There are so many literary prizes, some broad and some genre specific, but one has always been the most coveted – The Man Prize. Each year the winner is always eagerly awaited by readers. The Man Asian Literary Prize is even more special as it allows us to discover writers that have not been previously published in English. As a reader I can’t think of very many more exciting things than discovering a new author. To add “a cherry to this year’s topping” the winner, Kyong-soon Shin is also the first woman writer to win this prize. She comes from …
The Romantic Novelist Association just announced their winners for 2012 and looking at the list one cannot help but notice how much romantic women’s fiction has changed over the years. Gone are the days when the winning and bestselling romance novels had cover images of swooning and helpless looking women in the arms of bare-chested, kilt clad Scottish heroes. The contemporary heroines are a lot feistier, smarter, and more independent and are not scared to take on new challenges, just like the writers of this genre. Best Selling author Katie Fforde, who won the award for the best contemporary …
The New York Times just reported that Encyclopedia Britannica will stop the printing presses on their 2010 edition and they will focus solely on their electronic version. The Encyclopedia Britannica has been in print since 1768 and it is the oldest continuously published encyclopedia in the English language. It was considered a pinnacle of any respected and cultured home to prominently display the black and gold volumes. It is was such a household name that many of us can still remember the car salesman trying to foist these tomes along with the latest brand of vacuum cleaners. However, the times …
Finding good children’s books to read is often one of the greatest challenges for parents wanting to help their children to read. Book awards provide helpful guidance and are a trusted source of recommended children’s books to read. The Hans Christian Andersen Award is considered the most prestigious in international children’s book awards. It is given biennially by the International Board on Books for Young People to a living author and illustrator whose complete works have made lasting contributions to children’s literature. This years shortlist consists of the following 5 authors: María Teresa Andruetto from Argentina is a master of …
Even people who are not big readers know that the world of books is undergoing a revolution, on a scale comparable to what happened when Mr Gutenberg invented his printing press in 1439. We are now all talking about eBooks, major book chains closing down and authors becoming brands. A lot of people are predicting the death of books all together, but fear not it is not all doom and gloom. In fact there is a growing number of people talking about a new “golden age” of story telling and publishing. Amanda Hayward founder and CEO of the Writer’s Coffee …
