Zadie Smith on Male Critics, Appropriation, and What Interests Her Novelistically About Trump

In an interview in 2000, Zadie Smith told the Guardian about the pressure she felt after the astonishing success of her debut novel, White Teeth. “I was expected to be some expert on multicultural affairs, as if multiculturalism is a genre of fiction or something,” she said. “Whereas it’s just a fact of life—like there are people of different races on the planet.” Whether it’s indeed a fact of life or, we now fear, a feature of American life that is at risk of erasure, multiculturalism in all its complexity is at the center of Smith’s books. From White Teeth to NW, which was published in 2012, Smith’s characters inhabit mixed urban communities, often in London. Her latest novel, Swing Time, is out this week; set in England and West Africa, the story concerns the friendship of two young girls who meet in a dance class (“our shade of brown was exactly the same”) and traces the paths of their lives over a quarter-century. Continue reading at 'Slate'

[ Slate | 2016-11-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #american life #white teeth #swing time #west africa #young girls

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Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists – meet the class of 23

From Kazuo Ishiguro to Zadie Smith, Granta’s list has been spotlighting future stars since 1983. Four decades on, what does its evolution says about our literary landscape?Last month, a reformed Glaswegian gang member, a former personal trainer and a Booker prize winner all glammed up for a... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-04-15 08:00:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #derek owusu #eleanor catton #roll call #literary giants #pat barker #julian barnes #ian mcewan #salman rushdie #hanif kureishi #sarah waters #kamila shamsie #timely moment #literary world #literary magazine #novelists


Are these the most influential novelists of 2023?

This week, TIME magazine published its list of the 100 Most Influential People of 2023. And . . . it’s surprisingly literary! I mean, it’s not that literary, but considering that the TIME editors typically limit themselves to a single novelist among the 100, books seem to be coming up in the... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-04-14 15:34:40 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #influential people #novelists


Here is the Granta 2023 Best of British Novelists list.

A new drop of choice up-and-coming novelists has arrived on the morning tide. Granta magazine has announced its 2023 Best of British Novelists list, geared to future stars, including picks from Sigrid Rausing, Rachel Cusk, Helen Oyeyemi, Tash Aw, and Brian Dillon. The team picked a host of... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-04-13 13:57:54 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #granta magazine #sigrid rausing #rachel cusk #helen oyeyemi #tash aw #brian dillon #big names #eleanor catton #novelists


Clint Smith’s Back-to-Back, Genre-Spanning Best Sellers

In 2021, “How the Word Is Passed” was on the hardcover nonfiction list for five weeks. Now Smith is back — with a book of poetry on the fiction list. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-04-13 09:00:21 UTC ]
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Granta reveals its pick of future star British novelists

The journal’s once-in-a-decade selection of the best fiction writers under 40 has broadened its selection of 20 to include authors who ‘regard the UK as their home’Granta magazine’s Best of British Novelists list, which hails the literary stars of the future, has this year expanded to include... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-04-13 07:00:37 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fiction writers #granta magazine #british passport #happening today #luke neima #deputy editor #debut novelist #ian mcewan #salman rushdie #zadie smith #kamila shamsie #first novel #novelists


March Religion Bestsellers: Shannon Bream, Novelist Wanda E. Brunstetter Lead the Lists

Biblical lessons from Fox broadcaster Shannon Bream topped the nonfiction list; Amish romance novelist Wanda E. Brunstetter's launches a new collection in fiction's #1 spot. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-04-10 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #shannon bream #nonfiction list ##1 spot


Clint Smith Returns to His Roots in Poetry

Clint Smith is a staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America, which debuted at #1 on The New York Times bestseller list and won a National Book Critics Circle award. His new book, Above Ground, is a return to … The... Continue reading at The Millions

[ The Millions | 2023-04-07 10:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #poetry appeared #clint smith #staff writer #times bestseller


On Judging Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists

A.L. Kennedy on being chosen for, and judging Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists. The post On Judging <em>Granta</em>’s Best of Young British Novelists appeared first on Granta. Continue reading at Granta

[ Granta | 2023-04-06 11:32:41 UTC ]
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The National Book Critics Circle Awards Return to Manhattan

This year's National Book Critics Circle Awards, honoring books published in 2022, returned to its in-person format for the first time since 2019 to present awards to Joy Harjo, Hua Hsu, Ling Ma, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Ukrainian Author Andrey Kurkov Among National Book Critics Circle Award Winners

A collection of fantastical short stories and a book of poems about escaping capitalist society were also among the 2022 winners. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-03-24 00:51:07 UTC ]
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Eric Brown, science fiction author and Guardian critic, dies aged 62

Writers, publishers and agents pay tribute to a warm, generous figure, author of more than 50 books ranging from SFF to crime to children’s literatureEric Brown, a prolific, award-winning author who published more than 50 novels, children’s books and short story collections, and who was the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-03-23 13:58:10 UTC ]
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Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists

‘The issue was the first of its kind. Trust me, it said. I know what I am talking about. These young writers are the future of literature. Watch. History will prove me right.’ A history of the list, with reflections from Bill Buford and other editors. The post <em>Granta</em>’s... Continue reading at Granta

[ Granta | 2023-03-21 19:02:26 UTC ]
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Sheikh Zayed Shortlists: Literature, Young Author, Criticism

The first three categories’ shortlists have been released in the 17th edition of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, based in Abu Dhabi. The post Sheikh Zayed Shortlists: Literature, Young Author, Criticism appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-03-10 16:05:15 UTC ]
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Trump to publish book of letters from Kim Jong-un, Oprah Winfrey and others

Letters to Trump will contain 150 private letters written over more than 40 years, including correspondence with North Korean leaderDonald Trump has not yet announced a deal to write a White House memoir but he will publish a second post-presidential book next month – reportedly including... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-03-09 12:58:59 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kim jong- #oprah winfrey #including correspondence #north korea #richard nixon #memoir #publish book


8 of the Most Interesting Buildings That Are Now Libraries (And Bookstores)

From big-box stores and schools to banks and gymnasiums, here are some old buildings that were turned into libraries (and bookstores). Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-02-20 11:38:00 UTC ]
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Critics reject changes to Roald Dahl books as censorship

Critics are accusing the British publisher of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s books of censorship after it removed colorful language from works such as “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Matilda” to make them more acceptable to modern readers Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2023-02-20 00:47:34 UTC ]
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Book Review: ‘The Critic’s Daughter,’ by Priscilla Gilman

In her memoir “The Critic’s Daughter,” Priscilla Gilman recounts her life with intensely intellectual — and very different — parents. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-02-13 10:00:09 UTC ]
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An Elegy to a Pluralistic, Polyglot India Wins Readers and Critics in the West

Geetanjali Shree’s prizewinning novel “Tomb of Sand” pushed the boundaries of experimental writing in Hindi and spotlighted the wealth of Indian literature in languages other than English. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-02-11 10:00:17 UTC ]
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Salone di Torino Reports High Rights Fellowship Interest

The rights-professional fellowship at Torino's book fair has attracted a record 371 applications from 55 nations for the May 17 to 19 show. The post Salone di Torino Reports High Rights Fellowship Interest appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-02-09 16:41:07 UTC ]
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2023 National Book Critics Circle Awards Finalists Announced

Finalists in six categories for the annual awards honoring the best books of the previous publishing year have been announced. 'New York Times' critic Jennifer Wilson, poet Joy Harjo, and City Lights Booksellers & Publishers have won special awards. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-01-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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