Authors
Edinburgh international book festival announces 2013 lineup
37 minutes agoLife and work of Iain Banks to be honoured at 30th festival, with Salman Rushdie, Margaret Atwood and Neil Gaiman also featuring in two-week event partnered by the Guardian The life and works of the late Iain Banks will be celebrated by close friends including Ian Rankin and Val McDermid in a special event at this August's Edinburgh international book festival, for which the Guardian is media ...
George Lloyd: the curious case of the composer and the hypnotist
3 hours agoIvan Hewett reveals how George Lloyd and George Estabrooks became curiously and inextricably linked.
Football - Italy book place in semis
7 hours agoItaly booked their semi-final place as they snatched a barely-deserved victory from a pulsating game in Recife to dump Japan out of the Confederations Cup.
E L James Reveals Director for Fifty Shades of Grey Movie - people.com
12 hours agoThe franchise's author revealed the director on Twitter Wednesday
Vince Flynn, author of Mitch Rapp thriller series, dead from cancer
15 hours agoBy Alex Dobuzinskis LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Vince Flynn, the best-selling author of the Mitch Rapp series of political thrillers that includes "American Assassin" and "The Last Man," died on Wednesday at age 47 after a battle with prostate cancer, his representatives said. Flynn, who turned to writing as a way of fighting his dyslexia, died at a hospital in his hometown of St. Paul, Minnesota ...
Dyslexic author wins book prize - news.bbc.co.uk
16 hours agoSally Gardner, a dyslexic author once branded "unteachable" at school, wins the prestigious Carnegie Medal for her book Maggot Moon.
Sri Lankan-born author Kretser wins top Australia literary prize
17 hours ago(Reuters) - Sri Lankan-born author Michelle de Kretser won Australia's top literature prize on Wednesday, awarded the Miles Franklin award for her novel "Questions of Travel" that follows two people on separate journeys. She was chosen from a shortlist of five writers, all of whom were female, to win the A$60,000 $57,000 (36,387 pounds) prize. Also on the shortlist were Romy Ash, Annah Faulkner ...
Gove's school reforms will damage 'whole generation of children', new Carnegi...
17 hours agoA dyslexic author branded "unteachable" at school has won this year's prestigious Carnegie Medal for children's literature, as she uses her platform to condemn Michael Gove's "hypocritical" reforms.
Gove’s policies will condemn dyslexic pupils, says top author Sally Gardner
20 hours agoDyslexic author Sally Gardner today accused Education Secretary Michael Gove of advocating teaching policies that risk condemning children with reading difficulties as “thick”.
Dyslexic author wins book prize
21 hours agoSally Gardner, a dyslexic author once branded "unteachable" at school, wins the prestigious Carnegie Medal for her book Maggot Moon.
Sally Gardner wins the 2013 Carnegie Medal
21 hours agoSally Gardner wins the prestigious CILIP Carnegie Medal with dystopian tale Maggot Moon, while illustrator Levi Pinfoldclaims the Kate Greenaway Medal
Sally Gardner: The prize winner once branded 'unteachable'
21 hours agoSally Gardner, who has won the Carnegie Medal for Maggot Moon, on why she sees her dyslexia as a gift.
Book sales boosted by Father's Day
22 hours agoSales of books jumped to a 2013 high last week, boosted by Father's Day, according to figures obtained by the book trade website, The Bookseller.
Book sales boosted by Father's Day - news.bbc.co.uk
22 hours agoSales of books jumped to a 2013 high last week, boosted by Father's Day, according to figures obtained by the book trade website, The Bookseller.
Central Saint Martins tutor's mission to make book debut via crowdsourcing
22 hours agoRespected illustrator and Central Saint Martins tutor Howard Tangye will see his work published for the first time if a Kickstarter.com campaign can raise £30,000.
Garfield: happy 35th birthday to a funny cat
1 day agoThe world's most recognisable comic-strip cat was launched today in 1978 by Jim Davis. Here are some of his finest quotes.
Warwick Prize for Writing 2013: longlist announced
1 day agoJulian Barnes, Jonathan Frantzen and Thomas Keneally are in contention for £25,000 biennial book award.
Honest sex scenes in books will stop teens learning from porn, Malorie Blackm...
1 day agoBooks for teenagers should contain realistic scenes about sex to prevent young people learning everything from online pornography, the new children's laureate has argued.
Michael Sheen to read Neil Gaiman's latest novel on 'Book at Bedtime'
1 day agoThe book will be Neil Gaiman's first adult novel in eight years.
Nigella Lawson pictures: if it's a 'playful tiff', what does a serious one lo...
1 day agoCharles Saatchi putting his hands around Nigella Lawson's throat looks like humiliating bullying. I hope she is well supportedWas there a woman who saw those awful pictures of Nigella Lawson who didn't think "If he does this in public what does he do behind closed doors?" Not one that I have spoken to since they appeared. Some have said there is an issue about whether they should have appeared at all as they were in a private place. Actually Lawson and her husband, Charles Saatchi, were sitting in a courtyard outside an expensive restaurant in Mayfair where paparazzi always lurk. The pictures could have been taken by anyone with a mobile phone. No one appears to have intervened despite fellow diners eager to report Lawson's obvious distress. If a man had his hands round the throat of another man during a meal would the waiters have carried on as normal?What is going on here? The police are now looking into the incident though Lawson has not reported it to them. The Community Safety ...
Bedale book raises thousands for community
1 day agoSALES of a unique history book charting the life and times of a community have raised more than £18,000 for local charities and good causes.
William Friedkin interview: 'You don't need to know about my sexual liaisons'
1 day agoWilliam Friedkin, director of The French Connection and The Exorcist, tells Sean Macaulay about his action-packed life.
William Friedkin interview: 'You don't need to know about my sexual liasons'
1 day agoWilliam Friedkin, director of The French Connection and The Exorcist, tells Sean Macaulay about his action-packed life.
Read For My School scheme is a winner
1 day agoWinners of competition encouraging 100,000 English school pupils to read more than 400,000 books announced.
Carlisle book shop hosts music concert
1 day agoBook fans got a taste of Glastonbury – and a little wine – at a Carlisle bookshop last night.
How Apple shook up the electronic book market
1 day agoApple didn't try to fix or raise the prices of electronic books when it entered into the market in 2010, according to Apple Senior Vice President Eddy Cue. Rather, he says, the company was only working to ensure a profit for itself. Related Stories Apple received thousands of data requests from US law enforcers Apple emphasizes user-privacy efforts in response to PRISM accusations Apple founder ...
Samar Yazbek: "Syrians refuse to remain slaves to the Assad regime"
1 day agoThe Syrian author and journalist describes how she sees the situation in Syria.
A Woman Of Substance author slams 50 Shades of Grey as 'terribly badly written'
1 day agoBest-selling author Barbara Taylor Bradford has dismissed erotic romance 50 Shades Of Grey .
Bestselling author gives talk at Middlesbrough Library
2 days agoBEST-SELLING author Kathy Lette was speaking at the Central Library in Middlesbrough last night as one of the headline events of the Middlesbrough Literary Festival.
Rowan Williams and Neil MacGregor discuss faith and the visual imagination
2 days agoThe former Archbishop of Canterbury and the director of the British Museum discuss religious imagery.
Taylor Bradford slams 50 Shades
2 days agoBest-selling author Barbara Taylor Bradford has dismissed erotic romance 50 Shades Of Grey.
Derren Brown on the best cafés for bookworms
2 days agoThe illusionist shares his favourite places to hide away with a pot of tea and a good book.
A Celebration of Publisher Gigi Giannuzzi
2 days ago"Trolleyology, a catalogue published to celebrate the first ten years of Gigi's remarkable vision" - Cheryl Newman discusses the new book and her first impressions
Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng Murdoch: irretrievable breakdown | Michael Wolf...
2 days agoThe marriage had its tensions, but news of the ultimate power couple's divorce is 'jaw-dropping' – before we even know whyWhen Rupert Murdoch in 1998 announced his abrupt separation from Anna Murdoch, his wife of 31 years, almost nobody at the time, including Anna, had any idea, or could reasonably speculate, that Murdoch, then an old 67, might have a girlfriend.But he did. And his divorce and remarriage, and the effect it had on his children, social life and executives, would shape the next generation of his company – a romance for our time, as it were.With the curt, and blistering, announcement of his decision to file for divorce from Wendi Murdoch, the young woman he met when she was 28 and working for Star TV, his company in Hong Kong, another upheaval begins.It was two summers ago that Wendi burst into the news and transformed her public self from harridan to heroine by, with lightning-fast reflexes, blocking a pie attack on her frail-looking husband in the midst of a difficult...
Graphic art inspired by Harry Potter
3 days agoA new London exhibition is displaying graphic design props created by Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima for the Harry Potter films.
Graphic art from Harry Potter
3 days agoMiraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima spent ten years creating graphic design props for the Harry Potter films. Their graphic designs are now on display at a London exhibition.
Sample Storyboard for Book App
3 days agoA book app storyboard should indicate the interactions and animations for each page of the app. You will need to know the type of interaction that occurs and what happens as a result of the interaction.
Simon Mawer: five best war novels
3 days agoCatch-22 and Slaughterhouse Five are among the author's favourite books about battles.
Philippa Gregory: 'I was a rebel at school. I only got an E in history'
3 days agoThe author of 'The White Queen' is out to nail the Plantagenets, she tells Peter Stanford
Meet the Jane Austen obsessives
3 days agoAnyone who thinks Jane Austen-mania might be waning clearly hasn't met a true 'Janeite'.
Lynne Truss: never a borrower or a lender be
3 days agoIn her weekly column, Lynne Truss unpicks why nothing good ever comes from lending books to friends.
The Unwinding by George Packer, review
4 days agoMelanie McGrath is impressed by George Packer's angry, wise and moving state-of-the-union address.
The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout, review
4 days agoLucy Beresford admires a thoughtful take on hate crimes and personal responsibility.
Ulysses in art: The tyranny of Joyce
4 days agoTo mark today's anniversary of Bloomsday, Alastair Smart considers the hit-and-miss art that James Joyce's novel Ulysses has inspired down the years.
Linguistic gems from the jewel in the crown
4 days ago'Hobson-Jobson' is that rare delight - a dictionary that can be read for pleasure, says Christopher Howse
Malaysian author scoops Scott prize
5 days agoMalaysian author Tan Twan Eng wins the £25,000 Walter Scott Prize for historical Fiction for his second novel The Garden of Evening Mists.
Pity poor Zosia Mamet as the world fails to get Cabin Sisters fever - guardia...
6 days agoThe star of Girls (and daughter of writer/director David Mamet) hoped to crowdsource $32,000 to fund her band's video. But it seems very few people were interestedZosia Mamet, daughter of David, star of sitcom Girls, is branching out. Lost in Showbiz was delighted to discover Zosia and little sister Clara – also daughter of David, though star of rather less-lauded US sitcom The Neighbors – have found time to put a band, the Cabin Sisters, together. But LiS was soon afterwards devastated to find the world simply isn't ready for their "unique brand of folk via body percussion, banjo and harmonies".For the uninitiated: the pair asked fans for $32,000 in donations via crowdsourcing site Kickstarter to fund the filming of their first music video but, two weeks later, have received just $2,783. Which is, let's be clear, an outrage. For if the people of the internet cannot find it in their callous hearts to bear the costs of launching a musical career for the sisters Mamet we should ask, h...
One giant leap for Justin Bieber as he joins the ranks of the celebronauts - ...
6 days agoBeliebers will be hoping their idol fulfils his ambition to shoot a video in space, but is the boy saviour fully aware of the risks of celebrity space travel?Bieber in space. Lost in Showbiz heard the fateful news last week and has not slept since. For the benefit of those who have been remiss with their Justin Bieber monitors, let us recap: in the manner of Superman, Dr Manhattan and a thousand other messianic superpowers before him, the almighty teen sensation has grown weary of our tawdry planet's sham, drudgery and broken dreams and sought momentary respite beyond the suffocating reach of Earth's atmosphere.The star and his manager Scooter Braun – there, presumably, on the off-chance some cheeky extraterrestrial Simon Cowell tries to lure the kid off to break the lucrative teen-pop market in Betelgeuse – are the latest "future astronauts" to sign up for a glimpse of the great beyond with Richard Branson's space tour company, Virgin Galactic. On the logic, Lost in Showbiz boldly ...
Rankin tribute to author Banks
9 days agoCrime author Ian Rankin has described his late friend Iain Banks as a writing machine whose best creative years could still have been ahead of him.
Rhys Ifans interview exposed absurdity of interview genre - guardian.co.uk
11 days agoThe actor's disastrous interview with the Times should make editors everywhere rethink the point of such celebrity featuresNews is a train wreck rather than the 3.35 from Bournemouth arriving on time; so Janice Turner's train wreck of a Times interview with antibiotically challenged actor Rhys Ifans (which he ended by announcing "I'm bored with you" and walking out – before allowing his distraught publicist to send Turner a bunch of flowers) created a ripple of stories. Were interviews with bored and boring actors interesting any longer? Had the "genre" finally collapsed in its own vapidity?Answers and guidelines for editors. Some celebrity interviews have inherent interest, of course. And some – see The Graham Norton Show – can be jolly even when they don't. But beware interviews whose underlying point is printing a big picture of its subject, projecting supposed sexual charisma. If all you really want to do is to run a photograph, write the caption yourself. Print no interviews on...
Bit-part actor charged over plot to frame husband for ricin letters - guardia...
11 days agoTexas prosecutors say Shannon Richardson sent poisoned letters to President Obama and NYC mayor Michael BloombergIt is a story that reads like the plot of a cheap, pulp thriller – except perhaps not quite as believable.On Friday, a pregnant bit-part actor in Texas was charged with sending letters to President Barack Obama and New York mayor Michel Bloomberg laced with the deadly nerve poison ricin in an apparent bizarre bid to frame her husband for the crime.Shannon Richardson, who has had small roles on TV shows like the Walking Dead and Vampire Diaries, is a mother of five, who first went to the police with her concerns that her husband, Nathaniel Richardson, might have mailed the letters – which were intercepted before they reached their intended recipients.But as investigators studied the case the focus of their questioning instead began to settle on the person who had made the outrageous claims in a scenario that on its face value saw a marital spat develop into a full blown bi...
From Rhys Ifans to Madonna: writers on their worst celebrity interviews - gua...
12 days agoThe celebrity interview is a fraught affair. After actor Rhys Ifans stalks out of his unhappy encounter with a Times journalist, we ask those who interview the stars about their worst experiencesMick Brown, Daily TelegraphThe film industry is now less caring about [traditional] media exposure. A lot of their PR campaign – and the interview is part of that – is much more driven by Twitter, YouTube, those types of things. So the celebrity interview has fallen down the ranking in importance, and particularly in the British media.The way they try to control the environment has become more palpable. If they want the PR to sit in, I always try to say there's no need, but the main form of control is time. I was doing a lot of music interviews in the early part of my career, and I would be allowed to go on the road with Elvis Costello and Queen. Now you have to negotiate to get an hour. What you're trying to do is establish a rapport with somebody and make it a conversation, not an intervie...
Tulisa sting by The Sun lacks any journalistic merit - guardian.co.uk
12 days agoDon't miss Marina Hyde's lampooning of the The Sun's investigative scoop that "exposed" a celebrity willing to set up a drugs deal.At the weekend, I was more interested in the newspaper stings that revealed the willingness of politicians to accept money for parliamentary work. By contrast, the Mazher Mahmood "world exclusive" that caught out Tulisa Contostavlos - a 24-year-old former pop singer and former TV talent show judge - was small beer.It was a sad, silly and utterly predictable - points made brilliantly by Hyde. She also touches on the cruelty involved too.Not content with the five pages in the Sun on Sunday, the next day's splash was devoted to a prediction that she would be arrested. On Tuesday, there was a front page teaser to another page lead by Mahmood about something she had said about someone else during his sting operation.Wednesday's splash, proving that Monday's forecast had been correct, was about Tulisa being "sensationally arrested… after an undercover operati...
Tulisa's cocaine arrest: the greatest newspaper investigation ever - guardian...
13 days agoWe should all stand in awe of the groundbreaking investigative journalism and fearless police work dedicated to putting Tulisa Contostavlos back in her placeWithout further ado, Lost in Showbiz is coming out as Team Tulisa, and anyone who declines to join me is cordially invited to do one to the showbiz outlets where the singer is routinely described as a "chav" or a "council estate Barbie".In case you had been preoccupied by other matters, let me recap by saying that the erstwhile X Factor judge was the victim of a Sun on Sunday sting last weekend, and is accused of obliging the undercover reporter's requests for a contact who would sell him some cocaine. The news forces an urgent shakeup of the odds for the prize of Greatest Newspaper Investigation Ever, which now stand as: Tulisa Can Get You A Number For Someone Who'll GetYou Some Coke 1/9, Watergate 3/1, and Thalidomide 11/1. It's 16/1 bar those.The police have since responded by arresting Tulisa and raiding her house mobhanded....
Michael Douglas, oral sex and his contributions to medical science - guardian...
13 days agoHe is Patient Zero for sex addiction and now a public-service announcer regarding the link between cunnilingus and cancerThe warmest of welcomes back to the sex ed game for Michael Douglas, who this week explained that going down on women gives you cancer. At least, I think that was what it was – Lost in Showbiz felt too nostalgic for Michael's earlier work to read the science bit.For those of us who recall the medical dark ages of late 80s celebrity, you see, Michael was also the trailblazer on the whole sex addiction thing, with his rehab admission in 1990 widely held to be for the then little-known disease (he has since disputed that reading of his difficulties, and, indeed, seems to have rowed back on the whole oral sex diagnosis). But in popular folklore, Michael Douglas was sex addiction's Patient Zero: before then, the illness was thought to be just one of those underresearched symptoms of conditions like being in a world-famous band, as opposed to the standalone celebrity bl...
Pamela Anderson TV ad banned for being 'sexist and degrading to women' - guar...
15 days agoViewers complained over scenes of ex-Baywatch star dancing in a bikini while covered in creamA raunchy TV ad featuring ex-Baywatch star Pamela Anderson has been banned for being sexist and degrading to women.The ad, for web hosting service CrazyDomains.co.uk, featured the Barb Wire star in a boardroom full of men.While addressing the board Anderson and her assistant, Vanessa, show a lot of cleavage and one of the men fantasises about the pair dancing in bikinis while covered in cream.Dreamscape Networks, the parent company of Crazy Domains, said the dream sequence was not "gratuitous or pornographic". Watchdog the Advertising Standards Authority received four complaints that the ad was offensive because it was sexist and degrading to women.The ad was given clearance by Clearcast, which vets ads before they air, to run after 9pm. The organisation said it had no problem with the sexual content as Anderson was a "celebrity who was known for flaunting her body".The company said that And...
Deadline's Nikki Finke fired? Hollywood speculates on news queen's fate - gua...
16 days agoJournalist fights back after rival site run by Sharon Waxman claims she's been fired, and a longstanding feud marches onShe has been called the most feared, despised, and uncompromising journalist in Hollywood, the "reigning queen" of entertainment industry news and gossip.But on Monday Nikki Finke, the founder and editor of Deadline Hollywood, was herself the story when she was allegedly fired from the news site which makes studio executives tremble.A rival site, The Wrap, reported that Jay Penske, the chief executive of Penske Media Corp, which owns Deadline Hollywood, had sacked Finke and that she would be out the door as soon this week. The claim jolted Hollywood, delighting Finke's enemies and dismaying allies. Was the queen dethroned? Or was it a false story planted by a would-be usurper? The truth was shrouded in a haze of denials, insults, threats and feuding."Right now I am not going to discuss my Deadline Hollywood contract or my relationship with my boss Jay Penske. Why? ...
Before Michael Douglas: six more celebrity health revelations - guardian.co.uk
16 days agoMichael Douglas's assertion that oral sex caused his throat cancer has raised awareness of the HPV virus. Here are six more celebrities who have gone public with their health conditions to positive effectAs much as it was literally the last thing that anybody wanted to hear on a pleasant Sunday afternoon, Michael Douglas's decision to announce that his throat cancer was caused by – and possibly cured by – cunnilingus has led to a flood of discussion on the subject.At one end of the spectrum, there are people screwing their faces up and making "yeuch" noises at the thought of muff-diving pensioners. At the other end, though, this is perhaps the most attention that the HPV virus has ever got. For all anybody knows, Michael Douglas might have caused thousands of people to better educate themselves about STDs contracted through oral sex. Once the mental images recede, this could actually be a good thing. Michael Douglas might have just joined the ranks of celebrities who have discovered...
Adele Says No A Book Deal! - icelebz.com
62 days agoYou gotta give the girl some credit! Grammy and Oscar winning singer Adele says she's still too young to be detailing her short life for a book.
Bestselling Author Causes Controversy with Damning Remarks on the Duchess - c...
120 days agoAn award-winning novelist has sparked a nationwide row after she launched a venomous verbal attack on Kate Middleton. Hilary Mantel, a double Booker Prize winner, has caused controversy by calling the Duchess of Cambridge ‘machine-made’, ‘bland’ and a ‘plastic princess’. The English author, whose books include Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, has dismissed [...]The post Bestselling Author Causes Controversy with Damning Remarks on the Duchess appeared first on Celebricious.
Shia LaBeouf in Minor Bar Brawl - lepaparazzi.com
861 days agop {margin-bottom:0.08in;} Up and coming star Shia LaBeouf, who is rapidly becoming a favorite of the fashion industry as well as Hollywood, was briefly detained and then released after an alleged bar fight Saturday night, according to Us magazine. Apparently a fellow patron at Mad Bull’s Tavern, which is located in Sherman Oaks, California, had been taunting LaBeouf and reportedly “sucker punched” the star when the two stepped outside. No charges were filed, and the LAPD commented that the customers who had been picking on LaBeouf ran away before police arrived. But there’s plenty of positive celebrity news about LaBeouf too. New trailers for Transformers: Dark of the Moon have been released and indicate that the movie will be a definite crowd pleaser. LaBeouf appears in the movie alongside Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.
Christina Hendricks’ Moment of Panic at Golden Globes - lepaparazzi.com
876 days agoChristina Hendricks, star of the hit television show “Mad Men,” had a bit of a scare at the Golden Globes Sunday night when she temporarily lost a diamond bracelet worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. The latest celebrity news and gossip is that after walking the red carpet Hendricks, who plays Joan Holloway on the AMC drama, realized she was missing the bracelet, lent to her by the jeweler Chopard. The blingy fashion accessory that fell off was a 124-carat pear cut diamond bracelet set in platinum, and is worth $850,000. Fortunately, someone found the bracelet and turned it in to security. Once she had it back in her possession, Hendricks realized she couldn’t fasten it properly, and arranged to have her publicist hold onto the bracelet until the evening was over.
Selena Gomez Threatened by Bieber Fans? - lepaparazzi.com
894 days agoThe latest celebrity news and gossip surrounding the 18-year-old Disney Channel star and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador is that some of the more ardent Justin Bieber fans have expressed their discontent after the latest round of photos showing the two getting cozy together. After a picture of the two kissing on a private yacht in St. Lucia appeared, plenty of young Bieber fans Tweeted, threatening to “kill” Gomez should she break Bieber’s heart. Entertainment website E! Online went to a former prosecutor to ask whether Tweeted threats are considered serious enough for law enforcement action. Because the threats were given over the web, any crimes would be under federal jurisdiction, but it would have to continue, worsen, or be more specific for Gomez t file a police report and have the authorities (in this case the FBI) investigate, and that hasn’t happened yet.
Sneak Peek: New Look's AW13 look book - osoblog.tv
The sun is finally here (hurrah) but we all know it won't be here forever (boo). Whatever the weather has in store for us, one thing you can rely on is that Autumn/Winter 2013 will be a super stylish affair...