Booker Prize chair Peter Stothard thinks the rise of book bloggers will harm literature. But when broken down, his comments aren’t about bloggers at all – they’re about what readers want, and to a lesser extent, the newspaper industry.
Some authors have been accused of generating buzz for their books using made-up online identities. It’s known as “sock puppetry”, and here’s why I think it’s abhorrent.
Writing a novel myself, I’m appreciating more than ever the work, skill and intelligence that goes into creating a clever, effortless-feeling plot.
Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief is yet another example of an original take on the theme of Nazi Germany. Here are some other great books and films that have looked at this issue from a unique point of view.
Somaly Mam’s autobiography The Road of Lost Innocence looks at the ugly truth about sex trafficking in Cambodia. The statistics surrounding this industry are a harsh wake up call, but it does no good to ignore them.
