Why serious literary fiction like Ishiguro’s is vital in times like these | Alice O’Keeffe

In our digital age, Kazuo Ishiguro’s Nobel prize is a reminder that it is still novels that ask the biggest questionsIt’s always entertaining to observe the interaction between the news media and a writer who has just won the Nobel prize. The all-time best was obviously Doris Lessing, who when doorstepped simply rolled her eyes and snorted “Oh Christ”, before turning around to pay for her taxi. Bob Dylan studiously ignored the whole thing, while Kazuo Ishiguro had clearly emerged from solitary confinement in his study on Thursday (he is in the middle of writing a novel), to face a barrage of questions and photographs. Blinking and bewildered, he described the themes he has spent his life thinking about and painstakingly unpicking: “The way countries and nations and communities remember their past, and how often they bury the uncomfortable memories from their past.” Related: George Saunders and Mohsin Hamid lead a daring Man Booker shortlist Parents push their young children towards books, while they themselves spend every moment of leisure time plugged in Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2017-10-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #news media #doris lessing #solitary confinement #george saunders #young children

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This L.A. flash-fiction star thinks novels are 'saggy.' Her own debut proves her wrong

The debut novel 'Dead in Long Beach, California,' is a sharp, dazzling turn for Compton-raised author Venita Blackburn, who made her name with lightning-fast fiction. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2024-01-11 11:00:44 UTC ]
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The Ekus Group Joins Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency

Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency has acquired cookbook-focused literary agency the Ekus Group, which will operate as a boutique culinary division. Owner Sally Ekus will head up representation of cookbook and lifestyle titles as senior literary agent. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-09 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors Guild Surveys Literary Translators on Labor Conditions

The 2022 Survey of Literary Translators' Working Conditions collected data on income, royalties, copyright, and more from the responses of nearly 300 literary translators in the United States. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-08 05:00:00 UTC ]
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AI: Copyright Challenges Now Include a New York Times Lawsuit

The newly launched lawsuit of OpenAI and Microsoft by The New York Times parallels legal actions from the book publishing industry. The post AI: Copyright Challenges Now Include a New York Times Lawsuit appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-01-04 19:59:05 UTC ]
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Jump Into These 9 New Science Fiction and Fantasy Books in January 2024

The best new sci-fi and fantasy books out January 2024 feature mythological retellings, space adventures, cyberpunk ghost stories, and more! Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2024-01-02 11:30:00 UTC ]
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Book Review: ‘A Hitch in Time,’ by Christopher Hitchens

This bracing anthology of Christopher Hitchens’s work for The London Review of Books is just the ticket. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2024-01-01 10:02:01 UTC ]
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'New York Times' Sues OpenAI, Microsoft for Copyright Infringement

The suit, said to be the first AI-related action filed by a major American media company, alleges that AI services from both multibillion dollar companies are businesses “built on mass copyright infringement,” with potentially massive implications for the future of journalism. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-12-27 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Colm Tóibín! Geraldine Brooks! A guide to killing time! 19 books out in paperback this January.

2o24 is approaching! It’s hard to believe that 2023 is over, but a new year means new possibilities (always), new resolutions (maybe), and new books (once again, always). But it also means a new chance to pick up some excellent reads from 2023 that you might have missed when they first came out,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-12-22 14:01:02 UTC ]
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Audiobook Review: ‘Alice Sadie Celine,’ by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright

In “Alice Sadie Celine,” Sarah Blakley-Cartwright’s first novel for adults, a lauded feminist becomes entangled with her daughter’s best friend. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-12-22 10:00:21 UTC ]
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20 Must-Read Historical Fiction Books Set in Korea

These books provide us with a deeper understanding of what Korea is beyond what we hear or see in popular culture. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-12-15 11:30:00 UTC ]
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More Than a Satire: American Fiction is a Poignant Reflection on Existence

Of all the great premises™ boasted by this year’s slate of movies, the wonderful American Fiction has one of the very best. The film is about a veteran writer of literary fiction who, as a Black man, finds himself undesirable in the literary market for his lack of conforming to type. The... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-12-15 09:55:27 UTC ]
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Notable Literary Deaths in 2023

To the members of the literary community we lost this year, we say a last thank you, and goodbye. You will be missed. * “Belated literary star” Edith Pearlman, who broke out with Binocular Vision at the age of 74, died on January 1. She was 86. Suzy McKee Charnas, award-winning author of... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-12-14 09:51:11 UTC ]
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California Poet Laureate Lee Herrick opens up and performs at the L.A. Times Book Club

On Dec. 12, California Poet Laureate Lee Herrick talks about life on the road at the L.A. Times Book Club. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-12-12 20:24:33 UTC ]
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12 of the Most Prolific Children’s Book Authors of All Time

These prolific children's book authors have written hundreds of books over decades working in the publishing industry! Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-12-07 11:30:00 UTC ]
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Telling tales: Zimbabwe’s Weaver Press celebrates 25 years of championing truth-telling fiction

NoViolet Bulawayo among authors paying tribute to independent publishing house that shook up the country’s literary sceneWhen the Zimbabwean editor Irene Staunton and her husband Murray McCartney set up their publishing business in 1998, it seemed natural to call it Weaver Press. Their modest... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-12-07 07:00:02 UTC ]
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The Best Podcasts Engaged in Literary Activism

A lot of us talk the talk about what’s wrong with book publishing today—but who among us is walking the walk and actually effecting change in the world of literature? On Missing Pages, which I host for The Podglomerate, we look into past and present situations and processes (even scandals and... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-12-06 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Best Historical Fiction Books of 2023

It’s been a roller coaster of a year. Thankfully, we’ve had novels to whisk us to days gone by, even if those eras had their own highs and lows. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-12-05 10:01:03 UTC ]
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Inside Literary Prize Will Be Judged by Prison Inmates

Over the next six months, inmates in prisons around the country will be able to debate and vote on the winner of a new book award — the Inside Literary Prize. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-12-04 10:01:30 UTC ]
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The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of 2023

From witch stories to near-future noir, here are the year’s 10 best speculative books. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-12-04 10:00:38 UTC ]
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New Historical Fiction Books

A secret, a disappearance, a frozen body and a mysterious stranger — these historical novels have something for everyone. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-12-01 10:53:25 UTC ]
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