Unusual for its focus on socially relevant fiction, the Aspen Words Literary Prize has six debuts among its 16 longlisted titles for 2020, is third year.
East of England: A Call for Under-Represented Writers
Norwich’s National Centre for Writing opens applications for its 2020 Escalator Talent Development Scheme for fiction writers in eastern England.
Ken Follett Opens Brexit-Inspired Eureopean Friendship Tour
Star authors Jojo Moyes, Lee Child, and Kate Mosse join Ken Follett on a European ‘Friendship Tour’ to connect with fans in four countries.
The UK’s CILIP 2020 Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals: Diversity Aware
With 162 nominations, the library-based CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway programs are operating on diversity guidance from a survey of past selections.
Egypt’s Muhammad Abdelnabi Wins France’s Arab Literature Prize
Saying he ‘wanted to write a story without it being shocking,’ Abdelnabi talks about his book based on an actual case of anti-gay police action in Cairo.
Industry Notes: The UK’s Women’s Prize and Germany’s Nonfiction Prize Name Jurors
Three of the 25th Women’s Prize for Fiction jurors are authors, and the German Nonfiction Prize’s jury is the first for this new award.
Jean-Paul Dubois Wins the 2019 Prix Goncourt for Novel Set in a Canadian Prison
Widely termed ‘melancholy,’ the 2019 Prix Goncourt-winning novel by Jean-Paul Dubois is set in a Montreal prison and looks at North American life and values.
Four Debuts Shortlisted for UK’s Times/Warwick Young Writer Award
Two titles from Hachette imprints, one from Pan Macmillan and one from Penned in the Margins are shortlisted for this year’s Young Writer of the Year Award.
Scottish Books International Targets New German-Market Opportunities
With its new Scottish Books International support for Scottish authors’ appearances, Publishing Scotland held a German-market kickoff at Frankfurt.
Three Authors on the Impact of Lebanon’s Political Unrest
As Saad Hariri steps down, three of Lebanon’s best known writers say they’re hopeful ‘that we can get rid of a sectarian political system.’