What’s all this ‘Ferrante Fever’ about?
Elena Ferrante is BIG news right now, and #ferrantefever is spreading. So who the hell is she? And what’s it all about? Continue reading What’s all this ‘Ferrante Fever’ about?
Tag: Books
11 queer books you really should read!
In which we welcome in Pride season with a reading list of awesomely queer books… Continue reading 11 queer books you really should read!
Great Female Characters in Children’s Books
The representation of women across all forms of media has been discussed in depth in seemingly every major news outlet in the last year. This is brilliant news. What seems to have been discussed less than other forms of media, though, is children’s books. Considering their importance in shaping our political beliefs, forming our ideas about identity and instilling confidence, this seems like something that should be redressed. Thus, without further ado, let’s launch into Turnaround’s top picks of children’s books that show women as complex characters or see them taking on a role they might historically have been denied … Continue reading Great Female Characters in Children’s Books
Fiction in Translation and Dual Language Editions – & Why They Matter
Talking in the LA Times John Darnielle (brilliant musician and author of Wolf in White Van, look him up if you haven’t heard of him already) said, “Literature in translation is a huge passion of mine, but usually when you read a translated book it’s something from the lit world, something that professors and bookish people read.” Darnielle went on to chronicle his delight at finding translated genre fiction for the first time. Read that article HERE. Us happening across this article couldn’t have been more timely, as we have just found out the exciting news that Turnaround … Continue reading Fiction in Translation and Dual Language Editions – & Why They Matter
Why we need diverse books: Turnaround’s top titles with transgender characters
An estimated 2 – 5% of the population are either transgender or have experienced gender dysphoria. Despite this, historically transgender characters have not made up 2 – 5% of characters in fiction, or indeed, have not occupied 2 – 5% of roles in any media. At the less extreme end of the spectrum of impacts this can have, those who would and could be great and supportive friends, parents or colleagues to transgender people in their lives find that they aren’t able to be, purely through a lack of knowledge or understanding of what it is to be transgender. On … Continue reading Why we need diverse books: Turnaround’s top titles with transgender characters
Why We Need Diverse Books
All across the English-language publishing diaspora, now seems to be an exciting moment for diverse books. The Society of Young Publishers just themed their AGM on diversity in the industry; Seven Stories, the UK’s National Centre for Children’s Books, just published a list of the 50 best diverse children’s books in The Guardian; the hashtag #weneeddiversebooks regularly trends on Twitter whenever there is a fitting new release, or indeed, whenever there appears to have been a lack of fitting releases; the children’s laureate Malorie Blackman has made it the explicit goal of her time in the role to champion diverse … Continue reading Why We Need Diverse Books
Stay off the wagon in January with this anti-resolutions reading list
Jenn sets out an anti-resolutions reading list to keep your soul from drying up this January… Continue reading Stay off the wagon in January with this anti-resolutions reading list
Staff picks of 2014
Over the year we have seen a lot of books. From the new arrivals that we anxiously grabbed from the warehouse as soon as they arrive to the old classics that have been revamped this year, hundreds have passed over our desks. We’ve raved about them to journalists and friends and so as Christmas approaches, I asked my fellow five members of marketing to reflect on their favourite books of 2014.As a group, our literary tastes span a lot of genres, from literary fiction to manga to music to niche photography and so the choices below are an eclectic bunch. … Continue reading Staff picks of 2014
A love letter to Rookie
The thing about reading Rookie is that you start out looking at pictures of shoes and you end up being better informed about the state of homophobia in modern America and the complex psychology surrounding eating disorders. Giving a slick summary of what Rookie is or does is difficult, if only because it feels like it has bought a new genre with it into the world. A magazine by and for teenage girls, it is best contextualised as the pop cultural heir of the fanzines popularised during the heyday of punk. Well, that and the high-production-quality fashion magazines like Teen … Continue reading A love letter to Rookie
Costume Drama pt. II: The Reckoning (MCM October 2014)
This was my second London Comic-Con (my first was this year’s May event) and it was just as hectic; a non-stop parade of bright costumes, over-excited whooping and serious bargain hunting. My own quest for the most reasonably priced Pokémon plushie resulted in me buying precisely nothing, but I did have a lot of fun doing it. I also learned that there are now far too many Pokémon for anyone to realistically catch ‘em all. I mean, where would you keep them? Other lessons learned this time: flapjacks are essential for convention survival; there is only so much comfort to … Continue reading Costume Drama pt. II: The Reckoning (MCM October 2014)