Sulaiman Addonia’s essay WRITING LIKE DEGAS PAINTS has been shortlisted for the Brittle Paper Award for Essays & Think Pieces 2019. Addonia’s essay, which explores how his latest novel SILENCE IS MY MOTHER TONGUE was inspired by the works of Degas, was published by Granta in October 2018 and can be read here. Launched in 2017, Brittle Paper’s annual awards aim to recognize the finest original pieces of literary writing by Africans published online — writing that has prompted, enhanced, or defined conversations. The winner of the Essays & Think Pieces Award will be announced on 10th December 2019.
Addonia’s second novel SILENCE IS MY MOTHER TONGUE was published by The Indigo Press in October 2018 and will be published in the US by Graywolf in 2021. Russian rights have been sold to Arkadia, and Italian rights to Francesco Brioschi Editore (at auction). It was longlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction 2019 and is a New Statesman Book of the Year 2019. Brittle Paper published an essay about the writing of this novel yesterday – THE VOICES I OVERCAME TO WRITE SILENCE IS MY MOTHER TONGUE, which can be read here.
Praise for SILENCE IS MY MOTHER TONGUE
‘It is brutal on aid politics, it is damning on FGM, yet this book is infused with love as Saba, the heroine, outwits all the voyeurism of the refugee camp and of the novel form.’ — Preti Taneja, New Statesman, Books of the Year 2019
'Addonia spent several years as a child in a Sudanese refugee camp and you can sense the impact of that period on his richly written second novel, which brims with the sensory flavours of remembered experience... A sobering reminder of the way war brutally circumscribes the shape of women's lives.' — The Daily Mail/The Scottish Daily Mail
'While his portrayal of the exiled community that tries to remake its home in the camp is brilliantly alive with incidents and personalities, more beguiling still is his double portrait of teenage Saba and her brother Hagos... a gripping and courageous narrative... A feminist book... and exhilaratingly, so much more.' — The Guardian
Sulaiman Addonia is an Eritrean-Ethiopian-British novelist. His first novel, THE CONSEQUENCES OF LOVE, shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, was translated into more than 20 languages. He currently lives in Brussels where he has launched a creative writing academy for refugees and asylum seekers & the Asmara-Addis Literary Festival (In Exile). He appears regularly at international literary festivals.
Follow Sulaiman Addonia on Twitter
JOSEPH O’CONNOR’S SHADOWPLAY WINS THE EASON NOVEL OF THE YEAR AWARD AT THE AN POST IRISH BOOK AWARDS
Joseph O’Connor’s extraordinary novel SHADOWPLAY has won the Eason Novel of the Year Award at the 2019 An Post Irish Book Awards. The An Post Irish Book Awards celebrate and promote Irish writing to a wide range of readers. Winners were announced on 20 November in The Convention Centre Dublin.
Now, SHADOWPLAY is shortlisted for the An Post Irish Book of the Year Award. The award is chosen by a public vote from the winners of the An Post Irish Book Awards. Readers can vote here: https://www.irishbookawards.irish/bookoftheyearvote/
Harvill Secker published SHADOWPLAY in the UK and Canada in June 2019: it was described as a ‘literary highlight of 2019’ by The Sunday Times and has received rapturous reviews. W.F. Howes published audio in the UK and Dreamscape will publish the US audio edition. Europa will publish in the US in April 2020. Rights have been sold in seven translation markets so far: China (Shanghai Elegant People), Croatia (Fraktura), France (Editions Rivages), Hungary (Helikon), Italy (Guanda), Serbia (Carobna Knjiga), Sweden (Natur Och Kultur) and Turkey (Sia Kitap). A film deal is under negotiation with a major producer.
1878: The Lyceum Theatre, London. Three extraordinary people begin their life together, a life that will be full of drama, transformation, passionate and painful devotion to art and to one another. Henry Irving, the Chief, is the volcanic leading man and impresario; Ellen Terry is the most lauded and desired actress of her generation, outspoken and generous of heart; and ever following along behind them in the shadows is the unremarkable theatre manager, Bram Stoker.
Fresh from life in Dublin as a clerk, Bram may seem the least colourful of the trio but he is wrestling with dark demons in a new city, in a new marriage, and with his own literary aspirations. As he walks the London streets at night, streets haunted by the Ripper and the gossip which swirls around his friend Oscar Wilde, he finds new inspiration. But the Chief is determined that nothing will get in the way of his manager’s devotion to the Lyceum and to himself. And both men are enchanted by the beauty and boldness of the elusive Ellen.
SHADOWPLAY explores the complexities of love that stands dangerously outside social convention, the restlessness of creativity, and the experiences that led to Dracula, the most iconic supernatural tale of all time.
Vintage have also just released beautiful new editions of O’Connor’s historical novels GHOST LIGHT (a haunting novel of love and memory, set in the Irish theatre world), STAR OF THE SEA (his ground-breaking bestseller about the Irish Famine) and REDEMPTION FALLS (another masterpiece which continues the story of some of the characters on board The Star of the Sea, and shines light on the role of the Irish on both sides of the Civil War).
See more on these, including book club guide here:
http://www.josephoconnorauthor.com/for-book-clubs-star-of-the-sea.html
http://www.josephoconnorauthor.com/for-book-clubs.html
http://www.josephoconnorauthor.com/novel-star-of-the-sea.html
Praise for Joseph O’Connor and SHADOWPLAY:
‘There are few living writers who can take us back in time so assuredly, with such sensual density, through such gorgeous sentences. Joseph O’Connor is a wonder, and SHADOWPLAY is a triumph.’ – Peter Carey
‘As much as this is a hugely entertaining book about the grand scope of friendship and love, it is also, movingly – at times, agonisingly – a story of transience, loss and true loyalty.’ – Sadie Jones, The Guardian
‘Joseph O’Connor is a very great artist and storyteller. The quotient of enjoyment in his extraordinary new novel is stupendous.’ – Sebastian Barry
‘Wonderful. The writing is beautiful.’ – Derek Jacobi
‘A hugely entertaining and atmospheric novel, one can almost smell the greasepaint.’ – Deborah Moggach
‘Seriously fascinating’ – Colm Tóibín, The Observer
‘A virtuoso act of literary ventriloquism. SHADOWPLAY is funny, smart, tender, wise and written with inch-perfect precision.’ – Colum McCann
‘A great writer performing Olympian literary storytelling.’ — Bob Geldof
About the Author
Joseph O’Connor was born in Dublin. His books include nine novels: COWBOYS AND INDIANS (Whitbread Prize shortlist), DESPERADOES, THE SALESMAN, INISHOWEN, STAR OF THE SEA (American Library Association Award, Irish Post Award for Fiction, France’s Prix Millepages, Italy’s Premio Acerbi, Prix Madeleine Zepter for European novel of the year), REDEMPTION FALLS, GHOST LIGHT (Dublin One City One Book Novel 2011), THE THRILL OF IT ALL and SHADOWPLAY. His work has been published in forty languages. He received the 2012 Irish PEN Award for outstanding achievement in literature and in 2014 he was appointed Frank McCourt Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Limerick.
Visit Joseph O’Connor’s website
CANELO PUBLISH 4 PETER JAMES STANDALONES IN THE US
Canelo USA has acquired and published four standalones by global bestselling author Peter James with THE HOUSE ON COLD HILL hitting Kindle Number One spots this month soon after release.
In the US, Canelo are publishing ABSOLUTE PROOF, PERFECT PEOPLE, THE HOUSE ON COLD HILL and THE SECRET OF COLD HILL in e-book form. James’s chilling ghost story THE HOUSE ON COLD HILL was Number One in Occult Fiction, British Horror Fiction and Ghost Mysteries this month – a perfect Halloween read!
The most recent standalone THE SECRET OF COLD HILL is the spine-chilling follow-up to THE HOUSE ON COLD HILL, which played to packed houses in theatres around the country earlier this year.
PERFECT PEOPLE was shortlisted for National Book Awards Crime Novel of the Year and the Wellcome Book Prize and ABSOLUTE PROOF was a summer blockbuster on this year’s Richard and Judy Book Club picks.
Of the deal for these titles with Canelo, Peter James said ‘Canelo is an immensely exciting young company with great talent and energy and, I believe, a unique vision for growing sales within the USA. I am so thrilled that they are launching my four recent standalones in this huge but tough market – I really love how they “get” the books and their ambitions for them.’
Michael Bhaskar, Canelo’s Publishing Director, said ‘You really couldn’t dream of working with a better author than Peter James. His extraordinary track record speaks for itself, but these really are truly brilliant, inventive, unexpected novels. Few writers can work across genres with such stunning originality and success. It’s a great privilege to work with Peter to build these books in an absolutely critical market. We can’t wait.’
Isobel Dixon, Head of Books at Blake Friedmann, said ‘This an exciting new step for Peter James in the US and a tremendous treat in store for US fans. We’re very much looking forward to working with Michael Bhaskar and the Canelo USA team on this fabulous quartet of thrillers.’
To date, James has sold over 20 million copies of his books around the world and has had 15 Sunday Times Number One Bestsellers. The fifteenth Roy Grace novel DEAD AT FIRST SIGHT, published by Macmillan, currently stands at Number One in the paperback charts for its second week, after the novel was at the top of the hardback charts for two weeks earlier this year.
Praise for Peter James:
'Peter James is one of the best crime writers in the business.' -- Karin Slaughter
'Exceptional, knock-your-socks-off.' -- Washington Post
‘Peter James, Britain’s closest equivalent to Stephen King’ — Sunday Times
About the Author:
Peter James is an international bestselling crime and thriller writer. He has a total of 15 Sunday Times Number 1s and has been translated into 37 languages. In addition to his career as a novelist, he has produced several films, including THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, starring Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons and Joseph Fiennes. He also co-created the hit Channel 4 series BEDSITCOM, which was nominated for a Rose d'Or.
In 2015 WH Smith customers voted him the Greatest Crime Author of All Time and in 2016 he was awarded the coveted CWA Diamond Dagger, a lifetime achievement award for sustained excellence. In 2018 he received a Specsavers Honorary Platinum Bestseller Award.
Visit Peter James’s website
Like him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
Grace Link and Michael Richardson Finalists in C21 Dramaseries Competition
A huge congratulations to media clients Grace Link and Michael Richardson, who have both secured places in the final of this year’s C21Media Dramaseries Script Competition. Of the 21-script shortlist, 6 were finalists, meaning that Blake Friedmann clients make up one third of the final.
Next for Michael and Grace, they will be attending December’s C21 International Drama Summit as part of Content London 2019, where they will have the chance to pitch their series concept. The winner will receive $10,000 in development funding and an option from Studio21 for their script. Learn more here.
If you’d like to learn more about these clients, click here to contact Michael’s agent, and here to contact Grace’s agent.
DOUBLE SHORTLISTING FOR JOSEPH O’CONNOR’S SHADOWPLAY AT THE AN POST IRISH BOOK AWARDS
Joseph O’Connor’s extraordinary novel SHADOWPLAY has been shortlisted for the Eason Novel of the Year Award and the RTÉ Radio One Listeners’ Choice Award at the 2019 An Post Irish Book Awards. The An Post Irish Book Awards celebrate and promote Irish writing to a wide range of readers. Winners will be announced on 20 November in The Convention Centre Dublin.
See more on the shortlists here:
https://www.irishbookawards.irish/award/eason-novel-of-the-year-2019/
https://www.irishbookawards.irish/award/rte-radio-1-listeners-choice-award-2019/
Readers can vote here: https://www.irishbookawards.irish/vote2019/
Harvill Secker published SHADOWPLAY in the UK and Canada in June 2019: it was described as a ‘literary highlight of 2019’ by The Sunday Times and has received rapturous reviews. W.F. Howes published audio in the UK and Dreamscape will publish the US audio edition. Europa will publish in the US in May 2020. Rights have been sold in eight translation markets so far: China (Shanghai Elegant People), Croatia (Fraktura), France (Editions Rivages), Hungary (Helikon), Italy (Guanda), Serbia (Carobna Knjiga), Sweden (Natur Och Kultur) and Turkey (Sia Kitap). A film deal is under negotiation with a major producer.
1878: The Lyceum Theatre, London. Three extraordinary people begin their life together, a life that will be full of drama, transformation, passionate and painful devotion to art and to one another. Henry Irving, the Chief, is the volcanic leading man and impresario; Ellen Terry is the most lauded and desired actress of her generation, outspoken and generous of heart; and ever following along behind them in the shadows is the unremarkable theatre manager, Bram Stoker.
Fresh from life in Dublin as a clerk, Bram may seem the least colourful of the trio but he is wrestling with dark demons in a new city, in a new marriage, and with his own literary aspirations. As he walks the London streets at night, streets haunted by the Ripper and the gossip which swirls around his friend Oscar Wilde, he finds new inspiration. But the Chief is determined that nothing will get in the way of his manager’s devotion to the Lyceum and to himself. And both men are enchanted by the beauty and boldness of the elusive Ellen.
SHADOWPLAY explores the complexities of love that stands dangerously outside social convention, the restlessness of creativity, and the experiences that led to Dracula, the most iconic supernatural tale of all time.
And just in time for Halloween, here’s a shortened version of Joseph O’Connor’s introduction to the new Vintage edition of Bram Stoker’s classic:
Photo credit: Vintage Books
Vintage have also just released beautiful new editions of O’Connor’s historical novels GHOST LIGHT (a haunting novel of love and memory, set in the Irish theatre world), STAR OF THE SEA (his ground-breaking bestseller about the Irish Famine) and REDEMPTION FALLS (another masterpiece which continues the story of some of the characters on board The Star of the Sea, and shines light on the role of the Irish on both sides of the Civil War).
See more on these, including book club guide here:
http://www.josephoconnorauthor.com/for-book-clubs-star-of-the-sea.html
http://www.josephoconnorauthor.com/for-book-clubs.html
http://www.josephoconnorauthor.com/novel-star-of-the-sea.html
Praise for Joseph O’Connor and SHADOWPLAY:
‘There are few living writers who can take us back in time so assuredly, with such sensual density, through such gorgeous sentences. Joseph O’Connor is a wonder, and SHADOWPLAY is a triumph.’ – Peter Carey
‘As much as this is a hugely entertaining book about the grand scope of friendship and love, it is also, movingly – at times, agonisingly – a story of transience, loss and true loyalty.’ – Sadie Jones, The Guardian
‘Joseph O’Connor is a very great artist and storyteller. The quotient of enjoyment in his extraordinary new novel is stupendous.’ – Sebastian Barry
‘Wonderful. The writing is beautiful.’ – Derek Jacobi
‘A hugely entertaining and atmospheric novel, one can almost smell the greasepaint.’ – Deborah Moggach
‘Seriously fascinating’ – Colm Tóibín, The Observer
‘A virtuoso act of literary ventriloquism. SHADOWPLAY is funny, smart, tender, wise and written with inch-perfect precision.’ – Colum McCann
‘A great writer performing Olympian literary storytelling.’ — Bob Geldof
About the Author
Joseph O’Connor was born in Dublin. His books include nine novels: COWBOYS AND INDIANS (Whitbread Prize shortlist), DESPERADOES, THE SALESMAN, INISHOWEN, STAR OF THE SEA (American Library Association Award, Irish Post Award for Fiction, France’s Prix Millepages, Italy’s Premio Acerbi, Prix Madeleine Zepter for European novel of the year), REDEMPTION FALLS, GHOST LIGHT (Dublin One City One Book Novel 2011), THE THRILL OF IT ALL and SHADOWPLAY. His work has been published in forty languages. He received the 2012 Irish PEN Award for outstanding achievement in literature and in 2014 he was appointed Frank McCourt Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Limerick.
Visit Joseph O’Connor’s website