deserves to be saved, they will be called philistine or just plain stupid. Either way, they can’t shirk the role allotted them. They have an estate to... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2018-03-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
‘Power of the Dog’ author Thomas Savage died in obscurity. It’s time to honor his work. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-02-15 12:00:36 UTC ]
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The Vietnamese monk was prominently known for "engaged Buddhism," taking a mindful-but-active approach to contemporary issues. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-01-24 05:00:00 UTC ]
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His 1973 novel "My Uncle Napoleon," affectionately skewering the foibles of his countrymen and women in the decades before the Islamic Revolution, became one of the most phenomenally popular works of modern Persian literature. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-01-19 04:45:33 UTC ]
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The unsparing observer of US culture, politics and public life won huge acclaim for her memoir The Year of Magical Thinking• Read Alex Clark’s interview with Joan Didion from February 2021• Obituary: Joan DidionJoan Didion, the eminent journalist, author and anthropologist of contemporary... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-12-23 17:19:56 UTC ]
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Rice, whose books have sold more than 150 million copies worldwide, died of complications from a stroke on December 11. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-12-13 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Greg Tate, acclaimed author, journalist, cultural critic, musician, activist, and professor, died on December 7 in New York City. He was 64. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-12-13 05:00:00 UTC ]
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The American author Anne Rice, best known for Interview with the Vampire, has died aged 80 with Chatto & Windus paying tribute to the "true one-off". Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-12 22:02:56 UTC ]
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She wrote a modern translation of "The Tale of Genji," one of Japan's most celebrated novels. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-11-30 02:12:35 UTC ]
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Foraging expert Roger Phillips has died aged 89, his publisher Pan Macmillan has announced. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-11-24 00:28:52 UTC ]
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His books were full of lovers, dysfunctional families, pirates and hunters, and set in locations from ancient Egypt to colonial Africa. They sold in the millions. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-11-19 23:10:00 UTC ]
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His novels — filled with bloodshed and bodice ripping — sold more than 140 million copies. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-11-16 01:36:30 UTC ]
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Tributes have been paid to Gary Paulsen, after the Hatchet author passed away at the age of 82. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-10-13 23:05:09 UTC ]
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Holocaust survivor, peace campaigner and Pan Macmillan author Eddie Jaku has died, aged 101. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-10-13 10:24:44 UTC ]
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The prize-winning Scottish children’s author Cathy MacPhail has died at the age of 75 following a long illness. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-08-31 17:49:46 UTC ]
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Children’s author and illustrator Jill Murphy, best known for the Worst Witch novels and Large Family picture books, has died aged 72. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-08-20 03:26:07 UTC ]
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Her dozens of works helped broaden children’s literature so that young African Americans could see themselves, their history and their hopes in the pages of their picture books. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-08-18 06:43:01 UTC ]
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Author and astrologer Judy Hall has died aged 77, her publisher Octopus has announced. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-08-09 06:06:31 UTC ]
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Martinez wrote '500 Años del Pueblo Chicano/500 Years of Chicano History in Pictures,' a bilingual photo book with copious captions that illustrated the history of Chicanos in the Southwest. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-06-29 18:13:49 UTC ]
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Over nearly half a century, she wrote more than 100 books for young readers, including the Newbery Honor recipients ‘Lily’s Crossing’ and ‘Pictures of Hollis Woods.’ Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-06-29 07:37:56 UTC ]
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Bestselling Irish author Lucinda Riley, best known for the Seven Sisters series, has died after battling cancer for four years. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-12 03:14:18 UTC ]
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