- 2016 Dec 15
An Oprah Book, An Imprint
Flatiron Books has announced the name of Oprah Winfrey's new publishing imprint, as well as some of its first titles.
Why Forbes is Backing Book Publishing
Forbes has launched the ForbesBooks imprint as a new revenue generator in a world dominated by digital products and digital entrepreneurs.
The 'NYT' Top Books of 2016
Michiko Kakutani, Dwight Garner, Jennifer Senior, and Janet Maslin put together lists of their top ten favorite books of 2016.
How the 'NYT Book Review' Works
A few things you may not have known about how books are assigned, reviewed, and considered for the year-end lists of the paper of record.
'Wired' Launches Science Fiction Issue
The magazine launches its first fiction issue with a focus on sci-fi, "something that helps you let your own mind wander."
- 2016 Dec 14
E. R. Braithwaite Dies at 104
The Guyanese author, diplomat, and former Royal Air Force pilot and author of 'To Sir, With Love' died on Monday in Rockville, Md.
Shirley Hazzard Dies at 85
The novelist, who wrote 'The Transit of Venus' and 'The Great Fire' and won the National Book Award, has died in New York.
Holiday Reads to Give You Goosebumps
R.L. Stine recommends eight terrifyingly great books for your holiday reading list.
'Beedle the Bard' Sells for $470,000
A rare handwritten copy of J.K. Rowling's 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard' sold for £370,000 in London today.
Happy 100th, Shirley Jackson
'Literary Hub' rounds up seven pieces celebrating a century of reading Jackson's spooky stories.
- 2016 Dec 13
35 Over 35
Roundup up 35 debut authors over the age of 35, because publishing a book deserves celebration at any stage of one's career.
U.K. Library Closures Could Double
A further 340 closures are likely in the next five years, says librarians’ body, without government intervention to protect funding.
An Indigenous Comic Con
Native creators, artists, writers, illustrators, and fans gathered in Albuquerque, N.M. to celebrate contemporary Native nerd culture.
A Year In Reading
'The Millions' runs a number of reflections on the past year in books, from contributors including Tony Tulathimutte and Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney.
An Interview with Mary Ruefle
The poet, who rarely uses a computer, says prose is a public language and poetry is a private language.
- 2016 Dec 12
PRH London Hunts for New HQ
Penguin Random House has begun a search for a new London headquarters in a move that could see it consolidate London staff.
Bookstores Thrive in Berlin
Germans like to give books as Christmas gifts, but that's not the only reason the number of bookstores in Berlin is growing.
Patti Smith Accepts Bob Dylan's Nobel
The singer and songwriter performed Bob Dylan's "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" at the 2016 Nobel Prize ceremonies.
The Tournament of Books Returns
'The Morning News' has announced the longlist for its annual March Madness–style event for books. Prepare your brackets!
A Collection for Iraq
'Iraq + 100' sees ten Iraqi writers imagining their country's fate one hundred years in the future.
- 2016 Dec 09
The 2017 PEN Literary Awards Longlists
Announcing the completed longlists for PEN's annual literary awards, which will be presented in March.
Libraries Become Sites of Hate Crimes
Authorities say a spate of hate crimes targeting libraries, their books, or patrons is occuring—something rarely seen before.
Latin American Authors vs. Trump
Some of Latin America’s leading authors gathered at the Oaxaca International Book Fair to discuss Trump and what lies ahead.
Death Comes for the Quaalude King
T.C. Boyle turned his best friend’s life into fiction and, after he died, realized it was far bigger than any page could hope to contain.
When Robots Read Books
Artificial intelligence sheds new light on classic texts, and literary theorists who don’t embrace it face obsolescence.
Blizzard Announces Book Publishing Label
Blizzard Publishing will develop and release new publications and reissue out-of-print Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo titles.
- 2016 Dec 08
Bookseller Robert Wilson Dies at 94
Wilson, who died in Baltimore on November 29, turned Greenwich Village's Phoenix Book Shop into a home for poets such as Allen Ginsberg.
The Most Beautiful Book Covers of 2016
32 books that you are more than welcome to judge by the cover, from 'Sweetbitter' to 'Swing Time.'
Are Small Publishers England's Future?
These days, it is minimally staffed and funded firms in the U.K. who invest in new authors, while the giants avoid such risk.
A Farewell to BookCourt
The beloved, family-owned and family-run bookshop in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn showed what a bookstore can do.
Book-Themed Travel Guides
Literary city guides, which map out for the bookish tourist the literary sites and history of cities around the world.
- 2016 Dec 07
NPR’s Book Concierge
A guide to 2016's great reads, which uses filters to allow easy exploration of more than 300 titles recommended by critics.
7 Writers on Their Favorite Bookstores
Geraldine Brooks, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Pamela Paul and others in the literary world reveal their favorite places to buy books.
Sticker Books for Grown-Ups
How Workman is making Beyoncé, Madonna, and the Mona Lisa into paint-by-number sticker books.
Fifty Years of Disquietude
On 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' and Gabriel García Márquez’s tour as an accidental propagandist.
What Set the Romance Novel Free
A history of the bodice-ripper and the "sweet, savage" sexual revolution that led to the modern romance novel.
- 2016 Dec 06
Dylan Speech To Be Read at Nobels
Bob Dylan, who will not attend the Nobel Prize ceremonies in Stockholm, has delivered a speech that will be read on his behalf.
'Mockingbird' Banned in Va.
Accomack County has suspended Harper Lee’s novel and 'Huckleberry Finn' from classrooms and libraries after a parent’s complaint.
George R.R. Martin vs. Happy Endings
The author has news about the next book in his series A Song of Ice and Fire, and fans might not be happy.
The Best Gifts Given in Literature
A roundup of some of the best gifts given in a number of beloved books, from 'To Kill a Mockingbird' to 'A Game of Thrones.'
Books About Alien Encounters
A post-'Arrival' reading list for anyone who wants more mind-expanding tales of first encounters and intergalactic puzzles.
- 2016 Dec 05
PEN Releases First of 2017 Longlists
The first of the PEN Literary Awards longlists, for debut fiction and literary science writing, have been announced.
Banned Books and Blockbusters
How the publishing industry took on the taboo in an country in which obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment.
Amazon's Grocery of the Future
Amazon is breaking into physical retail in a new way: A concept grocery store with no cashiers, no registers, and no lines.
Turkey’s Crackdown Spares the Literary
Some Turkish authors who are not in prison may well be wondering why not.
A Sneak Peek at 'The Handmaid's Tale'
Elisabeth Moss, speaking to the novel's Hulu adaptation, said "we never wanted the show to be this relevant."
- 2016 Dec 02
Turning to Lit to Understand the 'Other'
In an era of fear and division, fiction plays a vital role in dramatizing difference and encouraging empathy.
Cave Canem at 20
Reflections on the 20-year history of black poetry group Cave Canem from some of its fellows and one of its cofounders.
Lit Mag Submissions 101
How, when, and where to send your work, and everything you need to know about getting your work published.
Adding a Bit of Broadway to Fantasy
Lin-Manuel Miranda has signed on to a multiplatform adaptation of Patrick Rothfuss’s 'Kingkiller Chronicle,' and it's going to be big.
Whither Black Sci-Fi?
Of the 2,039 stories that American science-fiction and fantasy magazines published in 2015, only 38 were written by black authors.
- 2016 Dec 01
A Look at Screen Time Fears
A child psychologist questions whether screen time for kids is dangerous.
The Book That North Korea Lost
A story collection smuggled out of North Korea has been selected to receive a PEN Translation award from English PEN.
New Murakami On the Horizon
Haruki Murakami’s new and "very strange" novel is set for release in Japan in February 2017.
Lowering VAT Rates for E-books
E.U. booksellers will be able to sell e-books with low VAT rates to match the discounts applied to paper books.
Iowa Considers An E-book Sales Tax
Iowa is the latest state considering the introduction of a sales tax on digital products such as e-books and software.
The Mysterious Voynich Manuscript
We know that it was put together in the early fifteenth century—but no living person has ever, as far as we know, understood it.
- 2016 Nov 30
What It Takes to Open a Bookstore
Plenty of bookworms have fantasized about working in, or owning, a bookstore...but it’s not quite as relaxing as it looks.
The Best Books of 2016, Part Two
Paula Hawkins reflects on guilt and Jackie Kay seeks hope post-Brexit as 'The Guardian' selects more of the best reads of 2016.
Merriam-Webster's Ingenious Social Media
How the dictionary's digital presence remains topical, funny, smart, and informative while also being relentlessly irreverent.
Authors Condemn U.S. Booker Admissions
Writers say Commonwealth and British writers face a greater struggle to find readers, and now the "dice are loaded."
Hate Speech in the Library
A public library in Illinois found that some of their copies of the Quran and other Islam-centered titles have been vandalized with hate speech.
- 2016 Nov 29
Still Drawing After All These Years
A look at the career of Ed Emberley.
Librarian Brings Library to Kids
A Bronx librarian visits a homeless shelter with a suitcase full of books.
New York Times Notables
The New York Times presents its Notable Children's Books of 2016.
After Moana
A list of books for kids who liked "Moana" to read.
Book Reviews for Kids By Kids
An 11-year-old boy creates a book reviews website.
Rethinking Rowling's Net Worth
An article looks at J.K. Rowling's fortune, following the success of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."
Digital Natives Prefer Print
Studies show that readers who grew up with access to e-books prefer print.
Anne Frank Poem Auctioned
A poem handwritten by Anne Frank has sold at auction.
Standup Authors?
U.K. publishers are looking to standup comedians to write children's books.
Amazon Studios to Adapt Bug Diaries
Amazon Studios is creating a series based on The Bug Diaries by Doreen Cronin and Harry Bliss.
100 Notable Books of 2016
The year’s notable fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, selected by the editors of 'The New York Times Book Review.'
The Best Books of 2016, Part One
From Zadie Smith to horror in the Highlands and a brief history of tomorrow, 'The Guardian' chooses the best reads of 2016.
Celebrities Collaborate On Book Project
Bon Iver, Tom Waits, Nick Offerman, Zach Galifianakis, Danny DeVito, and more to pen stories for an illustrated collection.
Amazon Cuts 149 Warehouse Jobs
Amazon is closing a book-making facility in North Charleston, S.C. next year, taking almost 150 local jobs with it.
Jim Munro Dies at 87
The co-founder of the Victoria, B.C.-based Munro's Books championed Canadian authors, and gave his business to longtime staff members.
- 2016 Nov 28
A Pulitzer Winner's Bookselling Woes
Mei Fong is giving away her book in Chinese because the topic scared off publishers.
Costa's History-Making Awards
Historical fiction has been dominating the prizes' shortlists. So why are authors looking to the past?
Nebraska's 75 Years of Publishing
This month the University of Nebraska Press concluded a yearlong celebration, marking its 75 years, with an open house and reception.
Rowling Finds Some Comic Relief
A percentage of sales from J.K. Rowling’s 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' will go to the charity Comic Relief next year.
Identity Literature Matters
Why literature matters in the ongoing debate about race and immigrants in the United States.
- 2016 Nov 23
Censorship at the Kuwait Book Fair
Many Arab book fairs have been a free space for publishers to sell titles banned in shops, but Kuwait has seen raised levels of censorship.
Toni Morrison on Whitening America Again
The choices made by white men out of fear of black men and women suggest the true horror of lost status, the Nobel Prize–winner writes.
The Unmasker of Elena Ferrante
Claudio Gatti, the reporter who (may have) revealed Elena Ferrante's presumed identity, has "no regrets" about his decision.
Giving Thanks for Books
Eleven young adult authors share the books they're most thankful for this Thanksgiving.
A Cinematic Return to 'Dune'
Legendary has picked up the film and television rights to the classic science-fiction novel by Frank Herbert, the company announced Monday.
- 2016 Nov 22
Books for Trying Times
A list of 25 picture books that promote goodness.
Trans and Non-Binary Comics Characters
A list of comics featuring trans or non-binary characters.
Thankful for Books
Writers share the books they are most thankful for.
Seuss's Wall Art
A look at Dr. Seuss's wall sculptures.
We've Been Saying 'Roald Dahl' Wrong
An article reveals that we've been mispronouncing Roald Dahl's name this whole time.
YA Books About Mental Illness
A look at 29 YA novels that address mental illness.
Not Just for Kids
A writer argues that Harry Potter is not just for kids.
Fantasy Novels and Real Life
Matthew Cody discusses how reading fantasy novels helps navigate the real world.
A Chat with Beth Revis
Author Beth Revis talks about her work.
A Man of Many Hats
An interview with Jon Klassen.
Epic! in the Classroom
The CEO of Epic! discusses the app.
Penguin and First Book Pair
Penguin and First Book are collaborating for the Red Mitten Campaign.
'Bone' to Be Adapted for Screen
Jeff Smith's Bone series is scheduled for film adaptation.