Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond's Blog, page 6
September 30, 2015
Kirkus Prizes Announces Second Annual Awards Contenders
Kirkus, the book review and editing service, has announced the finalists contending for $50,000 per category for its second annual prize. The winners will be announced on October 16, 2015 at a ceremony in Austin, Texas. FICTION The Incarnations by Susan Barker A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff (also longlisted for... Read more.
September 29, 2015
Four Writers Named to 2015 MacArthur 'Genius' Class
Ta-Nehisi Coates, Ben Lerner, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Ellen Bryant Voigt have been inducted into the MacArthur Foundation’s 2015 Fellows Class, alongside 20 other ‘Geniuses’. As National Correspondent at The Atlantic, Coates has written a number of illuminating articles about the impact of race and racism in American life including the 2013 National Magazine Award Winning “Fear of...
September 23, 2015
As E-Book Sales Slip, Publishers Invest in Print Over Mobile
Yesterday’s New York Times features a story that indicates publishers are no longer “seized by collective panic over the uncertain future of print.” In “The Plot Twist: E-Book Sales Slip, and Print is Far From Dead“, writer Alexandra Alter reports that publishers are, in fact, investing more in print: Publishers, seeking to capitalize on the shift,... Read more.
September 21, 2015
On Relatability
Mira Jacob wrote the critically applauded novel The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing which she says was thoughtfully and enthusiastically handled by her publishers. But as she went around the country and world promoting the 2014 release, she found certain members of the press, and some readers, unable to get past the fact that though she is Indian her story... Read more.
The 2015 International Press Freedom Award Winners Announced
The Committee to Protect Journalists has announced the recipients of their 2015 International Press Freedom Awards via a press release distributed on Tuesday September 15th. The winners are: Zone 9 bloggers of Ethiopia, a group of bloggers of which six were arrested, imprisoned, and charged with terrorism in retaliation for critical reporting; Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque, “Zunar,” of... Read more.
September 17, 2015
The People Who Write Questionnaire: Carla Drysdale
If your life (so far) were a book, what would the title be? Now that’s a hard one. Let’s see: The Writing Cure, The Unimportance of Being Earnest, Stayin’ Alive… What is the greatest story ever told? The one that saves you and helps you see things as they really are. Who is the greatest... Read more.
Who Should Take Home 2015 National Book Awards?
The 2015 National Book Award longlists for Young People’s Literature, Poetry, Non-Fiction, and Fiction were announced this morning. Which have you read? Who do you think should / will win? YOUNG PEOPLE’S LITERATURE Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad by M.T.... Read more.
September 16, 2015
A Word of Encouragement: No, You Shouldn't "Just Give Up" on Your Writing
Been toiling for years without “breaking through” and feeling mighty mediocre? The writer behind New York Magazine‘s “Ask Polly” column has some thoughts on that. Here’s a snippet of the response she gave a writer struggling to decide if she should just give up on her writing: In other words, don’t give up on your writing... Read more.
September 14, 2015
On Pen Names, Protected Class Appropriation, and Colonial Legacy
Pen names, by definition, are meant to obscure a writer’s true identity and/or embellish her/his public persona. Because names are political entities—they’re gendered, for the most part; can indicate race and class; and often act as maps in identifying a person’s ethnic origins—the pen name a writer chooses makes a very deliberate statement not only about how the writer wants to be...
September 10, 2015
The People Who Write Questionnaire: Abubakar Adam Ibrahim
If your life (so far) were a book, what would the title be? Hmmm, maybe something windy like The Quiet, Dubious Life of Abu. Or The Elephant That Grew Wings and Flew to the Moon. Or Perhaps something mundane like Steady. I am sure who ever will have that task will have a headache just... Read more.
