Why all writers are vain

I’ve met, interviewed and shared stages with many authors over the years, and seen all too many signs of pride and oversensitivity to criticism. There is an inherent egotism in believing your voice matters – but that’s no reason not to put pen to paperMany years ago, when I had just started writing books about philosophy, I got talking to two of my newly acquired peers. I asked one what he was currently working on, which as conversational gambits go is about as original as asking a novelist where she gets her ideas from. Having heard his answer, I perhaps tactlessly noted that quite a lot of books had recently appeared on this subject. “Yes,” he said, “but I really do think mine will be the best.”“Really?” I asked, perhaps too incredulously. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2015-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #put pen #recently appeared

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Why all writers are vain'


How writers survive

One year ago I launched my fourth psychological thriller, One Year Later. It was a gloriously sunny day, and we celebrated in the village pub, The Swan Inn, toasting my novel and each other with prosecco and chocolate brownies. I was hopeful for the future: it was the last book in a four-book... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-11-17 16:34:59 UTC ]
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Nature writer Melissa Harrison's children's debut to Chicken House

Chicken House will publish Melissa Harrison's debut children's novel, By Ash, Oak and Thorn, as well as a sequel, By Rowan and Yew.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-11-10 20:47:46 UTC ]
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The UK’s Young Writer Award Names Its 2020 Shortlist

The quintet of books named to the UK Young Writer of the Year award shortlist this year includes memoir, novels, and poetry collections. The post The UK’s Young Writer Award Names Its 2020 Shortlist appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-11-06 21:59:14 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #poetry collections #young writer


The Book That Brought Writers’ Fears and Self-Doubt Into the Open

HarperCollins recently reissued Writing Past Dark, by Bonnie Friedman, the classic, bestselling guide to the emotional side of the writer’s life, marking the book’s 25th anniversary. Three decades ago, when Friedman was fresh out of the Iowa Writers Workshop, the New York Times Book Review... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-10-29 08:48:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #25th anniversary #decades ago #literary hub #times book #harpercollins


Call for entries: young black writers competition

Guardian Weekend magazine and gal-dem are launching a memoir writing competition for UK-resident black women and black non-binary people aged 16-21 on the theme of ‘conversations’Calling all young black women and black non-binary writers aged 16-21. The Guardian is once again collaborating on a... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-10-22 11:23:42 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #weekend magazine #special issue #non-binary people #print publication #memoir


‘I Came From Nothing’: An Undocumented Writer Defies the Odds

Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, a National Book Award finalist for “The Undocumented Americans,” talks immigration, her unconventional approach to nonfiction and why impostor syndrome doesn’t faze her. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2020-10-21 09:00:29 UTC ]
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Center for Fiction Debuts Susan Kamil Award for Emerging Writers

The Center for Fiction announced the establishment of the Susan Kamil Award for Emerging Writers, a new award to honor the memory and influence of the late Kamil, who was former executive v-p and publisher of the Random House imprint. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-10-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #emerging writers #fiction announced #executive v- #random house


David Grossman calls on writers to bear witness to pandemic

Speaking at the launch for the Frankfurt book fair – this year focused online – the novelist said authors’ observations could ease the burden of the diseaseThe celebrated Israeli novelist David Grossman has called on his fellow writers to be “trenchant witnesses” to the Covid-19 pandemic, and to... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-10-14 12:54:03 UTC ]
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10 of the Funniest Comic Writers in English

Selected by Dr Oliver Tearle English literature has a rich tradition of comic writing. From Chaucer’s ‘Miller’s Tale’ to Shakespeare’s Falstaff to the early comic novels of Smollett, Sterne, Fielding, and Swift, there are plenty of laughs to be had from the pages of the literary greats. But what... Continue reading at Interesting Literature

[ Interesting Literature | 2020-10-08 14:00:57 UTC ]
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Comedian and writer Merrill Markoe dug deep into her childhood musings to explore memory

Her new graphic memoir, “We Saw Scenery,” is based on old diaries she found three years ago: “I wrote down everything.” Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-10-08 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Eccles Centre & Hay Festival Writer’s Award shortlist revealed

The six-strong shortlist for the 2021 Eccles Centre & Hay Festival Writer’s Award has been revealed, featuring yet-to-be-published authors from the UK, Spain, Argentina and Chile. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-05 07:41:55 UTC ]
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Aspiring writers, enter that prize. Even if you don't win, you'll be seen | Candice Carty-Williams

Simply submitting your story to be read by someone who knows talent when they see it is important for so many reasonsWriting prizes are massively important for aspiring and emerging writers. I think they are vastly more important than literary prizes. So many aspiring writers don’t have access... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-10-03 07:00:18 UTC ]
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Writers and publishers pen open letter to show solidarity with trans and non-binary community

An open letter expressing “love and solidarity for the trans and non-binary community”, spearheaded by authors Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Daisy Johnson, has garnered support from more than 200 writers, including Malorie Blackman, Jeanette Winterson and Joanne Harris. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-09-30 14:25:47 UTC ]
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100 Essential Books by Iranian Writers: Children’s and Young Adult Titles, by Niloufar Talebi

Essay To mark the upcoming 2020 Neustadt Lit Fest and the announcement of the 2021 NSK Neustadt Prize for Children’s Literature, here is an excerpt featuring the children’s and young adult books selection from 100 Essential Books by Iranian Writers,... Continue reading at World Literature Today

[ World Literature Today | 2020-09-30 13:21:42 UTC ]
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A Salvadoran writer busts the Trumpian myth of the tattooed immigrant threat

In "Unforgetting: A Memoir of Family, Migration, Gangs, and Revolution in the Americas," Roberto Lovato finally tells the full story of his rebel life. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-09-29 18:31:05 UTC ]
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Authors of colour made up 19.6% of YA writers in 2019

Authors of colour made up 19.6% of Young Adult writers published in 2019, a huge leap on previous years, according to new research. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-09-28 14:25:59 UTC ]
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Spanish-speaking writers are producing ambitious science fiction and fantasy. Let these books be your introduction.

As diverse as Spanish genre fiction is, most of it is hidden from the English-language world. Thankfully, enthusiasts and small publishers are filling the void. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-09-21 12:00:00 UTC ]
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#Merky Books announces second New Writers’ Prize

#Merky Books has announced the second annual #Merky Books New Writers’ Prize, a competition that aims to discover unpublished, underrepresented writers aged 16-30 from the UK and Ireland.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-09-14 02:02:20 UTC ]
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International Thriller Writers Regroup After Resignations

After all but two members resigned from ITW's board in June, the organization has regrouped, recruiting a new slate of board members and setting up a safety and security committee to establish a process for responding to complaints. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-09-08 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Doubleday wins nine-way auction for Anglo-Nigerian writer's debut

Doubleday has acquired two novels by Anglo-Nigerian writer Nikki May in a "hotly contested" nine-way auction. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-09-07 17:57:58 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hotly contested