Kerry Hudson Shortlisted for Scottish First Book Award 2013

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TONY HOGAN BOUGHT ME AN ICE CREAM FLOAT BEFORE HE STOLE MY MA, by Kerry Hudson has been chosen as one of the six shortlisted titles for the First Book Award at the Scottish Mortgage Development Trust Book Awards 2013. The Scottish Book Awards has been rewarding the literary talent of authors from Scotland, who reside in Scotland, or those whose book is of particular Scottish interest, for the last forty years. Past winners include Jackie Kay and Edwin Morgan.

The shortlisted authors have been selected from a total of 117 titles across four categories - Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry and First Book - submitted by publishers from the UK. Each of these four finalists will receive £5,000 and will be announced on Thursday, 5 September.

TONY HOGAN... was published in July 2012 by Chatto & Windus and has been shortlisted for eight literary prizes so far, including the Guardian First Book Award. Kerry's second novel, THIRST, will be published by Chatto in July 2014.
 

Praise for TONY HOGAN...:

'What a brilliant thing to turn the chaos and trauma of a hectic childhood into a debut novel as colourful, funny, joyful and compelling as this.'
- The Guardian

'This is a remarkable debut novel of love and loyalty, of fierce passion and scabrous wit.'
- Foyles

'From the (unrepeatable) hilarious first sentence, this debut sucks you in with its idiosyncratic style... Kerry Hudson's writing is very funny, and her deft touches give the book a reality that makes it all the more powerful. Hudson certainly has a bright future.'
- We Love This Book

Vertigo will release Rachel Hiron’s POWDER ROOM on 29th November 2013

POWDER ROOM has been picked up for UK distribution by Vertigo Films, and will hit cinemas on 29th November. Written by Rachel Hirons, based on her stage play WHEN WOMEN WEE, the film is Rachel’s debut as a screenwriter. It stars Sheridan Smith, Jamie Winstone, Oona Chaplin and Kate Nash.

Producer Damian Jones has also sold world rights to Universal Pictures International Entertainment. He produced the film through his company DJ Films with money from the BFI producer equity scheme.

The comedy follows a group of girls on a raucous night out. The exploits in the club reveal various aspects of their struggles with life and love. It was directed by MJ Delaney and, in addition to Damian, was produced by James Cotton and Nichola Martin.

You can keep up to date with the movie by following the twitter @PowderRoomMovie or liking the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/PowderRoomMovie

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Etienne Van Heerden’s new novel IN LOVE’S PLACE launched in the Karoo and Cape Town

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The Book Lounge will be hosting the launch event for IN LOVE'S PLACE, Etienne Van Heerden's latest novel in English, at 6pm on 21 August. He is also scheduled to feature at the Schreiner Karoo Writers' Festival at 2pm on 10 August, to talk with Tim Huisamen about the novel, which is partly set in Matjiesfontein in the Karoo.

A sweeping, ambitious novel of tangled histories, xenophobia and self-discovery in contemporary South Africa. IN LOVE'S PLACE intertwines two main stories in a stunning ensemble piece - Christian, a city slicker, drug-addled and paranoid and fast losing control of his life; his damaged, secretive wife; an old colonial hotel and a flock of highly-prized homing pigeons; an eccentric German violin teacher and her talented young pupil. And a violin, lost then found, which becomes the lynch-pin to the entire novel, connecting Christian's family with the colourful characters who work in the Lord Milner Hotel in Matjiesfontein, on the edge of the Great Karoo.

IN LOVE'S PLACE is translated by Leon de Kock and published by Penguin South Africa, who publish all Etienne van Heerden's novels in English. For more information, click here.

Click here for Etienne Van Heerden's website.

PRAISE for Etienne van Heerden

 'As writers like Marquez gave a rich artistic depth to South America - and Alasdair Gray defined the imaginative landscape of Scotland in Lanark - so Van Heerden has created an 'artistic map' of South Africa.' -- Mark Stanton, The Scotsman

'Etienne van Heerden's exploration of personal relations and private lives under the pressure of historical and political forces makes him an eloquent witness of profound social change.'  -- Andre Brink

'He combines popular readability with literary excellence and profound issues in a manner accomplished by few writers of any nationality.' -- Shaun de Waal, Mail and Guardian

Kerry Hudson longlisted for Polari First Book Prize

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TONY HOGAN BOUGHT ME AN ICE CREAM FLOAT BEFORE HE STOLE MY MA by Kerry Hudson has been chosen as one of eleven longlist titles for the Polari First Book Prize. The Polari First Book Prize is for a first book which explores the LGBT experience and is open to any work of poetry, prose, fiction or non-fiction published in the UK in English in the last year. The shortlist of 5 books will be announced at the Polari Literary Salon on 11 September 2013, with the £1000 prize awarded at Polari's Sixth Birthday in the Purcell Room on 13 November 2013. For more information about the prize and the rest of the longlist, click here.

 
TONY HOGAN... was published in July 2012 by Chatto & Windus and has been shortlisted for six literary prizes so far, including the Guardian First Book Award and Scottish First Book of the Year. Kerry's second novel, THIRST, will be published by Chatto in July 2014.
 

Praise for TONY HOGAN...:

'What a brilliant thing to turn the chaos and trauma of a hectic childhood into a debut novel as colourful, funny, joyful and compelling as this.'
- The Guardian

'This is a remarkable debut novel of love and loyalty, of fierce passion and scabrous wit.'
- Foyles

'From the (unrepeatable) hilarious first sentence, this debut sucks you in with its idiosyncratic style... Kerry Hudson's writing is very funny, and her deft touches give the book a reality that makes it all the more powerful. Hudson certainly has a bright future.'
- We Love This Book