Search

An interview with the finalists of the 2018 BookLife Prize is presented, including Rozsa Gaston, Kelly Jameson, and David Reiss. Gaston talks about her interest in writing about the character of Anne of Brittany. Jameson mentions her reason for writing about the town of New Hope, Pennsylvania. Reiss relates when he started writing books.

The article features six bestselling and award-winning authors who will act as judges for the semifinal round of the 2018 BookLife Prize, an annual writing contest sponsored by "Publishers Weekly" and BookLife. These include Eleanor Brown, a returning judge and author of three traditionally published novels; Adam Croft, author of the crime novel "Too Close for Comfort"; and Julia Powell, author of the bestselling debut memoir "Julia & Julia."

The article profiles several emerging authors to watch out for in 2018. They include Elaine Castillo, author of "America Is Not the Heart," Chibundu Onuzo, author of "Welcome to Lagos," and Danielle Lazarin, author of "Back Talk." Also mentioned are Tommy Orange, Emma Glass, Ellie Nash, Luke Kennard, Noémi Lefebvre, Will Mackin and Nafkote Tamirat.

The article features several new authors and their debut novels as of July 2015. These include Elisabeth Egan, who wrote "A Window Opens," Ruth Galm, who wrote "Into the Valley," Lauren Holmes, who wrote "Barbara the Slut," and Naomi Jackson, who wrote "The Star Side of Bird Hill." Other authors mentioned include Alexandra Kleeman, Andrea Kleine, Christian Kracht and Eka Kurniawan.

The article features Amitava Kumar, author of the novel "A Time Outside This Time," about the proliferation of fake news and the writer's obligation to combat it. Topics discussed include description of the protagonist of the novel, Kumar's breakout novel "Immigrant, Montana," and his observation of the mass deception and demagoguery before the rise of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The article features Ayad Akhtar, the Pulitzer-winning playwright and author of the books "American Dervish" and "Homeland Elegies." Topics discussed include themes of the novel "Homeland Elegies," his double identity as a novelist and playwright, and comments from Judy Clain, Akhtar's editor at Little, Brown, about the book "Homeland Elegies."

The article focuses on author Julia Alvarez and her book Afterlife. Topics discussed include her graduation from Middlebury College and a master's degree in creative writing from Syracuse; views of Amy Gash, Alvarez's editor at publishing industry Algonquin, on climate change and immigrants; and the National Medal of Arts awarded to Alvarez by U.S. President Barack Obama.

An interview with James Polchin, New York University (NYU) professor, cultural historian, and author of the book "Indecent Advances: A Hidden History of True Crime and Prejudice Before Stonewall" is presented. Polchin talks about what sparked his interest in true crime reportage involving queer men, the implication of the title of the book, and how Stonewall riot affected the cultural attitudes of activists.

The article features Michael F. Stewart, the winner of the 2018 BookLife Prize for his young adult (YA) novel "Ray vs. the Meaning of Life." Topics discussed include information on his past projects; his task to write the second volume of Weirdwood Manor, an interactive multimedia app; and reason for the success of the book "Ray vs. the Meaning of Life" according to Stewart.

An interview with W. Scott Poole, a history professor at the College of Charleston, and author of the book "Wasteland: The Great War and the Origins of Modern Horror" is presented. Poole discusses how the book fits in with his earlier research, his view on how the horror genre emerged from World War I, and connection between early 20th-century horror and more contemporary horror.

The article offers information on the Association of the United States Army's book program, which serves as a matchmaker between authors and publishers of military history.