British Books Today Blog

BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction 2009 winner

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Scott) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:39:00 +0000

Leviathan, or The Whale by Philip Hoare (Fourth Estate) has been named the winner of the BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction 2009
Technorati Tag: Books

Alice Munro wins 2009 Man Booker International Prize

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Scott) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:07:00 +0000

"Alice Munro collected the Man Booker International Prize 2009 during a ceremony at Trinity College Dublin. The Canadian writer received a trophy along with the £60,000 award. The Man Booker International Prize is awarded once every two years to a living author for a body of work. The inaugural award was given to Ismail Kadaré in 2005 and the second to Chinua Achebe in 2007. Jane Smiley, chair of judges, gave a speech asking Alice Munro to receive the prize "as gratitude, our gratitude for her work." Smiley also called for more work to be translated into English and highlighted the importance of the Man Booker International Prize as "It offers a vantage point from which English language readers and publishers may survey the world"."

Royal Society Prize for Science Books shortlist

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Scott) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:03:00 +0000

"It's a transatlantic race between the American academics and the UK's journalists and biographers in the competition for this year's Royal Society Prize for Science Books. The shortlist for the world's most prestigious awards for science writing was announced 25 June, and was made up of three books written by US academics and three written by British journalists and biographers."

The six books shortlisted by the judges are:

* What the nose knows: The science of scent in everyday life by Avery Gilbert (Crown Publishers)

* Bad science by Ben Goldacre (Harper Perennial)

* The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic generation discovered the beauty and terror of science by Richard Holmes (HarperPress)

* Decoding the heavens: Solving the mystery of the world's first computer by Jo Marchant (William Heinemann)

* The drunkard's walk: How randomness rules our lives by Leonard Mlodinow (Penguin)

* Your inner fish: The amazing discovery of our 375-million-year-old ancestor by Neil Shubin (Penguin)

The winner will be announced at an event at the Royal Society on 15 September 2009 and awarded £10,000. The authors of each shortlisted book will receive £1000

Oxfam Bookfest 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Scott) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:34:00 +0000

"From 4 to 18 July, Oxfam will be celebrating its love of books with more than 250 events in Oxfam shops, libraries, community centres and other venues around the UK, featuring a host of authors and celebrities. Some of the big names taking part in Bookfest include: Poet Laureate Carol Anne Duffy, Ian Rankin, Alexander McCall Smith, Mark Haddon, Kate Atkinson, Vikram Seth, Joanna Trollope, Anne Fine, Jonathan Coe, Marina Lewycka, Michael Faber and Nicholas Shakespeare. Plus there's James Robertson, Linda Newbery, Aileen Paterson, Mark Billingham, James Mayhew, Adele Geras, Cath Staincliffe, Barbara Erskine and Erica James..."

John Berger to donate archive to British Library

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Scott) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:33:00 +0000

The eminent writer, critic, and thinker John Berger has announced the donation of his archive to the British Library. The archive of previously unseen 'put-aside objects' (Berger's description of archives in his collection Here is Where we Meet) is to be transferred to the care of the British Library from its current home in a remote French Alpine village later this month (June 2009). Jamie Andrews, Head of Modern Literary Manuscripts at the British Library, will travel to the Alps (setting off on 20 June 2009) to help sort through the papers - currently stored in an old stables - and bring them back to the climate-controlled storage areas in the heart of the British Library's flagship St Pancras building

The Miles Franklin Literary Award 2009 winner

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Scott) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:32:00 +0000

The Miles Franklin Literary Award 2009 winner is Tim Winton for Breath

Vintage to publish new Man Booker Prize editions

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Scott) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:32:00 +0000

Vintage have announced they are publishing beautiful new editions of nine Man Booker Prize winning titles which will all be available this August as the Vintage Booker collection. The titles are:

Amsterdam by Ian McEwan (1998)
Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee (1999)
How Late It Was, How Late by James Kelman (1994)
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie (1981)
Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle (1993)
Possession by A.S. Byatt (1990)
The Famished Road by Ben Okri (1991)
The Gathering by Anne Enright (2007)
The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch (1978)

These nine books were chosen from a number of previous Booker winners published by Vintage including: The Old Devils by Kingsley Amis (1986), J M Coetzee's The Life and Times of Michael K (1983), Stanley Middleton's Holiday (1974) and David Storey's Saville (1976). They will be available as Vintage paperbacks from 6th August 2009, each at GBP5.99.

2009 Scottish Book of the Year winner

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Scott) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:30:00 +0000

"Acclaimed writer James Kelman has won Book of the Year 2009 in the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Book Awards for his novel Kieron Smith, boy. Managed by the Scottish Arts Council the awards are Scotland's richest book awards and net the author a total prize of GBP30,000. Kelman was presented with his GBP30,000 cheque by Sir Donald MacKay, Chairman of Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust at a prestigious ceremony at Borders Book Festival in Melrose on Friday 19 June, hosted by writer and comedian Rory Bremner"

British Book Industry Awards 2009 winners

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Scott) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:25:00 +0000

The winners of the British Book Industry Awards 2009 have been announced:

Frankfurt Book Fair Rights Professional of the Year : Lucy Vanderbilt, HarperCollins 

Orion Publishing Group Literary Agent of the Year: Jonathan Lloyd, Curtis Brown

Sue Butterworth Award for Young Bookseller of the Year, sponsored by HarperCollins: Joint Winners Max Porter of Daunt Books and Lisa Bird of Foyles South Bank

StoraEnso Design & Production Award: The Big Fat Duck Cookbook (Bloomsbury)

Baker Tilly Imprint & Editor of the Year: Ravi Mirchandani, Atlantic

Arts Council England Diversity Award in Literature: Saqi

The Daily Mail Marketing Campaign of the Year: Devil May Care Jane Rose, Penguin

PPC Publicity Campaign of the Year: The Outcast, Louise Rhind-Tutt, Random House

Independent Alliance Independent Bookshop of the Year: The Hungerford Bookshop

Lightning Source Independent Publisher of the Year: Atlantic Books

Harlequin Mills & Boon Direct Bookselling Company of the Year: The Book Depository

BDS/ehaus Chain Bookselling Company of the Year: WHSmith

Publishing Technology Publisher of the Year: Canongate

Man Booker Prize 2009 dates now available

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Scott) — Sun, 03 May 2009 14:15:00 +0000

"The Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2009 can confirm the longlist, shortlist and winner announcement dates. They are:
* Tuesday 28 July 2009 - Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2009 longlist announcement

* Tuesday 8 September 2009 - Man Booker for Fiction 2009 shortlist announcement

* Tuesday 6 October 2009 - announcement of the winner of the Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2009 at Guildhall

This year's judging panel is chaired by James Naughtie. He is joined by Lucasta Miller, John Mullan, Sue Perkins and Michael Prodger"

2009 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Children's Book Awards shortlists

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Scott) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 13:09:00 +0000

The shortlists for the 2009 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Children's Book Awards have been announced
Technorati Tag: Books

Orange Prize for Fiction 2009 shortlist announced

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Scott) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:53:00 +0000

The Orange Prize for Fiction 2009 shortlist has been announced:

* Scottsboro by Ellen Feldman
* The Wilderness by Samantha Harvey
* The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt
* Molly Fox's Birthday by Deirdre Madden
* Home by Marilynne Robinson
* Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie

JG Ballard dead at 78

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Scott) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 18:33:00 +0000

" The author JG Ballard, famed for novels such as Crash and Empire of the Sun, has died aged 78 after a long illness. His agent Margaret Hanbury said the author had been ill "for several years" and had died on Sunday morning. Despite being referred to as a science fiction writer, Ballard said his books were instead "picturing the psychology of the future". His most acclaimed novel was Empire of the Sun, based on his childhood in a Japanese prison camp in China" - BBC
Technorati Tag: Books

Books lent out to Tube commuters (UK)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Scott) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:48:00 +0000

Books are being loaned to commuters on the London Underground in a scheme aimed at giving readers an alternative to free newspapers. Novels are handed out free to commuters outside five Tube stations once a month in the Choose What You Read scheme. They are returned the following month or to a central London "drop" box. Co-founder Alfie Boyd said: "Everyone enjoys reading a nice story rather than about a useless celebrity that no-one really cares about too much." He began the scheme with friend Claire Wilson to give commuters an alternative to the "tonnes of free newspapers dished out and thrown away every day" - BBC. The Choose What You Read website is here

The Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Scott) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 10:22:00 +0000

"Now in its 7th year the Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival is now a firm date in the literary calendar and has achieved international acclaim for the programming, organisation and Festival atmosphere. Every year, writers, readers, publishers and agents all gather in the beautiful informal setting of the Crown Hotel, Harrogate, UK, to talk about the biggest themes, the most controversial writing, take part in hilarious late night cabaret, see special guests, or just enjoy the atmosphere. For 2009, the Festival has been programmed by award winning author, Laura Wilson, who, with the support of the programming committee and Festival team, has created a thrilling four days – packed with the very best and brightest names in crime writing." - 23-26 July, 2009

Orange Award for New Writers 2009 shortlist

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Scott) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 11:31:00 +0000

The shortlist for the Orange Award for New Writers 2009 has been announced:

- An Equal Stillness by Francesca Kay
- Miles From Nowhere by Nami Mun
- The Personal History of Rachel DuPree by Ann Weisgarber

Desmond Elliott Prize 2009 longlist announced

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Scott) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 10:20:00 +0000

The longlist for the Desmond Elliott Prize 2009 has been announced:

* A Girl Made of Dust by Nathalie Abi-Ezzi (Fourth Estate)
* The Behaviour of Moths by Poppy Adams (Virago)
* Girl in a Blue Dress by Gaynor Arnold (Tindal Street Press)
* Mr Toppit by Charles Elton (Viking)
* Never Never by David Gaffney (Tindal Street Press)
* Blackmoor by Edward Hogan (Simon & Schuster)
* The Redemption of Alexander Seaton by Shona MacLean (Quercus)
* The Rescue Man by Anthony Quinn (Jonathan Cape)
* Little Gods by Anna Richards (Picador)
* The Alternative Hero by Tim Thornton (Jonathan Cape)

2009 Galaxy British Book Awards - winners

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Scott) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 09:08:00 +0000

The winners of the 2009 Galaxy British Book Awards have been announced

Galaxy Book of the Year
The Suspicions of Mr Whicher - Kate Summerscale (Bloomsbury)

Outstanding Achievement
Michael Palin

Richard & Judy Best Read
When Will There Be Good News - Kate Atkinson (Black Swan)

Borders Author of the Year
Aravind Adiga for The White Tiger (Atlantic Books)

Tesco Biography of the Year
Dreams From My Father - Barack Obama (Canongate)

Books Direct Crime Thriller of the Year
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson (Quercus)

Sainsbury's Popular Fiction Award
Devil May Care - Sebastian Faulks (Penguin 007)

Play.com Popular Non-Fiction Award
The Suspicions of Mr Whicher - Kate Summerscale (Bloomsbury)

Waterstone's New Writer of the Year
Tom Rob Smith for Child 44 (Simon & Schuster)

WHSmith Children's Book of the Year
Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer Atom

Orange Prize for Fiction 2009 longlist

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Scott) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 15:58:00 +0000

The Orange Prize for Fiction 2009 longlist has been announced:

* The Household Guide to Dying by Debra Adelaide
* Girl in a Blue Dress by Gaynor Arnold
* Their Finest Hour and a Half by Lissa Evans
* Blonde Roots by Bernadine Evaristo
* Scottsboro by Ellen Feldman
* Strange Music by Laura Fish
* Love Marriage by V V Ganeshananthan
* Intuition by Allegra Goodman
* The Wilderness by Samantha Harvey
* The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt
* The Lost Dog by Michelle de Kretser
* Molly Fox's Birthday by Deirdre Madden Molly
* A Mercy by Toni Morrison
* The Russian Dreambook of Colour and Flight by Gina Ochsner
* Home by Marilynne Robinson
* Evening is the Whole Day by Preeta Samarasan
* Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie
* American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
* The Flying Troutmans by Miriam Toews
* The Personal History of Rachel DuPree by Ann Weisgarber

Bisto Book Awards shortlist announced

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Scott) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 12:39:00 +0000

The Bisto Children's Book of the Year Awards, in partnership with CBI are presented annually in recognition of excellence in writing and/or illustration of books for young people. The awards are administered by CBI, the national organisation for children's books and sponsored by Bisto gravy. The awards are open to any children's book by an author and/or illustrator born or resident in Ireland, written in Irish or English and published between 1st January and 31st December each year. Speaking about the shortlist, Keith O'Sullivan Chair of the 2008-9 Judging Panel, said: "This year's shortlist is exceptionally strong and diverse: it is characterised by quality writing and illustration, which afford readers, of all ages, exciting opportunities to engage with a range of themes from adventure, friendship and belonging to conflict and loss."

Book Industry Conference 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Scott) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:40:00 +0000

The Book Industry Conference 2009 will take place on 1 and 2 June at the Wellcome Trust Conference Centre, Cambridgeshire. The conference programme will address the current economic climate, how it affects us, and what we can do as an industry and as individual businesses. The British Book Industry Awards will take place on the evening of 1 June, in theatre-style format in the Wellcome Trust Auditorium. Pre-award drinks and post-awards reception will be in the historic Hinxton Hall, which is 1 minute's walk from the theatre

Fourth Runnymede International Literary Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Scott) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:56:00 +0000

Fourth Runnymede International Literary Festival - 18-21 March 2009 - London, UK
Technorati Tag: Books

4th Huddersfield Literature Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Scott) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:48:00 +0000

4th Huddersfield Literature Festival - 11-15 March 2009 - Huddersfield, Yorkshire
Technorati Tag: Books

The Galaxy British Book Awards 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Scott) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:17:00 +0000

The Galaxy British Book Awards 2009 will take place at the Grosvenor House on London's Park Lane on the evening of Friday 3rd April 2009. Tickets are GBP295 (+ vat), tables of 10, and, as before, will be fully inclusive of food and drink during the evening
Technorati Tag: Books

London Book Fair Podcast Series - Paul Marsh

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Scott) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 10:43:00 +0000

Paul Marsh, Literary Agent, The Marsh Agency Ltd gives his views on the current conditions of the Foreign rights market, how agents are dealing with the digital rights issues and the opportunities that exist for agents from Market Focus India: