“When I Write Fiction, I’m in My Body as a Different Person”

Two decades ago, Arundhati Roy released her first novel, The God of Small Things. The response was pretty much everything an author could hope for from a debut. (It was a huge best-seller and won the Booker Prize.) But in the past 20 years, Roy has followed a different path than one might have expected, composing essays and books about India, where she was born in 1961, and establishing herself as arguably the most outspoken commentator on Indian politics. She has written about the role of India’s military in Kashmir and tribal areas, and spoken out against the rise of the Hindu right wing, including the current prime minister, Narendra Modi. Over the years, Roy has been threatened and even accused of sedition; she has also been the subject of debate in liberal circles, with some accusing her of being simplistic in her anti-capitalist rhetoric and naïve in her support for India’s Maoist uprisings. (She has also been a consistent critic of American foreign policy; in 2015, she met with Edward Snowden in Moscow, along with John Cusack and Daniel Ellsberg.) Continue reading at 'Slate'

[ Slate | 2017-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #edward snowden #daniel ellsberg

Other Publishing stories related to: '“When I Write Fiction, I’m in My Body as a Different Person”'


25 of the Best Queer Historical Fiction Books

Immerse yourself in history from highwaymen to Hollywood starlets with 25 of the best queer historical fiction books to get lost in. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-06-25 10:33:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #historical fiction


Why bother organizing your books? A messy personal library is proof of life.

As the French writer Georges Perec wisely put it, book arrangements are “hardly any more effective than the original anarchy.” Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-06-19 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Al Qasimi makes history at International Publishers Association as body hits 125

Bodour al Qasimi, the IPA’s new president, discusses the development of the organisation as it celebrates a century and a quarter Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-18 22:49:52 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishers association


Fiction Leads Another Week of Sales Gains

Unit sales of print books rose 4.8% last week over the week ended June 12, 2020, as adult fiction sales rose 23%. 'The President's Daughter' by James Patterson and Bill Clinton was the week's top seller. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-06-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sales gains #james patterson #bill clinton #top seller


A Healthy Dose of Badass for Detective Fiction

Author Tracy Clark says today’s fictional detectives can be women of color—and they can save themselves. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-06-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #healthy dose #detective fiction


New Adult Fiction Dominates Bestseller List

Unit sales of adult fiction titles jumped 28% last week over the comparable week in 2020. Seven of the top 10 overall bestsellers last week were brand-new novels. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-06-10 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fiction titles


Walker launches third children's sports writing competition

Walker Books is launching its third Young Sportswriter of the Year competition, in partnership with the Guardian and the Football School series of books. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-10 01:41:47 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #walker books #young sportswriter #year competition


Battacharya wins Spread the Word Life Writing Prize

Santanu Battacharya has won Spread the Word’s Life Writing Prize 2021, with "The Nicer One", hailed by judges as a "gut-punch of a piece". Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-09 14:59:56 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #won spread


The Advantages of Failure: What Thoreau Taught Me About Journal Writing

I have known plenty of failure in my writing life. Inspired partly by Henry David Thoreau, I set out to be a writer after college. Which effectively meant that I worked part-time as a carpenter and bookseller for the next dozen years without publishing a word. My current day job is as a teacher... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2021-06-04 08:49:40 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #writing life #dozen years #bookseller


Sales of Adult Fiction Books Stay on Fire

Unit sales of adult books rose 25.8% last week over May 30, 2020, and for the first five months of 2021, adult book sales jumped 32.4% over the comparable period a year ago at outlets that report to BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-06-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #adult book


5 Contemporary Literary Fiction Books That Are Game-Changers

If you want to do some serious reading to reflect on humanity and its many aspects, these 5 contemporary literary fiction books are for you, including A Burning By Megha Majumdar. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-05-28 10:38:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #megha majumdar #literary fiction


But what if I want to write about mangoes?

Here I am. Writing about mangoes, while eating a mango. I am a stereotype dream come true. “I try to avoid any mention of mangoes, of spices and monsoons,” said writer Jeet Thayil, in an NPR interview a few years ago. Yes, these are the stereotypes that we are often pigeonholed in. I debated and... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-05-28 09:09:52 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


New Historical Fiction to Read This Summer

New novels — by turns salty, sweeping and sweet — will transport you to 1930s Italy, 19th-century England and San Francisco a hundred years ago. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2021-05-27 13:55:12 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #historical fiction


New Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels to Read This Summer

Six novels feature characters who hunger for connection so strongly that they transform their environments. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2021-05-27 13:55:11 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fantasy novels #science fiction


A Guide To The Fantasy And Science Fiction Awards Scene

Take a deep dive into fantasy and science fiction awards with Jenn, as she looks at the many out there and why you should care. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-05-27 10:39:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #deep dive #science fiction


At Abu Dhabi International Book Fair: Salha Obaid on Fact and Fiction

The Emirati writer's fiction explores the rapid changes in her home country in recent decades, with factual research as a foundation. The post At Abu Dhabi International Book Fair: Salha Obaid on Fact and Fiction appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-05-26 15:30:15 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fiction appeared #salha obaid #home country


Faith, Fashion, and Body Image Books Make Room for God

From a female rabbi to a Catholic fashionista, authors offer women advice on what to wear, how to wear it, and how to bring God into the appearance equation. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


U.S. Book Show: PW Editors' Picks, Literary Fiction

Sally Rooney, Lauren Groff, and Atticus Lish were among the authors whose upcoming works of literary fiction were highlighted during this Editors' Picks panel hosted by 'PW' reviews editor David Varno. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pw editors #book show #sally rooney #lauren groff #atticus lish #upcoming works #literary fiction


Writing an Old Friend: Spotlight on J. William Lewis

The teenage protagonist in J. William Lewis’s debut novel, The Essence of Nathan Biddle, seeks to answer life’s biggest questions. (Sponsored) Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #teenage protagonist #biggest questions


Downloading our thoughts to the mainframe may be the stuff of science fiction — but humans have been imagining it for centuries

Leaving our earthly bodies and living forever as a machine isn't just a thing of modern science fiction. These transhumanist ideas date back to the 18th century. Continue reading at The Conversation

[ The Conversation | 2021-05-17 05:22:55 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #18th century #science fiction