The Guardian
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The Original Copycat
Tim Youd has recently undertaken the task of reproducing Kingsley Amis’s Lucky Jim, but the Guardian says the idea of copying classic novels is not so original; Pierre Menard, a character in a Borges story, did it first: Although the words themselves…
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Stars Wars Gets Canonical LGBT Character
The Star Wars franchise is adding a lesbian character, the first in the official canon. Moff Mors will be included in the upcoming novel Lords of the Sith by Paul S. Kemp, reports the Guardian.
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Spike in Sales for Communist Manifesto
Penguin’s recently released Little Black Classics series, a bargain-priced celebration of 80 years in the paperback trade, is bringing classic authors back into high demand. Karl Marx leads the pack, with the 64-page Communist Manifesto priced at a proletariat-friendly 80p.…
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Writing in the Age of Google
If there is an individual alive in 2015 with the genius and vision of James Joyce, they’re probably working for Google, and if there isn’t, it doesn’t matter since the operations of that genius and vision are being developed and…
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Women Benefit from Self-Publishing
There were more than 458,000 self-published titles in 2013, an increase of more than 437% since 2008. And when it comes to DIY publishing, women seem to be the bigger beneficiaries, reports the Guardian. An analysis of self-published titles by FicShelf reveals…
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Trollope Unabridged
A restored version of Anthony Trollope’s The Duke’s Children, reinstating 65,000 words cut from the novel for its original publication, will celebrate the writer’s 200th birthday. The precise impetus for the cut is unknown, but researchers agree it was likely a…
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A Magical Bibliography
A new bibliography cataloguing the various editions of Harry Potter publications will help readers identify which edition of the books they own. The collection will also reveal secrets of JK Rowling’s edits, reports the Guardian. The 544-page book took Sotheby’s director…
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Neruda Conspiracy Laid to Rest
The investigatory saga following an accusation of foul play in the death of poet Pablo Neruda appears to be drawing to a close, thanks to a Chilean judge’s ruling. Neruda’s remains were exhumed in 2013, in the hopes of discovering…
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Agatha Christie Was a Good Pen Pal
Agatha Christie was never shy to reply to her fan mail, and now the notable crime writer’s letters will be collected and published in celebration of her 125th birthday. The collection will not only feature Christie’s letters, but also the original…
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So You Think You Can Write?
A recent poll shows that the majority of Brits would choose the writing life as their ideal career. At the Guardian, Tim Lott isn’t sure they could handle it: To master dialogue, description, subtext, plot, structure, character, time, point of view, beginnings,…
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Labels Are for Jars
All this classifying, it seems to me, is the very antithesis of literature. The way of literature is to seek universality. Writers try to reach beyond those things that divide us: culture, class, gender, race. Given the chance, we would…
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Who Wants to Be a Writer
A recent poll by YouGuv, intended to determine the most desired professions for Britons, suggests a strong interest in expanding the ranks of authors and academics. Though common conception holds these groups to be prone to an embattled posture, forever…