What We're Reading – October 2019

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine EvaristoSince studying Lara as a student, I have been a fan of Bernardine Evaristo’s work, and am delighted to see her win the Booker Prize this year. Girl, Woman, Other follows the lives of twelve black characters with different backgrounds and experiences, most of whom identify as female, living in London. I’ve enjoyed getting to know them through my reading and seeing how their lives are linked or overlap in different ways. What I found particularly interesting about this book is how each character responds in their own way to the universal questions of self and identity, particularly the tensions between personal, public and political gender discourse and the effect it has on the relationships the characters have with others. This feels like a very important book, and a must-read if you’re interested in what’s happening in UK fiction today.Rachel Stevens, Director LiteratureCommon People - An Anthology of Working-class Writers (ed Kit de Waal). An exceptional collection of essays, poems, memoir and short stories celebrating working-class life, culture and literature. There are many highlights, but I especially recommend Lisa McInnery’s essay ‘Working Class: An Escape Manual’, which considers how working-class writers and artists are co-opted into other identities when they achieve success. Debut author Adam Sharp’s ‘Play’, a memoir of his relationship with a substance-addicted father, is poignant and deftly handled - he’s a writer to... Continue reading at 'British Council global'

[ British Council global | 2019-10-30 09:49:28 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "What We're Reading – October 2019"


Religion Book Deals: May 27, 2020

Christian singer/songwriter Sandra McCracken brings her debut to B&H, Convergent signs a mother and son’s memoir about opioid addiction, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-27 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Literature on Lockdown 6: #CultureConnectsUs

Everyone peaked too early.    You remember. The beginning of lockdown, when suddenly half of your friends were FaceTiming you about Tiger King, or downloading a language app, and so many people ordered yoga mats online that they took an estimated six weeks to be delivered. Now the yoga mat... Continue reading at British Council global

[ British Council global | 2020-05-22 15:30:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Why a ‘Strange and Nerdy’ Book About Eels Is Making Waves

Patrik Svensson mixed natural history with memoir for his debut, which has become a surprise best seller and award winner in his native Sweden. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2020-05-22 09:00:23 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Friday essay: the Melbourne bookshop that ignited Australian modernism

Nestled in the heart of Melbourne's city laneways, Leonardo Art Shop - also known as Nibbi's - provided inspiration and education to a generation of young artists. Continue reading at The Conversation

[ The Conversation | 2020-05-21 20:00:41 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Personal Space: Stephanie Danler Never Thought She Would Write This Memoir

On this episode of Personal Space: The Memoir Show, Sari Botton interviews Stephanie Danler, author of the 2016 bestselling novel Sweetbitter, and now the memoir Stray, just published by Knopf. In the book, Danler poignantly tackles a variety of issues, including: the destructive nature of... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-05-21 17:00:57 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Piccadilly Press signs three from Pollero

Piccadilly Press, an imprint of Bonnier Books UK, will publish three children's books by debut author Gianna Pollero. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-21 15:59:25 UTC ]
More news stories like this


How indie rocker Mikel Jollett overcame the toxic events in his life

"Hollywood Park," a new memoir from the frontman for the Airborne Toxic Event, recounts his childhood in L.A.'s Synanon cult — and his recovery. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-05-20 16:33:40 UTC ]
More news stories like this


10 of the Best Poems of Remembrance

Here are some of the finest poems of remembrance, or about remembrance, which can all be found in the wonderful anthology of remembrance poems, The Nation’s Favourite Poems of Remembrance. Remembrance – whether it’s recalling or remembering a past loved one, or commemorating someone who has... Continue reading at Interesting Literature

[ Interesting Literature | 2020-05-20 14:00:46 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Mekkiayah Jacobs: New York City Needs to Care For Its Homeless

Every year, Girls Write Now provides the opportunity for mentees to be published in a book form; in recent years, the print edition has been produced by Dutton, and the digital edition by the Feminist Press. Taking Our Place in History: The Girls Write Now 2020 Anthology invites you to witness... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-05-20 08:47:16 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Hutchinson to publish Bananarama memoir

Hutchinson has acquired Bananarama's memoir Really Saying Something in a "strong" six-figure deal, and will publish this October. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-20 05:26:25 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The Path Not Taken

Stephanie Danler’s memoir Stray invites us to look closely at our own life: our family dynamics, our loss, our trauma, and the moments of happiness that still exist within that fragile frame. With deep introspection and stunning prose, Danler tells us about the years she spent after writing her... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2020-05-19 11:00:55 UTC ]
More news stories like this


“Miss Aluminum,” Susanna Moore’s Memoir of Trauma and Transformation

Naomi Fry on “Miss Aluminum,” a new memoir by Susanna Moore, who is known for her 1995 thriller “In the Cut.” Continue reading at New Yorker

[ New Yorker | 2020-05-19 10:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


New & Noteworthy, From a Rock Memoir to Chinese Surrealism

A selection of recent books of interest; plus, a peek at what our colleagues around the newsroom are reading. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2020-05-19 09:00:05 UTC ]
More news stories like this


MacDougall's dog walking memoir to Bonnier Books UK

Bonnier Books UK has acquired Kate MacDougall's story of the dog walking business she founded in her mid-twenties, London’s No1 Dog Walking Agency.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-19 04:39:15 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Welbeck signs three-book deal with debut author Ben Creed

Welbeck Publishing Group has signed a three-book deal with debut historical writer Ben Creed.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-17 20:25:57 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Newcastle crime writers create anthology for NHS

A group of crime writers have collaborated to produce a short story collection during the UK lockdown, with all proceeds to go to NHS Charities Together. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-16 04:47:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Literature on Lockdown 5: #CultureConnectsUs

It’s a long-standing joke in lockdown now – among those of us quarantined, self-isolating, or lucky enough to keep working from home – that we don’t know which day it is. Or even which week. And did I shower this morning, or was it yesterday? Our immediate surroundings have been so similar for... Continue reading at British Council global

[ British Council global | 2020-05-15 14:46:20 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Book Deals: Week of May 18, 2020

Among the big deals this week are a new book by rapper Gucci Mane, a memoir of addiction and recovery by a politician and her son, and a nonfiction book by the cocreator of Showtime’s Billions. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-15 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


André Leon Talley’s Tales From the Dark Side

The juiciest fashion memoir of the year is out. But is it a tell-all, a tragedy or a harbinger of things to come? Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2020-05-14 15:03:20 UTC ]
More news stories like this


20 new books coming out today.

You know what they say: April showers bring May books. Here’s today’s brand-new batch coming to (virtual) bookstores near you. Consider this a friendly reminder that it’s never a bad idea to support your local indie. * Samantha Harvey, The Shapeless Unease  (Grove Press) “This memoir churns deep... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-05-12 13:45:17 UTC ]
More news stories like this