The novelist on his new collection of journalism, why he regrets criticising Sally Rooney and how he’s never shaken off the influence of JG Ballard“I’ll see your eidolon next Tuesday,” writes Will Self, 61, when I email to arrange a video call to discuss his new collection of journalism, Why Read: Selected Writings 2001-2021, which is centred on the concern (as he later told me, or my on-screen spirit-image) that “people are dumbing down their entire response to their own culture by their unfettered use of social media”. Self’s 26 previous books include Umbrella, shortlisted for the Booker prize in 2012, and its sequels Shark and Phone, the latter a single 624-page paragraph which the Telegraph called an “epic anti-tweet”. Speaking from his home in south London, he said he liked the description “because the book was a deliberate attempt to call people’s attention to what was being lost by the digital. I don’t think the Umbrella trilogy is that hard to read at all; it’s only hard to read in contrast to a tweet. By Donald Trump!”How did you pick the pieces in Why Read?Until fairly recently, certainly since 2001, I probably wrote an average of 150,000 words of journalism every year, so there’s a vast amount to choose from. My New York editor said that in the age of the web, collections like this need a theme or else readers feel they’re just getting a grab bag they could’ve sourced themselves. So the emphasis fell on the impact on reading and writing of what I choose to call... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2022-11-26 18:00:32 UTC ]
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The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje (Bloomsbury) has triumphed over competition from the likes of Hilary Mantel and George Saunders to be crowned the best Man Booker Prize winner of the last 50 years. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-07-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Michael Ondaatje’s 'The English Patient' has been named the winner of the Golden Man Booker Prize, given to the best work of fiction previously awarded the Man Booker Prize over the last 50 years. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-07-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ditko, who was best known as co-creator of the iconic superhero Spider-Man, was found dead in his Manhattan apartment June 29. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-07-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Comic book artist Steve Ditko has died at the age of 90, the New York Times reports. Ditko was best known for his work creating Spider-Man, who debuted in the Marvel comic book series Amazing Fantasy in 1962. Although Spider-Man was initially conceived by artist Jack Kirby, Kirby’s version was... Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2018-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers and past winners joined the Duchess of Cornwall at a reception at Buckingham Palace to celebrate 50 years of the Man Booker Prize last night. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Duchess of Cornwall has welcomed winners of the Man Booker Prize for Fiction along with jurors and others to a Buckingham Palace reception as the 'Golden Man Booker' weekend programming begins at Southbank Centre. The post Golden Man Booker Prize Celebrations Open With Buckingham Palace... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-07-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The public is invited to choose a ‘Golden Booker’ from five decades of winners. Time will tell if future readers agreeThe passage of time, 50 years of literary hoo-ha, has been both cruel and kind to the Man Booker prize, which will next month celebrate its half-century (the majority of those... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2018-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Upcoming thriller The Whisper Man has been optioned for film as part of a major Hollywood deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-06-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Vintage is organising a fundraising walk to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the NHS and to celebrate the important contribution made by nurses. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-06-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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“This is probably the biggest reading event I’ve ever attended,” says Kristi Charish, who’s coming from Canada to attend her first BookExpo. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-06-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The 50th anniversary 'Golden Man Booker Prize' will go to one of the five titles shortlisted from five decades of previous winners. The public now is voting to determine which of these books will be most 'golden' of all. The post At the Hay Festival, the Man Booker Prize Announces Its... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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George Saunders, Hilary Mantel and Michael Ondaatje are among the names to have been shortlisted for the Golden Man Booker Prize, created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the coveted literary award. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Retailers and libraries have revealed their plans to support the Golden Man Booker Prize, a one-off award crowning a winner among winners after five decades of the prize. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-05-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Olga Tokarczuk has become the first Polish author to scoop the £50,000 Man Booker International Prize for Flights, "brilliantly translated" by Jennifer Croft and published by independent press Fitzcarraldo Editions. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-05-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A book jurors say ‘flies us through a galaxy of departures and arrivals’ is named the Man Booker International Prize in London, author Olga Tokarczuk and translator Jennifer Croft sharing the £50,000 purse. The post Interview: Man Booker International Winners Olga Tokarczuk and Jennifer Croft... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-05-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Yellow Kite has pre-empted a book by "walking therapist" Jonathan Hoban called Walk with your Wolf. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-05-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Melissa Broder’s first full length novel, The Pisces (Bloomsbury Circus), follows heartbroken PHD student Lucy as she moves to her sister's house in Venice Beach and subsequently falls in love with a merman. With glowing reviews from Roxane Gay and "Parks & Recreation" writer Megan Amram... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-05-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mitchell Beazley has acquired a book by the senior commissioning editor of British GQ, Charlie Burton, pitched as "the definitive handbook of skills for the modern man". Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-04-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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On this week’s show, Claire and Sian return from wandering around the London book fair to chat about the big books snapped up at this year’s event. What will we be reading in 2019 and 2020? The shortlist for the 2018 Man Booker International prize for translated fiction was also announced, and... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2018-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Workshops and masterclasses are part of the plan for events in July's three-day 'Man Booker 50' celebration of a half-century of Man Booker Prize for Fiction awards. Tickets now are on sale. The post ‘Man Booker 50’ Celebration Features Stars, Commentary, Workshops appeared first on Publishing... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-04-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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