Happy Friday, writers! We have a lot of news to get to after missing the roundup last week due to revamping the blog (how nice does it look?!) so let’s get right to it!
We will start with a perfect article for Women’s History Month: Sophie Baggott writes about her experience after reading books by women from every country around the world.
An interesting article on Amazon’s evolution as a publishing house and their refusal to lend to libraries.
Frankfurt Book Fair has committed to a hybrid event in 2021.
The National Endowment for the Humanities is distributing $135 million to cultural institutions in the states impacted by the pandemic.
The owners of the romance bookstore The Ripped Bodice have released their annual report on diversity in romance.
Norton Juster, author of The Phantom Tollbooth, has passed away.
Canada Reads concluded last week! And the winner is:
Scholastique Mukasonga has won the Simone de Beauvoir Prize for Women’s Freedom.
Margaret Atwood is editing a new pandemic novel with contributions from John Grisham and Emma Donoghue.
In honour of the character’s 80th birthday, Marvel will be introducing the first openly gay Captain America this pride month.
Speaking of comics, the legend herself Dolly Parton will be starring in her own comic book.
For the authors creating audiobooks, especially if you’re considering narrating your own books, I recommend this interview with award winning narrator Abby Craden.
It’s not at all surprising that online writing groups have been thriving during lockdown.
And last but certainly not least, an article that perfectly illustrates the need for a solid cover (and that if you’re going to publish a public domain book, you should at least read a synopsis).
Have a great weekend!
Staff Pick
Rachel, Author Engagement Coordinator
“I randomly picked up this book a few weeks ago, but given the events in Atlanta this past week and the rise in violence against the AAPI community, it seems rather timely now. The Last Story of Mina Lee weaves two timelines together: After her mother suspiciously dies, Margot is determined to uncover the truth surrounding her mother’s death and in doing so, learns the truth about her mother’s life. Thirty years earlier, Mina arrives in America as an immigrant from Korea and as she navigates this new world, she unexpectedly falls in love. This is a beautiful story about family, identity, and belonging, built on a compelling mystery, and it opened my eyes to some of the intricacies of the immigrant experience (and gave me intense cravings for Korean food).”
