The Writer’s News
The Writer’s News keeps you informed about new developments in the writing world, including award and publication announcements, news from AWP and the field, and updates about important literary figures.
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August 17, 2011
Philip Levine Named U.S. Poet Laureate
Known for his poetry’s attention to the working class, Philip Levine, 83, was named the 2011-2012 U.S. Poet Laureate. Read more...
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August 8, 2011
Booker Prize Finalists Announced
The longlist for the U.K.’s 2011 Man Booker Prize for Fiction, featuring thirteen writers, was recently released. The list includes Julian Barnes (The Sense of an Ending),Carol Birch (Jamrach’s Menagerie), Esi Edugyan (Half Blood Blues), andAllison Pick (Far to Go). Read more...
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August 8, 2011
The Worst Opening Lines in Fiction, A Contest
Each year, the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, run by Professor Seth Rice out of San Diego State University, honors terrible writing by holding a contest for the worst intentionally bad opening sentences submitted throughout the year. Read more...
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August 1, 2011
Awards
From the August 2011 issue of the Writer's Chronicle Read more...
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July 29, 2011
10% Drop in Print Book Sales
According to data collected by Nielsen Bookscan, overall sales of print books have dropped 10.2% over the last six-month period ending on July 3. Read more...
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July 29, 2011
Just One Catch, The First Full-Length Joseph Heller Biography
Published in early August, Tracy Daugherty has authored Just One Catch: A Biography of Joseph Heller, the first comprehensive biography of Heller (1923-1999), most famous for his novel, Catch-22, which was first published fifty years ago to nearly instant acclaim and commercial success. Read more...
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July 29, 2011
26 Writers, 1 Crime Novel
Andrew Gulli, editor of Strand magazine, has gathered twenty-six authors together (including himself) to write a single crime novel, called No Rest for the Dead. Read more...
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July 29, 2011
Jane Austen's Unfinished Manuscript Sold at Auction
On July 14, Jane Austen’s never-published, unfinished manuscript, The Watsons, went to auction by Sotheby’s in New York. Sotheby’s, the auctioneers, sold the manuscript for $1.6 million. Read more...
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July 29, 2011
Job Market for Writers: Something to Look Forward to
According to Publishers Weekly, the National Endowment for the Arts has released a report that predicts writers will see a 15% increase in jobs by 2018. Read more...
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July 29, 2011
Borders Going Out of Business
Borders has begun its going-out-of-business procedures including liquidation of its stock in each of its approximately 400 remaining stores. Read more...