Ursula K Le Guin's speech at National Book Awards: 'Books aren't just commodities'

In a passionate speech, writer takes aim at publishers who put profit before artUrsula Le Guin cries freedom as she is honoured for contribution to literatureTo the givers of this beautiful reward, my thanks, from the heart. My family, my agents, my editors, know that my being here is their doing as well as my own, and that the beautiful reward is theirs as much as mine. And I rejoice in accepting it for, and sharing it with, all the writers who’ve been excluded from literature for so long – my fellow authors of fantasy and science fiction, writers of the imagination, who for 50 years have watched the beautiful rewards go to the so-called realists. Hard times are coming, when we’ll be wanting the voices of writers who can see alternatives to how we live now, can see through our fear-stricken society and its obsessive technologies to other ways of being, and even imagine real grounds for hope. We’ll need writers who can remember freedom – poets, visionaries – realists of a larger reality. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2014-11-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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German Book Prize 2015: A Look into the Longlist

The longlist of the 2015 German Book Prize includes some new and familiar authors. Find out more about these books and the rights available. The post German Book Prize 2015: A Look into the Longlist appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-08-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How Does a Book Editor Work?

We’re posting transcripts of Working, Slate’s podcast about what people do all day, exclusively for Slate Plus members. What follows is the transcript for Season 3, Episode 6, in which Slate culture writer Aisha Harris talks to Jordan Pavlin, a book editor at Knopf, about how she identifies... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2015-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Scottish Book Trust launches young writers programme

Reading charity Scottish Book Trust today launched What’s Your Story?, a new programme to increase opportunities for young writers in Scotland. Funded by Time to Shine, Creative Scotland’s arts strategy for young people, the programme will connect young writers using writer groups, workshops,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Homeless South African Sells Books and Reviews In Lieu of Begging

Johannesburg's Philani Dladli was homeless when he decided to sell books he found and read, offering them on a sliding price scale based on his own review. The post Homeless South African Sells Books and Reviews In Lieu of Begging appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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First Mississippi Book Fest Exceeds Expectations

The inaugural Mississippi Book Festival, which featured authors John Grisham, Rick Bragg and Ellen Gilchrist, drew 3,500 to the state capitol grounds Aug. 22. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Seven Stories to publish book on history of illustration

Seven Stories has delved into its own archive to put together a book about children’s illustration, which it will publish with Walker Books in October. Drawn from the Archive: Hidden Histories of Illustration is edited by Sarah Lawrence, Seven Stories’ collection director, who looks at the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hugo Awards: Who won, who didn't, in the most controversial voting ever

Why weren't there winners announced in five categories for the prestigious science fiction Hugo Awards? The prizes have been engulfed in controversy this year. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Five ‘no awards’ given at Hugos

Cixin Liu has won the best novel prize at this year’s Hugo Awards, although no awards were given in five categories, reflecting recent controversy over how the prizes are given. The annual Hugo Awards are for science fiction and fantasy works and are voted for by anyone who is a member of (i.e.... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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International Hot Book Properties, Week of August 24, 2015

An Argentinian short story collection sells in the States, a Finnish thriller moves to Spain, an Italian novel about cooking and family is nabbed in Germany, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PW Asks: What's Your Favorite Fall-Asleep Book?

What was your favorite childhood fall-asleep book, and why/ how did it help you sleep (or, parents, what works on your kids now)? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pears tells new book through Arcadia app

Faber and Touchpress have launched a ‘groundbreaking’ new app, Arcadia, to explore the future of digital reading after ebooks.   Bestselling novelist Iain Pears has conceived his new work, Arcadia, to be read as an app. The novel was written using specially-commissioned software and developed... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bryony Gordon to examine mental illness in new Headline book

Headline has signed two more books by author and Daily Telegraph columnist Bryony Gordon, including one looking at mental illness. Gordon is the author of The Wrong Knickers, also from Headline and about Gordon’s 20s, which has sold 45,225 copies through Nielsen BookScan to date. Her first new... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Musician Herbert launches debut book on Unbound

Unbound is crowd funding for a new book by ‘iconic’ producer and musician Matthew Herbert.   Instead of producing a new record, Herbert’s debut book, The Music, will describe in “precise and almost poetic detail” how the record will sound. It will be divided into chapters the way an album is... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The State of US Illustrated Book Publishing (Part 2)

PP Exclusive: The continuation of our series looking at the increasingly competitive and innovative illustrated book publishing market in the United States. The post The State of US Illustrated Book Publishing (Part 2) appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-08-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PW Asks: Yes, Actors Invade the Books Whose Characters They Portray

We asks readers whether seeing a book character portrayed on film made it impossible to imagine that character in their own way when reading. Most said yes. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Headline hosts first Rooftop Book Club

Headline launched its Rooftop Book Club last night (19th August) at London’s Carmelite House with author Tasmina Perry saying the industry needed to work out how to “put the entertainment into publishing”. The event hosted authors Perry, Stella Newman and Jo Thomas in conversation with Heat... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book Deals: Week of August 24, 2015

Heather Graham re-ups at Harlequin for seven figures, Pegasus signs a novel about the Roanoke Colony, Running Press lands a new diet book based on Zen teachings, and more in this week's notable book deals. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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TurnRow Book Company Staff Takes to the Stage

For years, the booksellers at TurnRow Book Company in Greenwood, Miss., have been obsessed with David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize–winning play Glengarry Glen Ross. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Kevin Pietersen book out this autumn

Sphere is to release a new book by Kevin Pietersen this autumn, focussing “squarely” on events on the pitch. Pietersen’s KP: The Autobiography, released last year, has sold 106,654 copies through Nielsen BookScan to date. In the book Pietersen criticised a number of his former England cricket... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The State of US Illustrated Book Publishing (Part 1)

PP Exclusive: The first in a series looking at the increasingly competitive and innovative illustrated book publishing market in the United States. The post The State of US Illustrated Book Publishing (Part 1) appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-08-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pp exclusive #increasingly competitive