Where are fiction’s real working-class heroes? | Letter

Working-class lives are unlikely to be properly represented in fiction if the publishing industry is run by middle-class graduates, says Nick MossKeiran Goddard is right to say that too many novels that claim to portray working-class life just give us “recent arts graduate feels emotionally, financially and erotically unsatisfied” (Close to Home by Michael Magee review – Belfast struggles, 21 April). He then raves about Michael Magee’s novel about a “sullen man in his 20s who has returned to Belfast after university”. The gatekeepers of the publishing industry are, all too often, recent university graduates, white and middle class, who work as literary agents and assistants. Their peers fill the broadsheet culture sections.Little wonder then that they can only recognise working-class stories when mediated through their own experience as graduates. The idea that there are other stories to be told and other working-class voices appears to bypass even your reviewer. I guess, given that most working-class kids are now being priced out of university, even the “recent arts graduate returns home” trope will soon focus solely on the lives of twentysomethings in the home counties. Nick Moss London Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2023-04-30 16:40:05 UTC ]
News tagged with: #middle class #literary agents #publishing industry

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Where are fiction’s real working-class heroes? | Letter'


Fiction Rules E-Books

Fiction is the leading sales driver of ebooks, and just how dominant that segment has been is clearly seen in a new market study just released by Bowker. According to "2010–2011 U.S. Book Consumer Demographics & Buying Behaviors Annual Review," fiction accounted for 61% of unit sales in 2010... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-06-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Steve Jobs the Comic Book Hero: An Exclusive Look

PCWorld managed to snag previews of some of the pages, although they are a work-in-progress as the pages have not yet been colored or had speech bubbles put in. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-06-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #steve jobs


Random House dominates Fiction Uncovered list

Written By: Katie Allen Publication Date: Thu, 19/05/2011 - 12:59 Three Random House Group titles have been picked for the first Fiction Uncovered promotion, which also includes two from indie Portobello. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


BBC defends genre fiction coverage

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Wed, 20/04/2011 - 09:45 The BBC is broadcasting an item on “The Culture Show” about science fiction next month, in the wake of a row about the broadcaster’s approach to genre fiction. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #culture show #science fiction #genre fiction


Fiction Express seeks interaction from readers for digital series

Written By: Caroline Horn Publication Date: Fri, 15/04/2011 - 08:56 An e-fiction venture aimed at tweens and teenagers is being launched by packager Discovery Books in May. Called Fiction Express, it will invite teenagers to buy books in instalments and to vote to decide the direction of the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital series #buy books #released weekly


Beautiful Books signs Real Man cookbooks

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Tue, 12/04/2011 - 08:00 Beautiful Books has signed exclusive world rights at London Book Fair with The Real Man Pizza Company to produce a series of cookbooks. The deal was signed between managing director Simon Petherick and Real Man m.d. Tom... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #real man #digital formats #beautiful books #offer readers


Angry Robot buys two fantasy fiction

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Thu, 07/04/2011 - 09:01 Angry Robot has made two fantasy fiction acquisitions, one a swashbuckling adventure and the other set in Elizabethan England. Both deals were signed by publishing director Marc Gascoigne for world English rights for physical,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fantasy fiction #swashbuckling adventure #elizabethan england #audio editions #zeno agency


Coronet to publish Tess Daly fiction

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Tue, 05/04/2011 - 16:11 Coronet will publish "Strictly Come Dancing" presenter Tess Daly's first sashay into fiction, having acquired The Camera Never Lies by the TV host. Editor Charlotte Haycock acquired British Commonwealth rights to the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tv host


Hothouse Fiction expands team

Written By: Caroline Horn Publication Date: Thu, 17/03/2011 - 15:51 Creative agency Hothouse Fiction is expanding its team to increase output and extend its international sales, especially into the US. Hothouse, which develops commercial series fiction for children aged five years and older,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #children aged #international sales #creative director #darley anderson #editorial consultant #managing editor


Hardback fiction added to UK's shopping basket

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Tue, 15/03/2011 - 14:47 Adult hardback fiction books have been added to the basket of goods that the government uses to calculate the cost of living in the UK. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Harvill Secker to publish Nanjing Heroes

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Tue, 08/03/2011 - 08:20 Harvill Secker is to publish Nanjing Heroes, a novella by Chinese author Yan Geling, which is currently being made into a film starring Christian Bale. Editor-at-large Rebecca Carter acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #harvill secker


Jamie top, while Faulks boosts fiction

Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Tue, 22/02/2011 - 16:01 Sales of Jamie Oliver’s Jamie’s 30-minute Meals (Michael Joseph) fell 22% week-on-week, but its 39,118 sale in the seven days to 19th February is easily strong enough to ensure it spends another week (its 17th in total) at the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Are digital comics the hero or villain?

Timonium's Diamond Comic Distributors to experiment with digital comics distribution with retail partnersDigital entertainment has shaken the retail industry, shuttering your local brick-and-mortar record store, book seller and video rental outlets. Could the neighborhood comic book shop be... Continue reading at Baltimore Sun

[ Baltimore Sun | 2011-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital comics #retail industry #book seller #company plans #digital version


Kindle App Update Adds Real Page Numbers

Kindle 2.6 for iPhone and iPad now displays "real page numbers," which Amazon has been adding to a large number of ebooks available from the Kindle Store. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle store #large number


Jamie scores double non-fiction number ones

Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Tue, 15/02/2011 - 15:59 TV chef Jamie Oliver has achieved the rare feat of topping both the hardback and paperback non-fiction bestseller lists, helping publisher Penguin score number ones across all four of The Bookseller's main bestseller lists—the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #records began


iBookstore joins Fiction Uncovered promotion

Publication Date: Mon, 14/02/2011 - 08:31 Apple's iBookstore is the latest retailer to sign up to Fiction Uncovered as the new promotion for midlist authors attracts 80 submissions. The online giant joins Waterstone's and Waterstones.co.uk, Foyles, The Book Depository, Amazon.co.uk, W H Smith... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fiction uncovered #book depository #smith travel #indie bookshops


Kindle gets real page numbers; better note, highlight & review sharing

By Tim Conneally, Betanews Amazon on Monday pre-released a software update for Kindle e-readers running the 3.0 software which updates the interface for magazines and newspapers, adds a quick review section at the end of each book, and adds page numbers that match Kindle books with their print... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2011-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #social activity #general public #social networks


Library ebook lending works for all, DBW told

Written By: Philip Jones The system of lending one ebook per library user works for authors, agents, booksellers and librarians, a session at Digital Book World discussing the sector heard yesterday. At the session, entitled 'Where Do Libraries Fit Into the Ecosystem?', publishers were... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-01-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #libraries fit #dbw told #philip jones #digital content


Hodder and Stoughton buys real-life Charlotte Gray

Written By: Charlotte Williams Hodder & Stoughton has acquired the account of the life of "real life Charlotte Gray". Pearl Witherington was the only female agent in the Special Operations Executive to run her own network in France during the second world war. Hodder non-fiction publisher... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-01-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #world war #elizabeth sheinkman #curtis brown


Circalit Seeks Crime Fiction

A year-old social networking and digital distribution platform that aims to bring writers and agents together has created a contest to find "the next big crime fiction blockbuster." Circalit, launched in February 2010 as a place for screenwriters to showcase their work to studios, began inviting... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #social networking #bring writers