The Hugo Awards are presented each August for notable achievements in science fiction and fantasy published in English over the previous year. Widely considered the most prestigious awards in the genre, they're bestowed annually at the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon), a global gathering of science fiction and fantasy fans, writers, artists and musicians.
Hello BookBrowsers! As you probably noticed, we've updated the BookBrowse site and branding. While we will be ironing out the kinks over the next several weeks (and please do contact us if you see something that looks odd) it's important to us that we share why we've made these changes.
Since last October, the international and American literary landscapes have been deeply affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. One of the major ways this has manifested is in authors pushing governments and organizations to take action on behalf of Palestinians in the region, who face continuing violence and starvation. Below, we give a brief, non-exhaustive overview of how the situation in Gaza has been at the forefront of many events in the book world during the past eight months.
What author owns a bookstore near you? We may think of writers as people who live behind their words, out of reach of society, but many are deeply involved in their local reading scenes, and bookstores are one of the best spaces for them to connect with their audiences. Authors who own and operate these spaces have an opportunity to provide services to readers that reflect their own sensibilities and priorities, and some of the most exciting, community-focused and unique independent bookstores are author-owned.
So the next time you’re planning a day trip or vacation, check out the list below and plan accordingly! And if you can’t get to one of these stores at the moment but would still love a signed copy of your favorite novel by the likes of Louise Erdrich or Ann Patchett, note that many of them offer online ordering for delivery, along with email lists and other ways to interact with and support them from afar.
There are many websites that claim to pay people to read, and there are many that do. However it's important to understand what you're trying to accomplish when starting your journey to becoming a paid book reviewer or reader.
Are you trying to become a better writer? Do you want to be able to read books for free? Do you care which books they are? Do you want to write shorter, blurb-style book reviews, or longer form criticism?
Depending on what your goals are, there are four different strategies you can consider pursuing that fall under the umbrella of "getting paid to read."
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the publisher W.W. Norton & Company, which was started by married couple William Warder Norton ("Warder") and Mary Dows Herter Norton ("Polly") in 1923, as the People's Institute Publishing Company. The Nortons believed in the importance of education and thought that leaders of their fields should "bring to the public the knowledge of our time."
Early on, W.W. Norton acquired work by Bertrand Russell, Rainer Maria Rilke and Sigmund Freud, among others. It would continue to be known for publishing influential and groundbreaking material, and would eventually become famous for The Norton Anthology of English Literature, along with subsequent anthologies. After Warder's death, Polly entrusted the company to its employees, asking in exchange for a commitment to keep W.W. Norton independent. It remains independent and employee-owned to this day, which creates a culture of collaboration and shared purpose.