This year’s Al-Rodhan-winning title is being praised for its grasp of ‘the notion of the border, not just as a frontier but as a psychological and cultural dynamic.’ The British Academy’s prize pays £25,000 to its winner, Kapka Kassabova.
Publisher Françoise Nyssen Is Out as France’s Minister of Culture
The former Actes Sud CEO Françoise Nyssen has been replaced today along with four other ministers. Allegations of conflicts of interest that caused her portfolio to be narrowed in July and a low-level scandal concerning building permits have plagued Nyssen for some time.
Freedom in Turbulent Times: Steinmeier in Frankfurt
The Federal President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, visited the Frankfurt Book Fair and spoke with authors on stage about democracy and freedom of speech.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in Frankfurt: ‘Literature Does Matter’
Delivering a rousing talk at the Frankfurt Book Fair’s opening press conference, author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie spoke about the strength of literature and women.
Mexico’s Hugo Setzer on Politics and Publishing in a Complex Market
Hugo Setzer’s Manual Moderno publishes some 40 new titles per year and has an active catalogue of around 400 books in Mexico, a market in which, he says, censorship “is coming very close.”
Max Boot’s ‘Corrosion of Conservatism’: Big Book for WW Norton at Frankfurt
‘It’s hard to keep up with Trump’s outrages,’ says Max Boot, the conservative author and historian who sounds the alarm about the GOP in his new release.
Industry Notes: 2020 World Book Capital; Political Book Sales in the US; PRH Names New CFO
Kuala Lumpur is the 2020 World Book capital; more political books in the US released and compete with growing sales of Woodward’s ‘Fear’; and PRH has a new CFO.
Stephanie Barrouillet on Trends in International Children’s Books and Rights Sales
Literary agent Stephanie Barrouillet looks at trending themes in global children’s books markets, like diversity, emotional growth, and current events.
Interview: Dmitry Glukhovsky on the ‘Dubious Reality’ of Putin’s Russia
‘In Putin’s Russia, one single government-corporation rules and owns the country,’ says Dmitry Glukhovsky, whose new ‘Text’ has sold into 14 languages and/or territories to date. It’s optioned or on submission in 16 more countries.
‘Fear’ Storms the Week: 900,000 Copies at Launch, Largest Pre-Order in Simon’s History
Topping 1.15 million hardcovers in a ninth printing, Bob Woodward’s ‘Fear’ is predicted by some booksellers to surpass sales of other Trump-related titles.