Waterstones prize winner Elle McNicoll: ‘I never saw autistic girls in books’

The author was repeatedly told that no one wanted to read fun books with disabled heroes. Now she has won the £5,000 Waterstones children’s book prize for her debut, A Kind of SparkWhen Scottish author Elle McNicoll was first trying to enter the publishing world, she was repeatedly told that people didn’t want to read about an autistic heroine. “In job interviews, I was saying that I wanted to see more books with disabled characters in them that were not traumatic, boring or educational, but fun and full of life. A lot of the reactions were, ‘Waterstones don’t like books like that’,” she says.Now McNicoll’s debut novel A Kind of Spark has won the Waterstones children’s book prize. Published by tiny independent Knights Of, it follows Addie, an 11-year-old autistic girl, as she campaigns for a memorial to the witch trials that took place in her Scottish village. The novel has been praised by Waterstones’ booksellers as “eye opening, heart-wrenching, sad [and] inspiring”. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2021-07-01 05:01:05 UTC ]
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Choi, Broom and Sze among National Book Award winners; Teicher and White honoured

Last night’s 70th National Book Awards in New York saw Susan Choi, Sarah M Broom, Arthur Sze, Laszlo Krasnahorkai and Martin W Sandler annnounced as winners, respectively, in fiction, non-fiction, poetry, translated literature, and young people’s literature. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-21 10:45:49 UTC ]
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2019 National Book Award Winners Announced

The 2019 National Book Award winners were announced in New York City tonight. The big prize for Fiction went to Trust Exercise by Susan Choi (Bonus: Read our 2019 interview with Choi).  In his opening remarks for the 70th annual ceremony, host Levar Burton spoke about the power of books... Continue reading at The Millions

[ The Millions | 2019-11-21 03:04:39 UTC ]
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Here Are the National Book Award Winners!

The 2019 National Book Awards—aka the Oscars for books—have officially been awarded! This year’s winners are as follows: Young People’s Literature: Martin W. Sandler for 1919, The Year That Changed America. * Poetry: Arthur Sze for Sight Lines. * Translation: Laszlo Krasznahorkai and Ottile... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2019-11-21 02:41:21 UTC ]
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Remembering National Book Award Winners of the Past

On the day the 2019 honorees are to be unveiled, we recall recipients who have died in recent years. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2019-11-20 23:04:27 UTC ]
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Entries open for the British Book Award for Export as prize returns for second year

The British Book Award for Export is open for entries as it returns for a second year, recognising publishers that excel in export sales.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-14 02:02:29 UTC ]
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Tickets for Elton John Waterstones book signing sell out in 10 seconds

Tickets for Elton John's book signing at Waterstones Piccadilly sold out in less than 10 seconds when they went on sale yesterday. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-13 19:30:23 UTC ]
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Planetarium wins Royal Society’s Young People’s Book Prize

Astrophysicist Raman Prinja and artist Chris Wormell’s book Planetarium: Welcome to the Museum (Templar Publishing), about the wonders of space, has scooped the Royal Society’s Young People’s Book Prize. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-12 19:41:46 UTC ]
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Ending the War on Artisan Cheese begins battle for Oddest book title prize

Shortlist for this year’s Diagram prize also includes The Dirt Hole and Its Variations, Noah Gets Naked and How to Drink Without DrinkingThe Dirt Hole and Its Variations, Ending the War on Artisan Cheese and Noah Gets Naked are among the 2019 nominees for the Bookseller’s annual prize for the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-11-01 00:01:14 UTC ]
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Margaret Atwood and Greta Thunberg battle it out for Waterstones Book of the Year

Margaret Atwood’s Booker-winning The Testaments (Vintage) is vying with offerings from Max Porter, Greta Thunberg and Candice Carty-Williams in a bumper shortlist for Waterstones Book of the Year. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-30 15:29:31 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #margaret atwood #waterstones book #max porter #greta thunberg #candice carty-williams #book of the year


Pulitzer Prize-winner Ronan Farrow does goofy voices in his dead-serious MeToo audiobook

The audiobook version of “Catch and Kill” features first-rate reporting and some wince-worthy character work. (You do NOT want to hear him do Trump’s voice.) What: The least necessary vocal inflection in recent memory.Read Full Story Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2019-10-16 14:20:58 UTC ]
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Saša Stanišić Wins 2019 German Book Prize

Bosnian-German author Saša Stanišić is the 2019 German Book Prize winner for 'Origins,' about recollection and identity. The post Saša Stanišić Wins 2019 German Book Prize appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-10-15 06:14:12 UTC ]
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Frankfurt Book Fair 2019: Nobel Winner Olga Tokarczuk Speaks of Unity

On the heels of her Nobel win, and an important election in her native Poland, Tokarczuk spoke at the 2019 Frankfurt Book Fair opening press conference. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-10-15 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Frankfurt Notes: Spain’s New Translation Funds; Germany’s Book Prize Broadcasts

Frankfurt 2021 Guest of Honor Spain roklls out €230,000 (US$252,383) in translation funding this week, and the German Book Prize announces live streaming. The post Frankfurt Notes: Spain’s New Translation Funds; Germany’s Book Prize Broadcasts appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-10-09 09:12:49 UTC ]
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Here are the winners of this year’s Dayton Literary Peace Prize.

Another week, another prestigious literary prize announcement. This time, it’s the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, which “celebrates the power of literature to promote peace, social justice, and global understanding.” The nonfiction winner was Rising Out of Hatred, by Eli Saslow, a book... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2019-10-07 15:05:09 UTC ]
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The Sheikh Zayed Book Prize’s Ali Bin Tamim: ‘Timeless Globalized Values’

A key figure in getting Arabic literature into the wider world, the Sheikh Zayed Book Award’s secretary general calls for ‘solid channels of communication’ with the international industry and its cultures. By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson ‘Pushing the Outreach of Arabic... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-10-03 05:44:28 UTC ]
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The Sheikh Zayed Book Prize’s Ali Bin Tamim: ‘Timeless Globalized Values’

Leading the recently announced Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Authority, Dr. Ali Bin Tamim wants to provide more incentives to translate Arabic literature. The post The Sheikh Zayed Book Prize’s Ali Bin Tamim: ‘Timeless Globalized Values’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-10-03 05:44:28 UTC ]
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2019 Faber Andlyn Prize winners revealed

The winners of the Faber Andlyn Prize for undiscovered BAME writers and illustrators have been revealed, with Sarah Christou and Simji Park taking the top illustration gong while the writing award went to Nadia Attia and Ayesha Braganza. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-09-24 21:43:16 UTC ]
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German Book Prize Releases Its 2019 Shortlist: ‘Generational Shift’

Jury chair Jörg Magenau says that issues of family relationships and contemporary male identity are at play in the German Book Prize 2019 shortlist. The post German Book Prize Releases Its 2019 Shortlist: ‘Generational Shift’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-09-24 04:36:36 UTC ]
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Two-time winners Mcrae and Hamilton on William Hill Sports Book of the Year longlist

Two-time winners Donald McRae and Duncan Hamilton are in line for a historic treble after making the 12-strong longlist for the £30,000 William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2019. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-09-24 03:37:08 UTC ]
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Caroline Criado Perez's gender data gap 'exposé' takes £25k Royal Society Science Book Prize

Feminist campaigner Caroline Criado Perez’s "exposé" on the gender data gap, Invisible Women (Chatto & Windus), has scooped the £25,000 Royal Society Science Book Prize. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-09-23 14:17:51 UTC ]
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