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 ]
News tagged with: #fellow authors #science fiction #hard times

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Swordfish hands Brooker two-book deal

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 10/06/2011 - 10:45 Orion Books imprint Swordfish has acquired two books by Guardian columnist and TV presenter Charlie Brooker, signing the titles through Jo Unwin at Conville & Walsh. Publisher Rowland White bought world rights in all... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Christine Jones new c.e.o of Murdoch Books

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 09/06/2011 - 08:05 Murdoch Books has further restructured its workforce following owner Matt Handbury's move into the role of c.e.o. last week. Christine Jones will become managing director of Murdoch Books UK, which has its UK offices in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Guardian to sponsor Edinburgh Book Festival

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Wed, 08/06/2011 - 14:53 The Edinburgh International Book Festival is to be sponsored by Guardian News & Media, in a newly-penned two-year deal. The sponsorship deal will include coverage in the Guardian, the Observer and its books website of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Smiths News acquires Dawson Books

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Tue, 07/06/2011 - 09:49 Dawson Books has been bought by the parent company of book wholesaler Bertrams for £20m. Smiths News plc, which owns Bertrams, announced today (7th June) that the wholesaler and Dawson Books would be "fully integrated"... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Grisham top as children's book sales soar

Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Tue, 07/06/2011 - 15:44 Thanks in part to a "better than half price" deal at Waterstone's, John Grisham tops the Official UK Top 50 for the first time in five and a half years. The Confession (Arrow), the Arkansas-born legal thriller writer's 23rd... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Unbridled in 25 Cent E-book Promotion with ABA

Unbridled Books is partnering with the American Booksellers Association to promote the organization’s IndieCommerce program. For three days Unbridled is offering 25 of its titles in ebook format for 25 cents exclusively through the approximately 250 independent bookstores that are set up to sell... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-06-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New everyday philosophy title for Rider Books

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 03/06/2011 - 10:03 Rider Books has acquired a non-fiction book telling readers how to use philosophy to improve their everyday life by journalist and blogger Jules Evans. Rider Books commissioning editor Sue Lascelles bought world rights,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Unbound aims for 40 books in year one

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 03/06/2011 - 14:25 Unbound, a publishing platform that allows readers to choose what is published, was devised as a response to the “difficulties of the existing publishing model”, with the programme aiming to get 35 to 40 projects off the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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People Wins Four min ‘Sales Executive of the Year’ Awards

People is the most profitable U.S. magazine and had an excellent, +5.6% ad-page advertising 2010, so it was appropriate that the magazine did very well at min's seventh "Sales Executive of the Year" awards breakfast Thursday morning (June 2) at New York's Grand Hyatt. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Orion acquires "genius" diet food book

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 02/06/2011 - 08:54 Orion has acquired The Pure Package: The Diet for Food Lovers by food and health entrepreneur Jennifer Irvine. Orion non-fiction editorial director Amanda Harris bought world rights to the title from agent Clare Hulton,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Three in 10 households do not contain a book

Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Wed, 01/06/2011 - 09:14 Three in 10 children live in households that do not contain a single book, according to a new survey. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Buzz books at BEA

Written By: Gayle Feldman Publication Date: Wed, 01/06/2011 - 09:09 There was no one standout book of the fair at last week's Book Expo America however, talk continued to dominate the stands and aisles of those likely to succeed in the months to come. Here are some of the books highlighted by... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Edinburgh indie proposes World Book Night alternative

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Tue, 31/05/2011 - 16:21 An Edinburgh independent has proposed an alternative to World Book Night next year, where readers buy tickets to attend book swap events across the country. Vanessa Robertson, co-owner of the Edinburgh Bookshop, said she has... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Duffy stages benefit for Poetry Book Society

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Tue, 31/05/2011 - 08:00 Poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy has organised a benefit for the Poetry Book Society, which faces an uncertain future following the withdrawal of all its Arts Council funding. The event, to be held at London's Institute of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Lonely Planet brings photo travel books to iBookstore

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Tue, 31/05/2011 - 16:09 Lonely Planet has brought three of its photo-heavy travel books to Apple’s iBookstore for the first time from today. The travel publisher is offering Lonely Planet's Best in Travel for free until 14th June with The Travel Book... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book stores will close if no buyers

ADMINISTRATORS for the troubled book retailers Borders and Angus & Robertson have warned both chains may close if buyers can't be found. Continue reading at The Sydney Morning Herald

[ The Sydney Morning Herald | 2011-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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E-Book Prices Fuel Outrage--and Innovation

A pricing war among the big guns of the book industry is causing pain at the checkout screen, but sprouting new opportunities for writers and readers. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-05-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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E-Business Is the Buzz at Book Fair

This year’s BookExpo America, an annual publishing business trade show, is full of talk of e-reading and other shifts in the industry. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-05-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Support for National Libraries Day

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Thu, 26/05/2011 - 15:50 An annual National Libraries Day looks set to become a reality after widespread support for the scheme at an early planning meeting held this morning (26th May). read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Le Carré and Peter James win at CrimeFest

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Wed, 25/05/2011 - 14:00 John Le Carré and Peter James were the big winners at this year's Sounds of Crime awards for audio crime fiction. The awards took place at this week's Crimefest in Bristol. Le Carré clinched the prize for the best abridged... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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