SA Writer's College is holding their annual short story competition. Its free to enter for all previously UNPUBLISHED authors. Entries by email only and the deadline is Wednesday April 29 2009.
www.sawriterscollege.co.za for rules or email ginny@ginnyswart.com
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Talent Campus Durban at the 30th Durban International Film Festival
The 30th Durban International Film Festival (22 July - 2 August 2009) is proud to announce the 2nd edition of Talent Campus Durban from 24 - 28 July 2009, an intensive 5-day programme of workshops and seminars delivered by
film professionals to enhance both theoretical and practical approaches to filmmaking. The 2nd Talent Campus Durban theme Roots and Shoots: Creating a New African Cinema will focus activities towards the development of new
partnerships between African filmmakers.
Talent Campus Durban invites filmmakers from Africa to apply to participate in these workshops and seminars, which take place in Durban, South Africa, over five days. In addition to specific activities offered by the Campus, the selected talents will have the opportunity to attend films and events at the 30th Durban International Film Festival.
Deadline for application: 16 March 2009
Full Rules and Regulations can be downloaded from: www.cca.ukzn.ac.za/talentdiff2009.htm
For further details: Phone: 031 260 2506/1367 Fax: 031 260 3074
E-mail: talent@ukzn.ac.za or talent.durban@gmail.com
Talent Campus Durban is produced as a cooperation between the Durban International Film Festival and the Berlinale Talent Campus, and Berlin International Film Festival and is supported by the German Embassy in South Africa, the Goethe Institute South Africa and the Department of Economic Development - KwaZulu-Natal.
The Durban International Film Festival is organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (UKZN) with principle funding and support from the National Film & Video Foundation, HIVOS, SABC, Stichting Doen, Department of Economic
Development - KwaZulu-Natal, City of Durban, and the Ethekwini Municipality.
film professionals to enhance both theoretical and practical approaches to filmmaking. The 2nd Talent Campus Durban theme Roots and Shoots: Creating a New African Cinema will focus activities towards the development of new
partnerships between African filmmakers.
Talent Campus Durban invites filmmakers from Africa to apply to participate in these workshops and seminars, which take place in Durban, South Africa, over five days. In addition to specific activities offered by the Campus, the selected talents will have the opportunity to attend films and events at the 30th Durban International Film Festival.
Deadline for application: 16 March 2009
Full Rules and Regulations can be downloaded from: www.cca.ukzn.ac.za/talentdiff2009.htm
For further details: Phone: 031 260 2506/1367 Fax: 031 260 3074
E-mail: talent@ukzn.ac.za or talent.durban@gmail.com
Talent Campus Durban is produced as a cooperation between the Durban International Film Festival and the Berlinale Talent Campus, and Berlin International Film Festival and is supported by the German Embassy in South Africa, the Goethe Institute South Africa and the Department of Economic Development - KwaZulu-Natal.
The Durban International Film Festival is organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (UKZN) with principle funding and support from the National Film & Video Foundation, HIVOS, SABC, Stichting Doen, Department of Economic
Development - KwaZulu-Natal, City of Durban, and the Ethekwini Municipality.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Best African poetry 2009
It's about time that there was something akin to The Best American Poetry Series for the Continent. I can't make any claim to this being the proper vehicle for such an endeavor, but I think it's high time someone tried. So we're going to give it a go.
With your help!
So here are the "rules":
* Please submit no more than five (5) different poems. They can all be by a single author, all by different authors, or some mix thereof.
* Nominated works must have (originally) appeared in print in works with a publication date between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2008 -- as part of a chapbook, single author book, edited collection, newspaper, magazine, or journal. Please do not submit poetry that has only been published online.
* Wherever possible, please submit a pdf of the nominated poems as they appear in print.
* Complete bibliographic information on where the work has appeared should be included with the nomination/s. If the work has been published on the internet as well please include the url.
* Nominations must be received by 1 February 2009.
Email me all nominations and any questions you might have. - mark l lilleleht, mllillel@wisc.edu.
I would like to publish the collected works (and not all nominated works will be included, obviously -- this is intended to be an edited collection) as a chapbook or booklet, to be made available at the African Literature Association conference (15-19 April 2009).
No poems will be reprinted without the permission of the poet (and original publisher where appropriate). Original publication will also be credited. All rights and royalties (though I can't imagine there will be any of the latter) will be negotiated. I hope to be able to give this away for free (poets with works appearing will, of course, receive at least one copy of the final publication).
Publishers are, of course, welcome to nominate works from their catalogs and/or publications.
With your help!
So here are the "rules":
* Please submit no more than five (5) different poems. They can all be by a single author, all by different authors, or some mix thereof.
* Nominated works must have (originally) appeared in print in works with a publication date between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2008 -- as part of a chapbook, single author book, edited collection, newspaper, magazine, or journal. Please do not submit poetry that has only been published online.
* Wherever possible, please submit a pdf of the nominated poems as they appear in print.
* Complete bibliographic information on where the work has appeared should be included with the nomination/s. If the work has been published on the internet as well please include the url.
* Nominations must be received by 1 February 2009.
Email me all nominations and any questions you might have. - mark l lilleleht, mllillel@wisc.edu.
I would like to publish the collected works (and not all nominated works will be included, obviously -- this is intended to be an edited collection) as a chapbook or booklet, to be made available at the African Literature Association conference (15-19 April 2009).
No poems will be reprinted without the permission of the poet (and original publisher where appropriate). Original publication will also be credited. All rights and royalties (though I can't imagine there will be any of the latter) will be negotiated. I hope to be able to give this away for free (poets with works appearing will, of course, receive at least one copy of the final publication).
Publishers are, of course, welcome to nominate works from their catalogs and/or publications.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Applications being accepted for 2009 International Young Publishing Entrepreneur of the Year Award
Andrea Ogle | Projects Officer | British Council | Johannesburg
DL +270 11 718 4318 | M +270 82 807 6411 | F +270 11 718 4400
Creating opportunity for people worldwide
www.britishcouncil.org/africa
The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are a registered charity; 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland). We build engagement and trust for the UK through the exchange of knowledge and ideas between people worldwide.
DL +270 11 718 4318 | M +270 82 807 6411 | F +270 11 718 4400
Creating opportunity for people worldwide
www.britishcouncil.org/africa
The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are a registered charity; 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland). We build engagement and trust for the UK through the exchange of knowledge and ideas between people worldwide.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Invitation to book launch hosted at Wordsworth Gardens
Our guest is Patricia Schonstein author of The Master's Ruse.
Date: Thursday, 18 December 2008
Time: 17h30 for 18h00
Venue: WORDSWORTH BOOKS, Shop 7, Gardens Centre, Mill Street, Gardens.
Patricia, the award-winning author of Skyline, will discuss her latest book.
RSVP: Leon before Wednesday, 17 December 2008
Tel: (021) 461-8464 Email: gardens@wordsworth.co.za
Drinks & light snacks will be served.
Wines kindly sponsored by Leopard's Leap.
The Master’s Ruse is Patricia Schonstein’s fifth novel. It follows: Skyline. A Time of Angels. The Apothecary’s Daughter. A Quilt of Dreams.
Set in a future time when the sea is biologically dead, in a country governed by a regime opposed to literature and free speech, The Master’s Ruse is the surrealist narrative of an aging authoress compromised by harsh laws governing literary freedom.
Stark, searing and eloquent, this novel, cast as an allegorical masterclass and as a memoir of authorship and conscience, reflects on the crafting of fiction and the creative scaffolding that supports it.
It laments the desecration of the earth’s fragile infrastructure and considers the power of fiction as a tool for peace.
Date: Thursday, 18 December 2008
Time: 17h30 for 18h00
Venue: WORDSWORTH BOOKS, Shop 7, Gardens Centre, Mill Street, Gardens.
Patricia, the award-winning author of Skyline, will discuss her latest book.
RSVP: Leon before Wednesday, 17 December 2008
Tel: (021) 461-8464 Email: gardens@wordsworth.co.za
Drinks & light snacks will be served.
Wines kindly sponsored by Leopard's Leap.
The Master’s Ruse is Patricia Schonstein’s fifth novel. It follows: Skyline. A Time of Angels. The Apothecary’s Daughter. A Quilt of Dreams.
Set in a future time when the sea is biologically dead, in a country governed by a regime opposed to literature and free speech, The Master’s Ruse is the surrealist narrative of an aging authoress compromised by harsh laws governing literary freedom.
Stark, searing and eloquent, this novel, cast as an allegorical masterclass and as a memoir of authorship and conscience, reflects on the crafting of fiction and the creative scaffolding that supports it.
It laments the desecration of the earth’s fragile infrastructure and considers the power of fiction as a tool for peace.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Opportunity for unknown fiction authors willing to share his or her experiences
Reply to: job-954346991@craigslist.org
Looking for unknown fiction authors willing to share his or her experiences (anonymously if preferred) with one of the industry’s leading ‘book doctors’ for upcoming publication on debut novelists.
You could have:
• A clear, but unwritten, idea for a novel, a rough draft, or a completed manuscript you intend to have published.
• A manuscript that still needs polishing prior to submission.
• A basic knowledge of query letter writing – although you don’t need one completed.
• A manuscript that’s been shopped around with not much success.
You must have:
• A willingness and drive to keep working at it.
• A fresh ‘voice’.
• Access to a computer and email.
If selected, you will have the full coaching resources available to you: story development, polishing and editing prior to submission, isolating the top-pick literary agents and query letter coaching. You will also have the option of getting excerpts of your work published in a high-profile publication (you may also choose not to share your unpublished work).
Please send a short (one page or less) description of where you are in your writing process. You may include any relevant information: job and/or education history. Please include the words 'FICTION AUTHOR' in the heading.
Website and links to 'national bestselling' credentials will be made available.
* Telecommuting is ok.
* Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
* Please, no phone calls about this job!
* Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.
Looking for unknown fiction authors willing to share his or her experiences (anonymously if preferred) with one of the industry’s leading ‘book doctors’ for upcoming publication on debut novelists.
You could have:
• A clear, but unwritten, idea for a novel, a rough draft, or a completed manuscript you intend to have published.
• A manuscript that still needs polishing prior to submission.
• A basic knowledge of query letter writing – although you don’t need one completed.
• A manuscript that’s been shopped around with not much success.
You must have:
• A willingness and drive to keep working at it.
• A fresh ‘voice’.
• Access to a computer and email.
If selected, you will have the full coaching resources available to you: story development, polishing and editing prior to submission, isolating the top-pick literary agents and query letter coaching. You will also have the option of getting excerpts of your work published in a high-profile publication (you may also choose not to share your unpublished work).
Please send a short (one page or less) description of where you are in your writing process. You may include any relevant information: job and/or education history. Please include the words 'FICTION AUTHOR' in the heading.
Website and links to 'national bestselling' credentials will be made available.
* Telecommuting is ok.
* Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
* Please, no phone calls about this job!
* Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Brown Graduate Program in Literary Arts seeking applications and nominations
The Brown Graduate Program in Literary Arts and Thomas J. Watson Institute for International Studies are seeking applications and nominations for the 2009 - 2010 International Writers Project Fellowship.
The fellowship, which is sponsored by the William H. Donner Foundation, provides institutional, intellectual, artistic and social support to writers who face personal danger, oppression, and/or threats to their livelihood in nations throughout the world. Each academic year, the fellowship is granted to one writer who is unable to practice free expression in his or her homeland. Deeply practical in nature and intention, the academic-year fellowship covers the costs of relocation and the writer's living expenses in the U.S., and also provides an office on the campus of Brown University for ten months.
International Writers Project founder Robert Coover points out that, while the Literary Arts Program at Brown has been providing freedom-to-write fellowships since 1989 and has a long history of engagement in freedom of expression issues, "not in recent history has the basic principle of free expression been under such worldwide threat as right now, making fellowships like this one a top priority for any writing program or university. Not only does the fellowship provide needed support and sanctuary to an individual writer, it also signals a commitment to the principle of freedom of expression and, through its association with cultural programs, seeks to heighten awareness of that principle's vulnerability and the need for international solidarity in its protection."
The 2008 – 2009 IWP Fellow is Burmese novelist Thida. Previous IWP Fellows have included Zimbabwean novelist Chenjerai Hove, Iranian novelists Moniro Ravanipour, Shahryar Mandanipour, and Shahrnush Parsipur, and Congolese playwright and novelist Pierre Mumbere Mujomba.
The IWP Fellowship is open to established creative writers (fiction writers, poets, or playwrights) who are persecuted in their home countries or who are actively prevented from pursuing free expression in their literary art. Writers interested in applying for the fellowship should send a case history, providing publishing history and explaining need, a writing sample, and a resume, to the Graduate Program in Literary Arts, Box 1923, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, or they may email materials to iwp@brown.edu. Persons wishing to make the IWP aware of a writer in need, or wishing to nominate a candidate, should also contact the program as noted above. The IWP will be accepting applications until February 15, 2009. More information about the IWP is available on the Literary Arts Program website, www.brown.edu/cw (click on IWP).
Literary Arts Program
Box 1923
Providence, RI 02912
401 863-3260
Fax 401 863-1535
The fellowship, which is sponsored by the William H. Donner Foundation, provides institutional, intellectual, artistic and social support to writers who face personal danger, oppression, and/or threats to their livelihood in nations throughout the world. Each academic year, the fellowship is granted to one writer who is unable to practice free expression in his or her homeland. Deeply practical in nature and intention, the academic-year fellowship covers the costs of relocation and the writer's living expenses in the U.S., and also provides an office on the campus of Brown University for ten months.
International Writers Project founder Robert Coover points out that, while the Literary Arts Program at Brown has been providing freedom-to-write fellowships since 1989 and has a long history of engagement in freedom of expression issues, "not in recent history has the basic principle of free expression been under such worldwide threat as right now, making fellowships like this one a top priority for any writing program or university. Not only does the fellowship provide needed support and sanctuary to an individual writer, it also signals a commitment to the principle of freedom of expression and, through its association with cultural programs, seeks to heighten awareness of that principle's vulnerability and the need for international solidarity in its protection."
The 2008 – 2009 IWP Fellow is Burmese novelist Thida. Previous IWP Fellows have included Zimbabwean novelist Chenjerai Hove, Iranian novelists Moniro Ravanipour, Shahryar Mandanipour, and Shahrnush Parsipur, and Congolese playwright and novelist Pierre Mumbere Mujomba.
The IWP Fellowship is open to established creative writers (fiction writers, poets, or playwrights) who are persecuted in their home countries or who are actively prevented from pursuing free expression in their literary art. Writers interested in applying for the fellowship should send a case history, providing publishing history and explaining need, a writing sample, and a resume, to the Graduate Program in Literary Arts, Box 1923, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, or they may email materials to iwp@brown.edu. Persons wishing to make the IWP aware of a writer in need, or wishing to nominate a candidate, should also contact the program as noted above. The IWP will be accepting applications until February 15, 2009. More information about the IWP is available on the Literary Arts Program website, www.brown.edu/cw (click on IWP).
Literary Arts Program
Box 1923
Providence, RI 02912
401 863-3260
Fax 401 863-1535
A call for stories
ISPIRATO
A new young MG/YA publisher is looking for passionate, talented writers to submit proposals and/or completed manuscripts of approximately 80 000 words.
About the publishers
"The Publishing Company is named Ispirato - it is very new in the 'commercial book' market (though it has been operational since 2006 in the corporate world). We decided to 'open' this side of the business since there seems to be a niche market for the MG/YA books (MG - Middle Grade/YA - Young Adult - so 9-18 years reader group) in South Africa - as sadly, so many seem to still be imported.
"We do not look at massive print runs initially, but the company will cover the costs of initial runs and marketing in selected stores. The author must obviously be available to appear at marketing drives/launches etc., etc. and as the sales increase so the runs will too (we are also looking to promote books - of any kind - online and are looking at a discount rate between 30-40% initially. Other on-line store usually charge around 45% " Our mission is to get young adult SA readers reading SA writers!
Contact details
"Our website is www.ispirato.co.za (the online store Ispirato Books -
one of the tags on your left - is still in development phase but you could link to it to see the work-in-progress), our contact details:
karen@ispirato.co.za or info@ispirato.co.za, our current address is 15 Sprigg Road, Tableveiw, 7441 and contact numbers are 0215579836.
"We use external editors (www.livewriting.co.za - the site is in development too but the main Editor is Maire Fischer) and depending on the amount of editing that will need to be done, we will negotiate with the writer (obviously if there is a lot of editing - according to Live Writing - then we won't want to cover the costs for this as we believe it is the writers responsibility to make sure it is 'mostly' publishable).
What we looking for
We are looking for MG - Middle Grade/YA - Young Adult (so for the 8-18 yrs reader group) writers at moment. (We will also accept already published books to be sold on the online site if anyone is interested.)
Submission details are:
1. Synopsis of story - 1-2 pages of the story (an outline if you will)
2. First 3 chapters of the story - we assume edited and in 'publishable' format
3. A cover letter with some information of the author i.e. learning, other published stories etc - who they are, what they've done and want to do
4. Remember to include your contact details
E-mail submissions to karen@ispirato.co.za or info@ispirato.co.za
A new young MG/YA publisher is looking for passionate, talented writers to submit proposals and/or completed manuscripts of approximately 80 000 words.
About the publishers
"The Publishing Company is named Ispirato - it is very new in the 'commercial book' market (though it has been operational since 2006 in the corporate world). We decided to 'open' this side of the business since there seems to be a niche market for the MG/YA books (MG - Middle Grade/YA - Young Adult - so 9-18 years reader group) in South Africa - as sadly, so many seem to still be imported.
"We do not look at massive print runs initially, but the company will cover the costs of initial runs and marketing in selected stores. The author must obviously be available to appear at marketing drives/launches etc., etc. and as the sales increase so the runs will too (we are also looking to promote books - of any kind - online and are looking at a discount rate between 30-40% initially. Other on-line store usually charge around 45% " Our mission is to get young adult SA readers reading SA writers!
Contact details
"Our website is www.ispirato.co.za (the online store Ispirato Books -
one of the tags on your left - is still in development phase but you could link to it to see the work-in-progress), our contact details:
karen@ispirato.co.za or info@ispirato.co.za, our current address is 15 Sprigg Road, Tableveiw, 7441 and contact numbers are 0215579836.
"We use external editors (www.livewriting.co.za - the site is in development too but the main Editor is Maire Fischer) and depending on the amount of editing that will need to be done, we will negotiate with the writer (obviously if there is a lot of editing - according to Live Writing - then we won't want to cover the costs for this as we believe it is the writers responsibility to make sure it is 'mostly' publishable).
What we looking for
We are looking for MG - Middle Grade/YA - Young Adult (so for the 8-18 yrs reader group) writers at moment. (We will also accept already published books to be sold on the online site if anyone is interested.)
Submission details are:
1. Synopsis of story - 1-2 pages of the story (an outline if you will)
2. First 3 chapters of the story - we assume edited and in 'publishable' format
3. A cover letter with some information of the author i.e. learning, other published stories etc - who they are, what they've done and want to do
4. Remember to include your contact details
E-mail submissions to karen@ispirato.co.za or info@ispirato.co.za
Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature opens
Tafelberg and Sanlam once again invite writers, established or beginner, to enter manuscripts suitable for 12-18 year olds for the Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature. The competition closes on 30 June 2009 and this time round the organisers are looking for stories in which humour play a role.
Entries may be in Afrikaans, English, Nguni languages, Sotho languages, Tshivenda or Xitsonga.
The winning novels will be published by NB Publishers under the Tafelberg imprint in 2010. For enquiries contact Danita van Romburgh at dvanromb@nb.co.za or (021) 406 3412.
Entries may be in Afrikaans, English, Nguni languages, Sotho languages, Tshivenda or Xitsonga.
The winning novels will be published by NB Publishers under the Tafelberg imprint in 2010. For enquiries contact Danita van Romburgh at dvanromb@nb.co.za or (021) 406 3412.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Crink self-publishing platform launches
Via Afrika has launched a brand-new division. Crink, a ground-breaking online self-publishing platform, is set to lead the way in e-publishing in South Africa by enabling authors to self-publish, sell, buy and market their books online. Customers will be able to order books from Crink's online shop and have it delivered to their doorsteps in printed format.
The Web 2.0-enabled Crink platform is 80 per cent automated and the success of publications is determined mainly by the involvement of authors who now have the luxury of managing their titles. Crink simultaneously runs traditional self-publishing services to guide authors through the publishing value chain from manuscript origination to the final product in the bookstore.
Please visit www.crink.co.za for more information; alternatively call us at 012 342 7202.
The Web 2.0-enabled Crink platform is 80 per cent automated and the success of publications is determined mainly by the involvement of authors who now have the luxury of managing their titles. Crink simultaneously runs traditional self-publishing services to guide authors through the publishing value chain from manuscript origination to the final product in the bookstore.
Please visit www.crink.co.za for more information; alternatively call us at 012 342 7202.
Friday, November 14, 2008
South African Writers College offers writing courses
We have been running our courses for several years, and most are tutored by multi-award-winning South African writers - at an affordable cost. All our courses are one-on-one over a period of at least five months, and we aim to train writers from every corner of South Africa.
We also offer two full bursaries per year, and run two national writing competitions.
Henrietta Rose Innes and Jo-Anne Richards - Write A Novel Course.
admin@sawriterscollege.co.za (a national, one-year online course with one-on-one guidance and training by award-winning writers) Tel: 021
433-2879; enrol at www.sawriterscollege.co.za
Helen Brain's Write A Children's Book Course -
admin@sawriterscollege.co.za (a 12-month online course with one-on-one guidance and tutelage by award-winning author, Helen Brain)
Tel: 021 433-2879; enrol at www.sawriterscollege.co.za
Janie Oosthuysen's Skryfgeheime Vir Kinderboeke -
admin@sawriterscollege.co.za (an eight-month online course with one-on-one guidance and training by the multi-award-winning children's book author, Janie Oosthuysen) Tel: 021 433-2879; enrol at www.sawriterscollege.co.za
Ginny Swart: Short Story Writing Course - admin@sawriterscollege.co.za (a six-month online course with one-on-one tutoring by Ginny Swart - the multi-award-winning writer) Tel: 021 433-2879; enrol at www.sawriterscollege.co.za
Peter Cross: Write A Non-fiction Book - admin@sawriterscollege.co.za (a twelve-month online course with individual tutoring by author and journalist, Peter Cross) Tel: 021 433-2879; enrol at www.sawriterscollege.co.za
SA Writers' College - admin@sawriterscollege.co.za (a national, online writing school for career training and for creative writing enthusiasts.
All courses offer at least five months of one-on-one training under a top South African writer.) Tel: 021 433-2879; enrol at www.sawriterscollege.co.za
We also offer two full bursaries per year, and run two national writing competitions.
Henrietta Rose Innes and Jo-Anne Richards - Write A Novel Course.
admin@sawriterscollege.co.za (a national, one-year online course with one-on-one guidance and training by award-winning writers) Tel: 021
433-2879; enrol at www.sawriterscollege.co.za
Helen Brain's Write A Children's Book Course -
admin@sawriterscollege.co.za (a 12-month online course with one-on-one guidance and tutelage by award-winning author, Helen Brain)
Tel: 021 433-2879; enrol at www.sawriterscollege.co.za
Janie Oosthuysen's Skryfgeheime Vir Kinderboeke -
admin@sawriterscollege.co.za (an eight-month online course with one-on-one guidance and training by the multi-award-winning children's book author, Janie Oosthuysen) Tel: 021 433-2879; enrol at www.sawriterscollege.co.za
Ginny Swart: Short Story Writing Course - admin@sawriterscollege.co.za (a six-month online course with one-on-one tutoring by Ginny Swart - the multi-award-winning writer) Tel: 021 433-2879; enrol at www.sawriterscollege.co.za
Peter Cross: Write A Non-fiction Book - admin@sawriterscollege.co.za (a twelve-month online course with individual tutoring by author and journalist, Peter Cross) Tel: 021 433-2879; enrol at www.sawriterscollege.co.za
SA Writers' College - admin@sawriterscollege.co.za (a national, online writing school for career training and for creative writing enthusiasts.
All courses offer at least five months of one-on-one training under a top South African writer.) Tel: 021 433-2879; enrol at www.sawriterscollege.co.za
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Google Book Search settlement agreement
Google and the group of authors and publishers who were plaintiffs in the U.S. Google Book Search lawsuits announced a groundbreaking settlement agreement. This settlement, on behalf of a broad class of copyright holders, opens new opportunities for everyone - authors, publishers, libraries, Google and readers. You can learn more about the settlement and how it may affect you and your authors by visiting the copyright settlement site ( http://books.google.com/booksrightsholders/). Because the settlement is awaiting Court approval, we're limited in our ability to discuss it with you. However, you are encouraged to contact the Settlement Administrator or Class Counsel, whose contact information is on the settlement website, for further assistance. You may also be interested in reading our blog post to users ( http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/new-chapter-for-google-book-search.html).
The proposed settlement covers books that were digitized as a part of the Google Book Search Library Project ( http://books.google.com/googlebooks/library.html). The relationship we have with you under the Google Book Search Partner Program does not change, although you will be entitled to the benefits conferred on you under the settlement, if and when the settlement is approved by the Court. You will continue to be able to market your books through the Partner Program exactly as you do today, and we'll be in touch about new features and opportunities for maximizing the benefits of the Partner Program for your books.
Because the settlement is awaiting preliminary approval by the court, there is no specific action you need to take, although we encourage you to visit the copyright settlement site ( http://books.google.com/booksrightsholders/) and read the material there. You will also be able to sign up on the site to be notified when more information about the settlement is available.
The proposed settlement covers books that were digitized as a part of the Google Book Search Library Project ( http://books.google.com/googlebooks/library.html). The relationship we have with you under the Google Book Search Partner Program does not change, although you will be entitled to the benefits conferred on you under the settlement, if and when the settlement is approved by the Court. You will continue to be able to market your books through the Partner Program exactly as you do today, and we'll be in touch about new features and opportunities for maximizing the benefits of the Partner Program for your books.
Because the settlement is awaiting preliminary approval by the court, there is no specific action you need to take, although we encourage you to visit the copyright settlement site ( http://books.google.com/booksrightsholders/) and read the material there. You will also be able to sign up on the site to be notified when more information about the settlement is available.
Monday, October 06, 2008
Launch of John Carlin’s Playing the Enemy
Exclusive Books and Penguin SA invite you to celebrate the launch of John Carlin’s Playing the Enemy
VENUE: Exclusive Books, V&A Waterfront
DATE: Friday, 10 October 2008
TIME: 5:30 for 6pm
RSVP: Exclusive Books on 021 419 0905
or email: waterfront@exclusivebooks.co.za
As the day of the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup dawned, and the Springboks faced New Zealand’s all-conquering All Blacks, more was at stake than just a sporting trophy. When Nelson Mandela appeared wearing a Springbok jersey and led the all-white, Afrikaner-dominated team in singing South Africa’s new national anthem, he conquered white South Africa.
The green jersey of South Africa’s Springbok rugby team, which whites loved and blacks saw as a detested symbol of racial oppression, became the instrument around which Mandela chose to heal ancient wounds, unite the country and prevent a war.
VENUE: Exclusive Books, V&A Waterfront
DATE: Friday, 10 October 2008
TIME: 5:30 for 6pm
RSVP: Exclusive Books on 021 419 0905
or email: waterfront@exclusivebooks.co.za
As the day of the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup dawned, and the Springboks faced New Zealand’s all-conquering All Blacks, more was at stake than just a sporting trophy. When Nelson Mandela appeared wearing a Springbok jersey and led the all-white, Afrikaner-dominated team in singing South Africa’s new national anthem, he conquered white South Africa.
The green jersey of South Africa’s Springbok rugby team, which whites loved and blacks saw as a detested symbol of racial oppression, became the instrument around which Mandela chose to heal ancient wounds, unite the country and prevent a war.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Self-publishing 101
Innovative publishing director Arthur Attwell is hosting a seminar on self-publishing for beginners. The lecture will explain how publishing and self-publishing works, the three basic areas of self-publishing (production, marketing and distribution) and what the author’s and production company’s areas of responsibilities are.
This is an opportunity for authors and publishers alike to have their questions answered from a company that is pushing the envelope - don’t miss out!
Date: 16 September 2008
Time: 6.30-8pm
Venue: Electric Book Works, 87 Station Road Observatory
Bookings: Please call Silma on 021 448 8336 or email info@mousehand.co.za
Cost: R200 p/p
Space is limited, so please respond soon.
Launch of The Nose by Margie Orford
Acclaimed crime writer Margie Orford has turned her hand to children's books, specifically to write a little book for her 8-year-old friend Jack. It's quirkily illustrated by Margie's husband Andrew Walton. And by 'little book', we mean very little. Seriously cute miniature. It was great fun to make this book for Margie, and we're inviting you to join her for the launch at the fabulous Book Lounge (cnr Roeland and Buitenkant, Cape Town) on Thursday 25 September at 5:30 for 6 pm.
This is an opportunity for authors and publishers alike to have their questions answered from a company that is pushing the envelope - don’t miss out!
Date: 16 September 2008
Time: 6.30-8pm
Venue: Electric Book Works, 87 Station Road Observatory
Bookings: Please call Silma on 021 448 8336 or email info@mousehand.co.za
Cost: R200 p/p
Space is limited, so please respond soon.
Launch of The Nose by Margie Orford
Acclaimed crime writer Margie Orford has turned her hand to children's books, specifically to write a little book for her 8-year-old friend Jack. It's quirkily illustrated by Margie's husband Andrew Walton. And by 'little book', we mean very little. Seriously cute miniature. It was great fun to make this book for Margie, and we're inviting you to join her for the launch at the fabulous Book Lounge (cnr Roeland and Buitenkant, Cape Town) on Thursday 25 September at 5:30 for 6 pm.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
PEN/STUDZINSKI Literary Award
Following the success of the HSBC/SA PEN Literary Awards, SA PEN announces a call for entries for the new PEN/STUDZINSKI Literary Award. Writers from African and SADC countries are invited to submit original, previously unpublished, English-language SHORT STORIES.
The best entries will be selected by an editorial board for inclusion in a book to be published next year, under the working title
“NEW WRITING FROM AFRICA”
Three prize winners will be selected by Nobel Laureate J M Coetzee
Prizes, given by John Studzinski, will be awarded:
£5 000, £3 000 and £2 000
Rules for submission of entries:
* Entrants must be citizens of an African or SADC* country.
* Stories, on any subject, must be in English; length should be 2 500
to 5 000 words.
* Entries must be previously unpublished. More than one entry may be
submitted.
* Entries must be typed, in double spacing, on one side of A4 paper.
Pages must be numbered and securely fastened together. Three copies must be
submitted.
* No name or address should appear on the typescript, but each page
must carry the title of the story. The identity of authors will not be
revealed to judges.
* A covering letter with the name, e-mail & postal address, contact
numbers, and photocopy of the ID of the entrant (as proof of citizenship)
must be included. Entrants may currently reside outside of Africa.
* Submission of entries implies adherence to all rules and conditions
of this award, including that of copyright.
* Closing date: 30th September 2008
* Send your entry to: PEN/STUDZINSKI Literary Award, P O Box 30327,
Tokai, 7966, Republic of South Africa. Fax and e-mail entries will not be
accepted.
*SADC COUNTRIES
Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi,
Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
The best entries will be selected by an editorial board for inclusion in a book to be published next year, under the working title
“NEW WRITING FROM AFRICA”
Three prize winners will be selected by Nobel Laureate J M Coetzee
Prizes, given by John Studzinski, will be awarded:
£5 000, £3 000 and £2 000
Rules for submission of entries:
* Entrants must be citizens of an African or SADC* country.
* Stories, on any subject, must be in English; length should be 2 500
to 5 000 words.
* Entries must be previously unpublished. More than one entry may be
submitted.
* Entries must be typed, in double spacing, on one side of A4 paper.
Pages must be numbered and securely fastened together. Three copies must be
submitted.
* No name or address should appear on the typescript, but each page
must carry the title of the story. The identity of authors will not be
revealed to judges.
* A covering letter with the name, e-mail & postal address, contact
numbers, and photocopy of the ID of the entrant (as proof of citizenship)
must be included. Entrants may currently reside outside of Africa.
* Submission of entries implies adherence to all rules and conditions
of this award, including that of copyright.
* Closing date: 30th September 2008
* Send your entry to: PEN/STUDZINSKI Literary Award, P O Box 30327,
Tokai, 7966, Republic of South Africa. Fax and e-mail entries will not be
accepted.
*SADC COUNTRIES
Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi,
Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Man Booker 2008 shortlist announced
Aravind Adiga, Sebastian Barry, Amitav Ghosh, Linda Grant, Philip Hensher and Steve Toltz are the six authors shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2008, the English-speaking world's most important literary award. The shortlist was announced by the chair of judges, Michael Portillo, at a press conference at Man Group plc offices in London today (Tuesday 9th September 2008).
The six shortlisted books were chosen from a longlist of 13 and are:
Author Title Publisher
Aravind Adiga The White Tiger Atlantic
Sebastian Barry The Secret Scripture Faber and Faber
Amitav Ghosh Sea of Poppies John Murray
Linda Grant The Clothes on Their Backs Virago
Philip Hensher The Northern Clemency Fourth Estate
Steve Toltz A Fraction of the Whole Hamish Hamilton
Michael Portillo, Chair of Judges, comments:
"The judges commend the six titles to readers with great enthusiasm. These novels are intensely readable, each of them an extraordinary example of imagination and narrative. These fine page-turning stories nonetheless raise highly thought-provoking ideas and issues. These books are in every case both ambitious and approachable."
The 2008 shortlist includes two first time novelists, Aravind Adiga and Steve Toltz. The six authors represent a broad geographical spread with two Indian authors, two English authors, an Australian author and an Irish author. The youngest on the list, at 34 years old, is Aravind Adiga. Sebastian Barry was shortlisted in 2005 for his novel A Long, Long Way, Linda Grant was longlisted in 2002 for her novel Still Here and Philip Hensher, once a Booker judge himself, was also longlisted in 2002 for his novel The Mulberry Empire.
The winner receives £50,000 and can look forward to greatly increased sales and worldwide recognition. Each of the six shortlisted authors, including the winner, receives £2,500 and a designer bound edition of their own book.
The judging panel for the 2008 Man Booker Prize for Fiction is: Michael Portillo, former MP and Cabinet Minister; Alex Clark, editor of Granta; Louise Doughty, novelist; James Heneage, founder of Ottakar's bookshops and Hardeep Singh Kohli, TV and radio broadcaster.
The winner will be announced on Tuesday 14th October at a dinner at the Guildhall, London. The announcement will be broadcast live on BBC One's 10 O'Clock News.
This year, the Man Booker Prize has exclusively partnered with mobile site GoSpoken to make extracts from the shortlisted books available to download free onto your mobile phone. They can either be read as text or listened to as audio. The extracts will be available from the moment the shortlist is announced by texting MBP to 60300. This is the first time that any book prize has used mobile technology to promote its shortlist.
On Monday 13th October, the eve of the winner announcement, the Southbank Centre in London will host an evening of readings and discussion with the 2008 shortlisted authors.
-ends-
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
Atlantic Books, £12.99
Born in the heartland of India to the son of a rickshaw puller, Balram Halwai, the ‘White Tiger', dreams of escaping his life as a teashop worker turned chauffeur. Yet when his chance finally arrives and his eyes are opened to the revelatory city of New Delhi, Balram becomes caught between his instinct to be a loyal son and servant and his desire to better himself. As he passes through two different Indias on his journey from the darkness of village life to the light of entrepreneurial success, he begins to realise how the Tiger might finally escape his cage, and he is not afraid to spill a little blood along the way.
Aravind Adiga was born in Madras on 23rd October 1974 and raised partly in Australia. He studied at Columbia and Oxford Universities and is a former correspondent for TIME magazine in India. Adiga's articles have also appeared in publications such as the Financial Times, Independent and Sunday Times. He currently lives in Mumbai.
For further information or interview requests please contact:
Karen Duffy on 020 7269 1621 or at KarenDuffy@groveatlantic.co.uk
The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry
Faber and Faber, £16.99
Roseanne McNulty, perhaps nearing her one-hundredth birthday - no one is quite sure - faces an uncertain future as the Roscommon Regional Mental Hospital where she's spent the best part of her adult life prepares for closure. She talks often with her psychiatrist Dr Grene in the weeks leading up to the closure. Told through their respective journals, the shocking story of Roseanne's family in 1930s Sligo emerges. Refracted through the haze of memory and retelling, Roseanne's story becomes an alternative, secret history of Ireland. The Secret Scripture is the story of a life blighted by terrible mistreatment yet marked by passion and hope.
Sebastian Barry was born in Dublin on 5th July 1955. He has written a number of plays and his novels include The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty (1998), Annie Dunne (2002) and A Long Long Way (2005) which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction and the Dublin International Impac Prize. He has won, among other awards, the Irish-America Fund Literary Award, the Christopher Ewart-Biggs Prize, the London Critics Circle Award and the Kerry Group Irish Fiction Prize. He currently lives in Wicklow with his wife and three children.
For further information or interview requests please contact:
Kate Burton on 020 7465 7554 or at Kate.burton@faber.co.uk
Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
John Murray, £18.99
Set just before the Opium Wars, this novel has at its heart an old slaving-ship, The Ibis and its crew, a motley array of sailors and stowaways, coolies and convicts. In a time of colonial upheaval, fate has thrown together a truly diverse cast of Indians and Westerners, from a bankrupt Raja to a widowed villager, from an evangelical English opium trader to a mulatto American freedman. As their old family ties are washed away they, like their historical counterparts, come to view themselves as jahaj-bhais or ship-brothers. An unlikely dynasty is born, which will span continents, races and generations.
Amitav Ghosh was born in Calcutta on 11th July 1956 and grew up in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India. He studied at the universities of Delhi and Oxford. He has taught at a number of institutions, most recently Harvard, and written for many publications. His international bestseller, The Glass Palace was published in 2000. He currently divides his time between Calcutta, Goa and Brooklyn.
For further information or interview requests please contact:
Nikki Barrow on 020 7873 6440 or 07813 806 297 or at nikki.barrow@johnmurrays.co.uk
The Clothes on Their Backs by Linda Grant
Virago, £17.99
The Clothes on Their Backs is a story about concealed pasts, dark subjects, dark places and stark choices and how the clothes we wear define us all. In a red brick mansion block off the Marylebone Road, Vivien, a sensitive, bookish girl grows up sealed off from both past and present by her timid refugee parents. Through Vivien we discover the colourful characters at Benson Court, who play a part in the development of this at first timid and unworldly woman. Then, one morning, a glamorous older man appears, dressed in a mohair suit, with a diamond watch on his wrist and a girl in leopard-skin on his arm. He is her Uncle Sándor, but why is he so violently unwelcome in her parents' home?
Linda Grant was born on 15th February 1951 in Liverpool and currently lives in London. She is the author of several award-winning novels, including The Cast Iron Shore, published in 1996 and When I Lived in Modern Times, which won the Orange Prize for Fiction. Her novel Still Here was longlisted for The Booker Prize in 2002. Other award-winning books include Remind Me Who I am Again, Sexing the Millennium: A Political History of the Sexual Revolution and The People on the Street: A Writer's View of Israel.
For further information or interview requests please contact:
Susan de Soissons on 020 7911 8069 or 07887 991424 or at Susan.deSoissons@littlebrown.co.uk
The Northern Clemency by Philip Hensher
Fourth Estate, £17.99
1974. Husbands and wives, arm in arm, stroll through an invincible suburb after a summer party, secure and hopeful. Over the next twenty years everything will change for them, and for England. Set in Sheffield, The Northern Clemency charts the relationship between two families: Malcolm and Katherine Glover and their three children; and their neighbours the Sellers family, newly arrived from London. The day the Sellers move in there is a crisis across the road: Malcolm Glover has left home, convinced his wife is having an affair. The consequences of this rupture will spread throughout the lives of both couples and their children, in particular 10-year-old Tim Glover, who never quite recovers from the moment of his mother's public cruelty and the amused taunting of 15-year-old Sandra Sellers. In the background England is changing: from a land of fire and industry to a gleaming landscape of shop fronts and chain restaurants, a shift particularly marked in the North with the miners' strike of 1984.
A Booker judge himself in 2001, Philip Hensher has written five novels, Other Lulus, Kitchen Venom which won the Somerset Maugham Award, Pleasured, the Booker-longlisted The Mulberry Empire (in 2002) and The Fit, as well as a collection of short stories, The Bedroom of the Mister's House. He is a columnist for The Independent, arts critic for The Spectator and a Granta Best of Young British Novelist. He was born on 20th February 1965 and lives in South London.
For further information or interview requests please contact:
Robin Harvie on 020 8307 4146 or 07771 892 797 or at Robin.harvie@harpercollins.co.uk
A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz
Hamish Hamilton, £17.99
Most of his life, Jasper Dean couldn't decide whether to pity, hate, love or murder his certifiably paranoid father, Martin, a man who overanalyzed anything and everything and imparted his self-garnered wisdom to his only son. But now that Martin is dead, Jasper can fully reflect on the crackpot who raised him in intellectual captivity, and what he realizes is that, for all its lunacy, theirs was a grand adventure.
As he recollects the events that led to his father's demise, Jasper recounts a boyhood of outrageous schemes and shocking discoveries - about his infamous outlaw uncle Terry, his mysteriously absent European mother, and Martin's constant losing battle to make a lasting mark on the world he so disdains. It's a story that takes them from the Australian bush to the cafes of Paris, from the Thai jungle to strip clubs, asylums, labyrinths and criminal lairs, and from the highs of first love to the lows of failed ambition.
Steve Toltz was born on 21st June 1972 in Sydney and has lived in Montreal, Vancouver, Barcelona and Paris, working primarily as a screenwriter but also doing stints as a private investigator and an English teacher. A Fraction of the Whole is his first novel.
For further information or interview requests please contact:
Amelia Fairney on 020 7010 3247 or 07764 774 291 or at Amelia.fairney@uk.penguingroup.com
The Gathering by Anne Enright (Jonathan Cape) won the Man Booker Prize 2007.
The Man Booker 2008 longlist, which was announced on 29th July, was:
Author Title Publisher
Aravind Adiga The White Tiger Atlantic
Gaynor Arnold Girl in a Blue Dress Tindal Street Press
Sebastian Barry The Secret Scripture Faber and Faber
John Berger From A to X Verso
Michelle de Kretser The Lost Dog Chatto & Windus
Amitav Ghosh Sea of Poppies John Murray
Linda Grant The Clothes on Their Backs Virago
Mohammed Hanif A Case of Exploding Mangoes Jonathan Cape
Philip Hensher The Northern Clemency Fourth Estate
Joseph O'Neill Netherland Fourth Estate
Salman Rushdie The Enchantress of Florence Jonathan Cape
Tom Rob Smith Child 44 Simon & Schuster
Steve Toltz A Fraction of the Whole Hamish Hamilton
*
The Booker Prize for Fiction was first awarded in 1969, and Man Group plc was announced as the sponsor of the prize in April 2002, with a five year extension agreed in 2006. For a full history of the prize including previous winners, shortlisted authors and judges visit the website: http://www.themanbookerprize.com/. The site features the rules of entry, background information and breaking news and is the quickest way for the prize's worldwide audience to access information.
* Every year publishers are allowed to submit two books for the Man Booker Prize. Every former Booker Prize winner and any author who has appeared on the shortlist in the last ten years is also eligible.
* 2008 is the 40th anniversary of the Booker Prize (now the Man Booker Prize) for Fiction. To mark the occasion, a range of events and initiatives have been taking place throughout the year.
The six shortlisted books were chosen from a longlist of 13 and are:
Author Title Publisher
Aravind Adiga The White Tiger Atlantic
Sebastian Barry The Secret Scripture Faber and Faber
Amitav Ghosh Sea of Poppies John Murray
Linda Grant The Clothes on Their Backs Virago
Philip Hensher The Northern Clemency Fourth Estate
Steve Toltz A Fraction of the Whole Hamish Hamilton
Michael Portillo, Chair of Judges, comments:
"The judges commend the six titles to readers with great enthusiasm. These novels are intensely readable, each of them an extraordinary example of imagination and narrative. These fine page-turning stories nonetheless raise highly thought-provoking ideas and issues. These books are in every case both ambitious and approachable."
The 2008 shortlist includes two first time novelists, Aravind Adiga and Steve Toltz. The six authors represent a broad geographical spread with two Indian authors, two English authors, an Australian author and an Irish author. The youngest on the list, at 34 years old, is Aravind Adiga. Sebastian Barry was shortlisted in 2005 for his novel A Long, Long Way, Linda Grant was longlisted in 2002 for her novel Still Here and Philip Hensher, once a Booker judge himself, was also longlisted in 2002 for his novel The Mulberry Empire.
The winner receives £50,000 and can look forward to greatly increased sales and worldwide recognition. Each of the six shortlisted authors, including the winner, receives £2,500 and a designer bound edition of their own book.
The judging panel for the 2008 Man Booker Prize for Fiction is: Michael Portillo, former MP and Cabinet Minister; Alex Clark, editor of Granta; Louise Doughty, novelist; James Heneage, founder of Ottakar's bookshops and Hardeep Singh Kohli, TV and radio broadcaster.
The winner will be announced on Tuesday 14th October at a dinner at the Guildhall, London. The announcement will be broadcast live on BBC One's 10 O'Clock News.
This year, the Man Booker Prize has exclusively partnered with mobile site GoSpoken to make extracts from the shortlisted books available to download free onto your mobile phone. They can either be read as text or listened to as audio. The extracts will be available from the moment the shortlist is announced by texting MBP to 60300. This is the first time that any book prize has used mobile technology to promote its shortlist.
On Monday 13th October, the eve of the winner announcement, the Southbank Centre in London will host an evening of readings and discussion with the 2008 shortlisted authors.
-ends-
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
Atlantic Books, £12.99
Born in the heartland of India to the son of a rickshaw puller, Balram Halwai, the ‘White Tiger', dreams of escaping his life as a teashop worker turned chauffeur. Yet when his chance finally arrives and his eyes are opened to the revelatory city of New Delhi, Balram becomes caught between his instinct to be a loyal son and servant and his desire to better himself. As he passes through two different Indias on his journey from the darkness of village life to the light of entrepreneurial success, he begins to realise how the Tiger might finally escape his cage, and he is not afraid to spill a little blood along the way.
Aravind Adiga was born in Madras on 23rd October 1974 and raised partly in Australia. He studied at Columbia and Oxford Universities and is a former correspondent for TIME magazine in India. Adiga's articles have also appeared in publications such as the Financial Times, Independent and Sunday Times. He currently lives in Mumbai.
For further information or interview requests please contact:
Karen Duffy on 020 7269 1621 or at KarenDuffy@groveatlantic.co.uk
The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry
Faber and Faber, £16.99
Roseanne McNulty, perhaps nearing her one-hundredth birthday - no one is quite sure - faces an uncertain future as the Roscommon Regional Mental Hospital where she's spent the best part of her adult life prepares for closure. She talks often with her psychiatrist Dr Grene in the weeks leading up to the closure. Told through their respective journals, the shocking story of Roseanne's family in 1930s Sligo emerges. Refracted through the haze of memory and retelling, Roseanne's story becomes an alternative, secret history of Ireland. The Secret Scripture is the story of a life blighted by terrible mistreatment yet marked by passion and hope.
Sebastian Barry was born in Dublin on 5th July 1955. He has written a number of plays and his novels include The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty (1998), Annie Dunne (2002) and A Long Long Way (2005) which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction and the Dublin International Impac Prize. He has won, among other awards, the Irish-America Fund Literary Award, the Christopher Ewart-Biggs Prize, the London Critics Circle Award and the Kerry Group Irish Fiction Prize. He currently lives in Wicklow with his wife and three children.
For further information or interview requests please contact:
Kate Burton on 020 7465 7554 or at Kate.burton@faber.co.uk
Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
John Murray, £18.99
Set just before the Opium Wars, this novel has at its heart an old slaving-ship, The Ibis and its crew, a motley array of sailors and stowaways, coolies and convicts. In a time of colonial upheaval, fate has thrown together a truly diverse cast of Indians and Westerners, from a bankrupt Raja to a widowed villager, from an evangelical English opium trader to a mulatto American freedman. As their old family ties are washed away they, like their historical counterparts, come to view themselves as jahaj-bhais or ship-brothers. An unlikely dynasty is born, which will span continents, races and generations.
Amitav Ghosh was born in Calcutta on 11th July 1956 and grew up in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India. He studied at the universities of Delhi and Oxford. He has taught at a number of institutions, most recently Harvard, and written for many publications. His international bestseller, The Glass Palace was published in 2000. He currently divides his time between Calcutta, Goa and Brooklyn.
For further information or interview requests please contact:
Nikki Barrow on 020 7873 6440 or 07813 806 297 or at nikki.barrow@johnmurrays.co.uk
The Clothes on Their Backs by Linda Grant
Virago, £17.99
The Clothes on Their Backs is a story about concealed pasts, dark subjects, dark places and stark choices and how the clothes we wear define us all. In a red brick mansion block off the Marylebone Road, Vivien, a sensitive, bookish girl grows up sealed off from both past and present by her timid refugee parents. Through Vivien we discover the colourful characters at Benson Court, who play a part in the development of this at first timid and unworldly woman. Then, one morning, a glamorous older man appears, dressed in a mohair suit, with a diamond watch on his wrist and a girl in leopard-skin on his arm. He is her Uncle Sándor, but why is he so violently unwelcome in her parents' home?
Linda Grant was born on 15th February 1951 in Liverpool and currently lives in London. She is the author of several award-winning novels, including The Cast Iron Shore, published in 1996 and When I Lived in Modern Times, which won the Orange Prize for Fiction. Her novel Still Here was longlisted for The Booker Prize in 2002. Other award-winning books include Remind Me Who I am Again, Sexing the Millennium: A Political History of the Sexual Revolution and The People on the Street: A Writer's View of Israel.
For further information or interview requests please contact:
Susan de Soissons on 020 7911 8069 or 07887 991424 or at Susan.deSoissons@littlebrown.co.uk
The Northern Clemency by Philip Hensher
Fourth Estate, £17.99
1974. Husbands and wives, arm in arm, stroll through an invincible suburb after a summer party, secure and hopeful. Over the next twenty years everything will change for them, and for England. Set in Sheffield, The Northern Clemency charts the relationship between two families: Malcolm and Katherine Glover and their three children; and their neighbours the Sellers family, newly arrived from London. The day the Sellers move in there is a crisis across the road: Malcolm Glover has left home, convinced his wife is having an affair. The consequences of this rupture will spread throughout the lives of both couples and their children, in particular 10-year-old Tim Glover, who never quite recovers from the moment of his mother's public cruelty and the amused taunting of 15-year-old Sandra Sellers. In the background England is changing: from a land of fire and industry to a gleaming landscape of shop fronts and chain restaurants, a shift particularly marked in the North with the miners' strike of 1984.
A Booker judge himself in 2001, Philip Hensher has written five novels, Other Lulus, Kitchen Venom which won the Somerset Maugham Award, Pleasured, the Booker-longlisted The Mulberry Empire (in 2002) and The Fit, as well as a collection of short stories, The Bedroom of the Mister's House. He is a columnist for The Independent, arts critic for The Spectator and a Granta Best of Young British Novelist. He was born on 20th February 1965 and lives in South London.
For further information or interview requests please contact:
Robin Harvie on 020 8307 4146 or 07771 892 797 or at Robin.harvie@harpercollins.co.uk
A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz
Hamish Hamilton, £17.99
Most of his life, Jasper Dean couldn't decide whether to pity, hate, love or murder his certifiably paranoid father, Martin, a man who overanalyzed anything and everything and imparted his self-garnered wisdom to his only son. But now that Martin is dead, Jasper can fully reflect on the crackpot who raised him in intellectual captivity, and what he realizes is that, for all its lunacy, theirs was a grand adventure.
As he recollects the events that led to his father's demise, Jasper recounts a boyhood of outrageous schemes and shocking discoveries - about his infamous outlaw uncle Terry, his mysteriously absent European mother, and Martin's constant losing battle to make a lasting mark on the world he so disdains. It's a story that takes them from the Australian bush to the cafes of Paris, from the Thai jungle to strip clubs, asylums, labyrinths and criminal lairs, and from the highs of first love to the lows of failed ambition.
Steve Toltz was born on 21st June 1972 in Sydney and has lived in Montreal, Vancouver, Barcelona and Paris, working primarily as a screenwriter but also doing stints as a private investigator and an English teacher. A Fraction of the Whole is his first novel.
For further information or interview requests please contact:
Amelia Fairney on 020 7010 3247 or 07764 774 291 or at Amelia.fairney@uk.penguingroup.com
The Gathering by Anne Enright (Jonathan Cape) won the Man Booker Prize 2007.
The Man Booker 2008 longlist, which was announced on 29th July, was:
Author Title Publisher
Aravind Adiga The White Tiger Atlantic
Gaynor Arnold Girl in a Blue Dress Tindal Street Press
Sebastian Barry The Secret Scripture Faber and Faber
John Berger From A to X Verso
Michelle de Kretser The Lost Dog Chatto & Windus
Amitav Ghosh Sea of Poppies John Murray
Linda Grant The Clothes on Their Backs Virago
Mohammed Hanif A Case of Exploding Mangoes Jonathan Cape
Philip Hensher The Northern Clemency Fourth Estate
Joseph O'Neill Netherland Fourth Estate
Salman Rushdie The Enchantress of Florence Jonathan Cape
Tom Rob Smith Child 44 Simon & Schuster
Steve Toltz A Fraction of the Whole Hamish Hamilton
*
The Booker Prize for Fiction was first awarded in 1969, and Man Group plc was announced as the sponsor of the prize in April 2002, with a five year extension agreed in 2006. For a full history of the prize including previous winners, shortlisted authors and judges visit the website: http://www.themanbookerprize.com/. The site features the rules of entry, background information and breaking news and is the quickest way for the prize's worldwide audience to access information.
* Every year publishers are allowed to submit two books for the Man Booker Prize. Every former Booker Prize winner and any author who has appeared on the shortlist in the last ten years is also eligible.
* 2008 is the 40th anniversary of the Booker Prize (now the Man Booker Prize) for Fiction. To mark the occasion, a range of events and initiatives have been taking place throughout the year.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
A sneak preview of Wordsetc
Wordsetc costs little (or very little, depending on the size of your pocket and the rate of inflation) and is very good reading for readers, writers, reviewers, publishers even.. It pulls together the SA literary scene without trampling on too many egos, includes some interesting pieces from abroad, provides an outlet for new short fiction and literary journalism and exploits the advantages that print offers over the internet when it comes to book news and reviews. A subscription makes a great gift.
Appropriately for women's month, the next issue of Wordsetc focuses on women writers. You might also want to check out Wordsetc at www.wordsetc.co.za
More about Wordsetc
Wordsetc promotes the consumption of South African literature. It also features great writing from elsewhere in the world. A quarterly, it launched in December 2007. So far three editions have come out. Most people have responded very positively to its emergence.
What some people have said about Wordsetc:
"Wordsetc is an essential new voice, not only for readers already hooked on African writing but for those who'd like to read more but aren't quite sure what. Well researched and written lead articles like those on Sol Plaatje, Es'kia Mphahlele and Ingrid Jonker, solid book reviews and insightful features like Why I Write and Writing Lives should guarantee Wordsetc an honoured place in readers' homes and all South African libraries – if only there were more." – Jenny Hobbs, Franschhoek
"Often as South Africans we tend to look to overseas texts as a means of fulfillment as we struggle to accept South Africa as a literary nation. Wordsetc aims to challenge such a mindset and takes into consideration that South Africa has indeed much to offer on the literary side of things." – Elizabeth Joss
Stellenbosch
"As a writer who treasures writing and beauty, I wanted to write to express my gratitude to you for the inspiration of Wordsetc. I am struck by the
high quality of everything from the layout, the photography and the writing." –
Barbara Nussbaum, Johannesburg
Wordsetc is R49.95. Subscription is R170 for four copies. The website is www.wordsetc.co.za. It's available at all Exclusive Books and CNA, as well as at these independent bookstores and outlets:
Gauteng
Boekehuis
Xarra Books
Parkhurst Bookstore
Books Unlimited (Greenside)
Arternatives Gallery (Mall of Rosebank)
Service Station Cafe (Melville)
Protea Books (Hatfield)
Bookbinders (Fourways Crossing)
Bookdealers of Melville
Bookdealers of Bryanston
Western Cape
The Book Lounge
Clarke's Bookstore
Kalk Bay Books
The Book Cottage (Hermanus)
Readers' Paradise (Kloof Street)
Bright House Decor Store (cnr Shortmarket and Bree streets, CT)
Protea Books (University of Stellenbosch)
KwaZulu-Natal
Adams (University of KwaZulu-Natal)
KwaZulu Natal Society of Arts
The White Cottage (Nottingham Road, Midlands)
Urban Zulu (Berea Road)
Ike's Books and Collectables (Florida Road)
Appropriately for women's month, the next issue of Wordsetc focuses on women writers. You might also want to check out Wordsetc at www.wordsetc.co.za
More about Wordsetc
Wordsetc promotes the consumption of South African literature. It also features great writing from elsewhere in the world. A quarterly, it launched in December 2007. So far three editions have come out. Most people have responded very positively to its emergence.
What some people have said about Wordsetc:
"Wordsetc is an essential new voice, not only for readers already hooked on African writing but for those who'd like to read more but aren't quite sure what. Well researched and written lead articles like those on Sol Plaatje, Es'kia Mphahlele and Ingrid Jonker, solid book reviews and insightful features like Why I Write and Writing Lives should guarantee Wordsetc an honoured place in readers' homes and all South African libraries – if only there were more." – Jenny Hobbs, Franschhoek
"Often as South Africans we tend to look to overseas texts as a means of fulfillment as we struggle to accept South Africa as a literary nation. Wordsetc aims to challenge such a mindset and takes into consideration that South Africa has indeed much to offer on the literary side of things." – Elizabeth Joss
Stellenbosch
"As a writer who treasures writing and beauty, I wanted to write to express my gratitude to you for the inspiration of Wordsetc. I am struck by the
high quality of everything from the layout, the photography and the writing." –
Barbara Nussbaum, Johannesburg
Wordsetc is R49.95. Subscription is R170 for four copies. The website is www.wordsetc.co.za. It's available at all Exclusive Books and CNA, as well as at these independent bookstores and outlets:
Gauteng
Boekehuis
Xarra Books
Parkhurst Bookstore
Books Unlimited (Greenside)
Arternatives Gallery (Mall of Rosebank)
Service Station Cafe (Melville)
Protea Books (Hatfield)
Bookbinders (Fourways Crossing)
Bookdealers of Melville
Bookdealers of Bryanston
Western Cape
The Book Lounge
Clarke's Bookstore
Kalk Bay Books
The Book Cottage (Hermanus)
Readers' Paradise (Kloof Street)
Bright House Decor Store (cnr Shortmarket and Bree streets, CT)
Protea Books (University of Stellenbosch)
KwaZulu-Natal
Adams (University of KwaZulu-Natal)
KwaZulu Natal Society of Arts
The White Cottage (Nottingham Road, Midlands)
Urban Zulu (Berea Road)
Ike's Books and Collectables (Florida Road)
Monday, September 01, 2008
The Love Africa Carnival, an online celebration of Africa
The Love Africa Carnival, an online celebration of Africa, continent of 2000 languages, is calling for submissions for the Carnival blog-zine at BOOK SA, Africa's most lively literary website:
poems ,paragraphs, microfiction, short stories, comic strips, fables, fairytales, essays, Illustrated stories
ON ANY OF THE FOLLOWING THEMES:
Love Africa
Past, present or future of Love in Africa
Place, person, building, book, detail, language, object, insect, animal, or thing, I love in Africa
The day I love most in in my life so far in Africa/ in the history of Africa
Spirits, myths and legends of love in Africa
Sight, sound, touch, taste, or smell I love in Africa
Love --a story for children of Africa
Africa--a Grimm-like fairytale of Love
MONTHLY BOOK PRIZE FOR MOST POPULAR ENTRY
Hearty thanks to the following authors for supporting the Love Africa Carnival with book prize donations:
Michael Ambetchew, Gabeba Baderoon, André Brink,
Lauren Beukes, Richard De Nooy, Louis Greenberg,
Liesl Jobson, Sarah Lotz, Jo-anne Richards,
Henrietta Rose Innes, Ben Trovato
Please send submissions to Alex at loveafricacarnival@gmail.com , that are:
1.Original and unpublished
2.With author's full name, place of birth, country of residence and a couple of lines of 'about the author' bio.
poems ,paragraphs, microfiction, short stories, comic strips, fables, fairytales, essays, Illustrated stories
ON ANY OF THE FOLLOWING THEMES:
Love Africa
Past, present or future of Love in Africa
Place, person, building, book, detail, language, object, insect, animal, or thing, I love in Africa
The day I love most in in my life so far in Africa/ in the history of Africa
Spirits, myths and legends of love in Africa
Sight, sound, touch, taste, or smell I love in Africa
Love --a story for children of Africa
Africa--a Grimm-like fairytale of Love
MONTHLY BOOK PRIZE FOR MOST POPULAR ENTRY
Hearty thanks to the following authors for supporting the Love Africa Carnival with book prize donations:
Michael Ambetchew, Gabeba Baderoon, André Brink,
Lauren Beukes, Richard De Nooy, Louis Greenberg,
Liesl Jobson, Sarah Lotz, Jo-anne Richards,
Henrietta Rose Innes, Ben Trovato
Please send submissions to Alex at loveafricacarnival@gmail.com , that are:
1.Original and unpublished
2.With author's full name, place of birth, country of residence and a couple of lines of 'about the author' bio.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
On the Other Side of Shame by Joanne Jowell launches
Kalk Bay Books & Pan MacMillan invite you to the launch of
On the Other Side of Shame by Joanne Jowell
When: THURSDAY 7 August 2008
Where: Kalk Bay Books, 124 Main Road, Kalk Bay
Time: 6.30 for 7pm (please note starting time)
RSVP: books@kalkbaybooks.co.za or 021 788 2266 by 6 August.
NB: Please indicate numbers for catering purposes)
Lynette Langman’s telephone rang on a Sunday night in 2001, heralding the call that would unravel her life. For 40 years she had waited to hear news about the son she gave up for adoption when she was virtually a child herself.
Set primarily against the backdrop of Cape Town, from the 1960s to the present day, On the Other Side of Shame hooks into the enduring traditions of the Jewish community and examines the intricacies of the adoption/reunion saga through the eyes of those most deeply affected, highlighting the peculiarities which make this story unique.
On the Other Side of Shame by Joanne Jowell
When: THURSDAY 7 August 2008
Where: Kalk Bay Books, 124 Main Road, Kalk Bay
Time: 6.30 for 7pm (please note starting time)
RSVP: books@kalkbaybooks.co.za or 021 788 2266 by 6 August.
NB: Please indicate numbers for catering purposes)
Lynette Langman’s telephone rang on a Sunday night in 2001, heralding the call that would unravel her life. For 40 years she had waited to hear news about the son she gave up for adoption when she was virtually a child herself.
Set primarily against the backdrop of Cape Town, from the 1960s to the present day, On the Other Side of Shame hooks into the enduring traditions of the Jewish community and examines the intricacies of the adoption/reunion saga through the eyes of those most deeply affected, highlighting the peculiarities which make this story unique.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
*New* poetry: For Charity and Francis Matyaka by Rethabile Masilo
Unable to move, she watch them drag him
from the house into a donga
and beat him, one goon opening his body
to pour blood into the off-colour ditch,
like wine seeking the whiteness of cloth
that cover the brains of boys
and redden their eyes with joy.
Everyone try not to look
but go their way into the dim June dusk
to their families.
Even God don’t interfere
when they beat people like this
with sjambok and machete.
They killed him, killed him as I watched, she say,
speaking to no one in particular.
He wailed, but they kept on beating him quietly.
The women shake their heads and speak
in subdued dialect
of herd boy who find a half-clothed body,
half-eaten by hyenas. She wail some more,
as harpooned whale do.
Her hands hold her head
like she want to unscrew it
and give it back to God.
The women tut-tut and shake their heads
to see her wail like this.
Night come, and soon it is
the lighting of lamps, and everyone shout
to call daughter or son to table
for a bit of pap and soup, after
the ritual of water and soap.
© Rethabile Masilo 2008
First published by iBhuku.com
Rethabile Masilo is a native of Lesotho living and working in Paris, France. Mr. Masilo enjoys reading and writing poetry. He runs two blogs, Poéfrika http://poefrika.blogspot.com and Sotho http://sotho.blogsome.com, and is also co-editor of a literary magazine, Canopic Jar http://canopicjar.com. He is married and has two children.
from the house into a donga
and beat him, one goon opening his body
to pour blood into the off-colour ditch,
like wine seeking the whiteness of cloth
that cover the brains of boys
and redden their eyes with joy.
Everyone try not to look
but go their way into the dim June dusk
to their families.
Even God don’t interfere
when they beat people like this
with sjambok and machete.
They killed him, killed him as I watched, she say,
speaking to no one in particular.
He wailed, but they kept on beating him quietly.
The women shake their heads and speak
in subdued dialect
of herd boy who find a half-clothed body,
half-eaten by hyenas. She wail some more,
as harpooned whale do.
Her hands hold her head
like she want to unscrew it
and give it back to God.
The women tut-tut and shake their heads
to see her wail like this.
Night come, and soon it is
the lighting of lamps, and everyone shout
to call daughter or son to table
for a bit of pap and soup, after
the ritual of water and soap.
© Rethabile Masilo 2008
First published by iBhuku.com
Rethabile Masilo is a native of Lesotho living and working in Paris, France. Mr. Masilo enjoys reading and writing poetry. He runs two blogs, Poéfrika http://poefrika.blogspot.com and Sotho http://sotho.blogsome.com, and is also co-editor of a literary magazine, Canopic Jar http://canopicjar.com. He is married and has two children.
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