A trio of winners of the European Union Literature Prize express frustration at how difficult it is to interest agents and foreign publishers in their work.
“Just Great Bookselling”: Bilbary’s Simple Vision, Big Ambition
Upstart UK e-bookseller and library Bilbary is open access, international and strives to offer a genuine alternative. Innovative? No. Just great bookselling.
Book World Prague’s Emphasis on Black Sea Writers Pays Off
Despite European economic woes, the Czech Republic’s major book fair thrived, aided by a neighborly focus, underscoring the strong draw of good literature.
Can Censorship Inspire Creativity?
Historically, writers dealing with censorship found ways to defy authority by creatively embedding transgressive messages in their work.
Literary Broccoli: Why Cliches about Translations Hurt Books
Michael Stein argues that translations shouldn’t be treated as ‘literary broccoli’ or armchair travel, and that doing so is counterproductive.
Central European Crime Wave Sweeps Publishing
Crime writers from Hungary, Poland, and throughout Central Europe are making their way into English. Will they prove as popular as the Scandinavians?
Independent Children’s Publishing in France: Inspired, International, Ingenious
Dynamism and creativity have helped Helium Editions, Editions Sarbacane, l’école des loisirs, and MeMo forge distinct identities in a field dominated by conglomerates.
‘Zombie Iceland’ and Other Inventions from the Minds of Okeibækur
Icelandic comic book publisher Okeibækur specializes in ‘geek culture’ and serves up hilarious doses of the wild, wacky and profane.
Yes, You Can Buy Children’s Book Rights at the Frankfurt Book Fair!
Bologna may be the major children’s book fair, but Frankfurt’s 7,500 exhibitors from 100+ countries is another opportunity to mine the best the world has to offer.
20 Titles on 2011 German Book Prize Longlist Announced
The 20-title longlist for the German Book Prize has been announced. The winner, announced on October 10, will receive 25,000 euros.