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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Latest Irish literary phenom Naoise Dolan’s Exciting Times is coming to TV.

It’s the kind of timing a publisher dreams of. Less than one week out from its U.S. release, latest Irish literary phenom Naoise Dolan’s debut novel Exciting Times (Ecco, June 2) has been optioned for TV. Yes, following a hugely successful release in the UK and Ireland back in April, when it... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-05-28 18:10:32 UTC ]
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BookExpo 2020: Listening to the Middle-Grade Buzz

We talked with five middle grade editors about upcoming titles they are looking forward to introducing to the children’s book world. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-28 04:00:00 UTC ]
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BookExpo 2020: Marie Lu on Finding Hope in Dystopia

Lu will share a message about the value of dystopian tales and discuss her latest, Skyhunter, during challenging times at BookExpo Online's Children’s Book & Author Dinner. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-27 04:00:00 UTC ]
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BookExpo 2020: Tristan Strong, Kwame Mbalia’s Wounded Hero, Forges Ahead

Mbalia will speak about mental health issues and his latest book, Tristan Strong Destroys the World, as a panelist at BookExpo Online's Children’s Book & Author Dinner. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-27 04:00:00 UTC ]
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BookExpo 2020: Raj Haldar on 'The WORST Read-Aloud Book Ever'

Raj Haldar looks to delight "word nerds" as he presents No Reading Allowed as a panelist at the Children’s Book & Author Dinner at BookExpo Online. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-27 04:00:00 UTC ]
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BookExpo 2020: Natalie Portman Brings Girls to the Fable

At BookExpo Online's Children’s Book & Author Dinner, Portman looks to shift the perspective in children’s literature with a book of reimagined fables with female protagonists. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-27 04:00:00 UTC ]
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BookExpo 2020: In Full Blume

To help mark the 50th anniversary of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, Judy Blume will present tonight at BookExpo Online's Children’s Book & Author Dinner. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-27 04:00:00 UTC ]
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BookExpo 2020: Misty Copeland Shares One Art Through Another

Veteran dancer and author Copeland, who stresses the importance of friendship, creativity, and imagination, will present her latest book, Bunheads, at BookExpo Online's Children’s Book & Author Dinner. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-27 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Temporary Permanence and Forced Detention: In Conversation with Stephanie Malia Hom, by Andrea Bryant

Interviews Andrea Bryant Published by Cornell University Press in 2019 and awarded the 2019 American Association for Italian Studies Book Prize (20th and21st Centuries), Stephanie Malia Hom’s Empire’s Mobius Strip: Historical Echoes in Italy’s Crisis of... Continue reading at World Literature Today

[ World Literature Today | 2020-05-26 12:48:05 UTC ]
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This Week's Bestsellers: May 25, 2020

‘The Henna Artist’ Alka Joshi’s debut novel the Reese’s Book Club pick for May, debuts at #16 in hardcover fiction. Plus pair of backlist titles offering advice on coping with adversity have seen renewed interest since Covid-19 took hold in the U.S., and Scott Turow returns for ‘The Last Trial.’ Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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How The Publishing World Is Staying Afloat During The Pandemic

Quarantine may be a golden opportunity to finally read "War and Peace" — but it's not an easy time for the book industry. Continue reading at HuffPost

[ HuffPost | 2020-05-21 09:45:35 UTC ]
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Latitudes of Longing: An Epic of Ghosts and Glaciers

A debut novel reminds us that the earth itself is alive, and that even in our isolation we are members of a changing world. Continue reading at Guernica

[ Guernica | 2020-05-19 12:00:21 UTC ]
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Finding your literary voice - with a working class accent

At the beginning of 2020, well before my debut novel was published, I was invited to an evening soiree in Glasgow’s Mitchell Library – a kind of preview event for authors performing at a well-known literary festival.  I changed quickly in the toilet at the car salesroom I worked in and navigated... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-15 16:53:37 UTC ]
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'It's a real battle': African authors fight for publishing independence

Francophone African books are still very often published by French imprints, which can make them hard to get at home. But there is a growing push for changeWhen Cameroonian author Daniel Alain Nsegbe first saw his debut novel for sale in his home city of Douala, the price was so high “you would... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-05-14 09:59:14 UTC ]
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Sally Rooney's Normal People tops UK book charts as readers fall for TV version

Costa award-winning love story of Connell and Marianne takes top slot from David Walliams’ bestselling children’s book SlimeSally Rooney’s Normal People has flown to the top of the UK’s book charts more than two years after it was published, thanks to the release of the TV adaptation starring... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-05-13 15:44:19 UTC ]
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A Novel About the Absurdity of the Gig Economy

It’s fitting—maybe even a little on-the-nose—that the last book I finished on my commute to work was Hilary Leichter’s Temporary. Now that my twice-daily train ride has been indefinitely suspended alongside the commutes of millions of others, it’s tempting to claim Leichter’s debut novel is even... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2020-05-13 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Trustbridge Global Media Acquires Walker Books

In another move to broaden its reach in the worldwide children’s book publishing market, Trustbridge has acquired Walker Books, the U.K.-based children’s publisher and owner of Candlewick Press. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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With a Dozen New Books This Year Alone, Kate Messner Is Smashing Expectations

The children’s book author will publish 12 new books this year and launch a new series despite the strain the industry is under. How does she do it? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-08 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The Digital Transformation in Publishing Has Left Plenty of Space for Print

Every industry is experiencing a digital transformation. For some, the pandemic has accelerated this transformation. Others, like retail, travel and QSR, are trying to quickly adapt to the new criteria of our on-demand world. Consumers are permanently changing their online consumption habits,... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2020-05-07 14:20:39 UTC ]
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Bologna Children’s Book Fair Online This Week Names 2020 Best Publishers

The virtual 2020 Bologna Children's Book Fair is running through Thursday, and includes the 2020 Children's Publishers of the Year announcement. The post Bologna Children’s Book Fair Online This Week Names 2020 Best Publishers appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-05-05 14:13:20 UTC ]
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