Charles Sprawson, cult author of ‘Haunts of the Black Masseur’, has died
Sad news this week as it was announced that Charles Sprawson, author of Haunts of the Black Masseur, and widely regarded as the forerunner to the modern nature writing / wild… Read more »
Women writers dominate Italian lit market in wake of Ferrante Fever
One of the decade’s best publishing stories is the breakout success of pseudonymous Italian writer Elena Ferrante. She received the James Wood seal of approval, brought international flavor (and likely some much-improved… Read more »
Pagey mallard: Ducks, Newburyport scoops Goldsmiths Prize
This week saw the announcement of the Goldsmith’s Prize, which was established in 2013 “to celebrate the qualities of creative daring associated with the College and to reward fiction that… Read more »
Australian football legend Tim Cahill to add to children’s book series
OK, I’ll level with you. Every week, we go through the books news looking for the most vital, interesting, controversial and otherwise blog-worthy stories. It’s fun! And the past couple… Read more »
Authors protest withdrawal of Nelly Sachs award
Earlier this month British-Pakistani author Kamila Shamsie was awarded the Nelly Sachs award (which comes with a €15,000 prize). Alison Flood reports for the Guardian that the jury specifically cited… Read more »
Gomer ceases publishing new books; focuses on printing
Sad news from the valleys last week, as one of the biggest publishers in Wales, Gwasg Gomer, announces it is ‘winding down’ its publishing operations to focus solely on printing. In a story… Read more »
Jakarta’s First Ever Literary Festival to Focus on Asian and African Writers
Nothing like a non-Western literary festival to reinvigorate contemporary literature. As the Jakarta Post points out, authors from Asia and Africa are to take center stage at the first-ever Jakarta International… Read more »
Old Yellow: new book celebrates 100 years of the Tour de France’s maillot jaune
Cycling around France all summer sounds just wonderful, right? The wind in your hair. The breathtaking landscapes. The picture-perfect villages, with the tantalising aroma of freshly-baked baguettes wafting over from the boulangerie… Read more »
Will this year’s Women’s World Cup spark a memoir frenzy?
Recent sports news has borne a strange resemblance to certain events last year. England fans, once again buoyed by the sight of a talented, forward-thinking, likeable set of players giving their all,… Read more »
Singapore book chain throws inaugural ‘non-book fair’
Popular Holdings, an established Singaporean book retailer more commonly known as Popular, has announced a one-off 95th birthday fair, the Popular Show—which will only feature gadgets, “titbits,” stationery, and lifestyle… Read more »