The International Booker Prize, for those who don’t know, is an annual award presented in the UK. The award was originally biannual and available to writers of English and foreign authors with English translated books; however, since 2016, the award has become exclusive to translated texts. The longlist for this year’s award, though, seems to be something quite special. Generally, most nominees for the prize come from big-shot publishers or were simply big-shot writers. This year, the focus is on the little guys. According to Dr. Richard Mansell, the number of nominated books translated by the “Big Five” of …
To book readers everywhere, libraries are important. They provide a pressure-free environment for people to enjoy books and literature that isn’t present anywhere else. Sadly, however, libraries are under attack. For the fourth time during his presidency, Trump and his administration want to get rid of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). This choice is part of Trump’s 2021 budget that will push more funding towards military defense and NASA while cutting funds for social programs like Medicare, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the IMLS. These cuts directly impact communities that revolve around their public spaces and …
Last week, news of Wes Anderson’s latest movie hit Twitter. The movie, The French Dispatch, accompanied by Anderson’s screenplay of the same name, will be released in July of this year. However, in the meantime, it’s best to prepare yourself for the wonderfully quirky vibes Anderson will be dishing out with some equally quirky books. Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl Image via Penguin Random House While we all love Anderson’s take on this story, the original is just as fun. The children’s novel follows the sly but funny Mr. Fox. As a means to feed his wife and …
As I learn more about fiction, I’ve found the different types of fiction very interesting. Normally, the “types” of fiction refers to genres: whether a piece is literary fiction as opposed to romantic or sci-fi. However, I’m talking more about length in fiction. There are about four general lengths in fiction: flash fiction, short stories, novellas, and novels. Flash Fiction Flash fiction refers to short works that are, usually, under 1,000 words. This includes Dribbles, Drabbles, and six-word stories. Flash fiction is like a burst of juice on your tongue; something short and sweet. These short, short stories …
Writer’s block is probably the worst thing to happen to any writer. You’re sitting there, stuck and grasping for straws. What’s wrong? Why can’t you write? Where did all your ideas go? I can’t say for sure what the answers to these questions are, but I know one guaranteed solution: prompts. Prompts allow writers to create without having to come up with the more difficult plot points and storylines. There are two books in particular that do this is amazing and unique ways. The first is Naming the World edited by Bret Anthony Johnson. The book is a collection of …
