Category: Non-Fiction | Page 2

This Week in Literary News, Week of June 7

The #PublishingPaidMe hashtag is making waves on Twitter, raising awareness about the massive discrepancies in author advances for writers of color compared to their white counterparts. On June 8, more than 1,000 workers in the publishing industry participated in a day-long strike, taking the day off their regular work duties to be “in service of the Black community: protesting, organizing, fundraising support, phone banking, mutual aid,” and working on books by Black creators.

Working on a COVID-themed manuscript? So is everyone else, according to literary agent Erin Clyburn, who reported to NPR that agents are seeing more and more writers submitting pandemic stories. But don’t rush it and sacrifice quality, she begs.

Electric Lit lists 24 new and forthcoming books that celebrate all facets of Black lives, and urges readers to seek Black literature beyond books on racism. NBC News published a thought-provoking piece on the rise of anti-racist book lists, and Washington Post gives some numbers on the massive surge of readers buying books on race.

In award news, The Shirley Jackson Award nominees were just announced. The award celebrates “outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic.” And if you haven’t read them yet, here are the complete texts for the five AKO Caine Prize finalists. The Prize received an unprecedented (and incredible!) 222 submissions from 28 African countries this year.

Nigerian writer Emeka Joseph Nwankwo wrote on how African women in publishing are bringing inclusivity to the forefront, a necessity urged by Girl, Woman, Other author Bernardine Evaristo this week.

Missing the museum? Electric Lit recommends 10 books set in museums to last you through lockdown. Not enough to satisfy your escapism bug? LitHub has you covered, with five 20th-century books about travel. And ICYMI: an argument for reading (and against shaming) the summer “beach read.”

In Catalyst news, Ameera Patel’s Outside the Lines officially hit North American shelves this week! Read an excerpt on CrimeReads. Bitter Pill, the final installment of Peter Church’s beloved Dark Web trilogy, get its North American debut on Monday. The e-books of the full series are available for 25% off on our site all summer long.

Finally, Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist and Ogresse creator Cécile McLorin Salvant reads Black lesbian poet Audre Lorde’s “The Bees,” published posthumously in the 2009 anthology Black Nature: Four Centuries of African American Nature Poetry.

This Week in Literary News, Week of May 31

This week has been hard. There’s really no other way to put it. We’ve watched as cities all over the country, all over the world, have stood against racism and police brutality. We’ve seen people stand together, defiantly, tearfully, bravely saying the names of those we’ve lost to the violence of white supremacy.

This week has also marked the start of some real and hard conversations— many of which were long overdue. The literary community certainly isn’t immune from inequality, and in this week’s literary news, you’ll find several articles looking at ways that the community is grappling with issues of race and inclusion. You’ll also find some lighter news, like great reviews, book releases, music, and more, because taking breaks to take care of ourselves (physically or mentally) and celebrate our wins is also an important part of this. Continue reading “This Week in Literary News, Week of May 31”

Where to Begin: Reading lists, resources, and organizations that need your help

This is a time for listening, yes, but it is also a time for doing. But remember, what doing looks like for you could look vastly different from someone else. Movements are made of lots of individual roles, and you, like many of us, will need to find your part to play. And that requires a deeper understanding of the world around you. We believe that voices and texts are powerful ways of gaining that, and have assembled a list of some books that we think can help us understand.

This list is, by no means, comprehensive. It contains both fiction and non-fiction, poetry and academic work, books for adults and young readers. Since so many of our authors are African, and part of our mission at Catalyst is to amplify those voices, you’ll also find several books by African authors, many of which were written to speak to times, conditions, and politics that, in many ways, mirror our own. There are books here that speak to the whys and hows of how we got to this moment in time, but there are also some that celebrate Black history and activism, or simply just Black lives— important things to remember and hold on to right now. We will be periodically adding to this list.

If you want to extend your reading into other action, we have also included a list of resources and organizations who are fighting against racism, against police brutality and state violence, and for Black lives. We’ve all been moved to speak, but now we have to be moved to action, and we include ourselves in that call. We’re going to continue doing the work that we need to do here at Catalyst to make sure that justice, empathy, and equity aren’t just our words, but our actions.

If you purchase any of the books here, please consider doing so through Bookshop.org, which supports independent bookstores, or through your favorite bookstore or publisher’s website. If you need suggestions, here’s a list of independent Black bookstores you can support.
Continue reading “Where to Begin: Reading lists, resources, and organizations that need your help”

This Week in Literary News, Week of May 24

Our weekly round-up of literary news here at Catalyst and beyond, is brought to you by our intern Naomi Valenzuela. Naomi is from Phoenix, Arizona and El Paso, Texas, and is majoring in Creative Writing and minoring in English & American Literature at the University of Texas, El Paso, with plans of working in the publishing business after graduation

Libraries usually have summer reading programs once the summer vacation season starts. However, these are unusual times. Book Riot explores what libraries are doing to continue these programs safely.

May 25 was Africa Day! And Brittle Paper has a list of 13 African, under-the-radar books from the 1960s.

Over at Read It Forward, author Laura McHugh writes about why realistic heroines are the ones we empathize the most.

In Catalyst news, two of our books have great new reviews: Here Comes Lolo by Niki Daly, which Publishers Weekly calls “a winsome pick for early readers,” and Cat Among the Pigeons by David Muirhead, which the Midwest Book Review praises as “an inherently fascinating, impressively informative, and thoroughly entertaining read from first page to last.” Both books are out now!

Electric Lit has nine books exploring societal beauty standards and how they become obstacles to women.

Brightly has another list to diversify children’s reading lists. They recommend these 11 books that celebrate Muslim culture.

The National Book Festival will be celebrating its 20th anniversary this year but will be moving to a virtual setting due to the pandemic. Read more about it at The Washington Post.

LitHub has an article about the podcast “Keen On” where speakers discuss how our reading of some books may change after the pandemic.

This Week in Literary News, Week of May 17

There’s an article over at The New Yorker about a short film. In the documentary, a bookseller talks and demonstrates the craft of repairing a damaged book

Brightly has book recommendations for this graduation season, whether you’re the sentimental type or want to advise them on finances, this list has something for everyone.

A few weeks ago, Joy Harjo’s second term as U.S. Poet Laureate. Now, Book Riot explains the role of the Poet Laureate and the importance of the position.

Forbes has an article about Carry A Book, a social media app that connects you to fellow readers to discuss what you’ve read or favorite books.

If you’re going through this quarantine alone, why not embrace the silence? The Guardian has a list of 10 books all about silence, from protagonists looking to finding or characters being silent themselves.

Brittle Paper has the shortlist for The 2020 AKO Caine Prize for African Writing, with photos and bios of the authors.

While literature festivals around the world are being canceled, the Afrolit Sans Frontieres Festival, founded by South African author Zukiswa Wanner was made as a virtual response to the pandemic. Read more about it on The New York Times.

And finally, in Catalyst news, Ameera Patel’s forthcoming novel Outside the Lines was included on the CrimeReads’ “Most Anticipated Crime Books of 2020: Summer Reading Edition.”

This Week in Literary News, Week of May 10

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, a good opportunity to diversify children’s reading (and parents’, too!). Brightly has a list of 10 Children’s & YA Books by Asian Authors.

Bring some fun into your quarantine reading with Brittle Paper‘s list of African Romance Fiction. All the books on the list come from Love Africa Press, an indie, digital-first publisher focusing on this genre

Over at The Guardian, read about the movement that’s taking place by Francophone African authors to make their books available in Africa.

The New York Times gives some book recommendations and how to do your summer reading even with summer limitations.

At Electric Lit, there’s an essay discussing Albert Camus’s The Plague and what we can learn about it beyond the epidemic.

If you’re a bookworm tired of all these different reading lists, don’t worry. The Washington Post has an article discussing why any type of book is helpful.

Also in The Washington Post, we have 12 of the novels that changed history. With different genres, from The Cat in the Hat to 1984, these books continue to impact society.

The BBC has an article about why we find comfort in the dystopian genre, whether it be in literature or even gaming, during a crisis.

Finally, in Catalyst Press news, check out the Q&A we did with Niki Daly. Daly is the author and illustrator of our May releases, Here Comes Lolo and Hooray for Lolo.

This Week in Literary News, Week of May 3

Great week for Catalyst Press news!:

The New York Times has recently added one of our books, Outside The Lines by Ameera Patel, to its Globetrotting list under the Africa category. Check out the other books from other continents too!

SarahBelle Selig, who manages our South African operations, has an essay on World Literature Today. Read about the rules about living in isolation she learned from reading A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles.

The Lion’s Binding Oath: and Other Stories by Ahmed Ismail Yusuf is on Brittle Paper‘s list of sixteen short story collections by African authors from indie presses (Us!)

Over at The Johannesburg Review of Books, Yewande Omotoso’s (author of Bom Boy) story titled “Boy” is highlighted as part of their “Best of the JRB” feature.

Last but not least, we have a new release! The Lolo Series by Niki Daly is out now, with Here Comes Lolo and Hooray for Lolo available in paperback or hardback!

In other literary news:

Brittle Paper has a feature about Botlhale, a YouTube channel that discusses African literature while also creating teaching tools for it.

Booksellers are finding creative ways to get books to their customers. Book Riot has a list of literary care packages from different bookstores, each with different focuses ranging from bilingual books to romance novels.

The BBC has an article about how the reading boom that has been happening during this pandemic, and the genres that the public could be picking up more and more.

Lastly, NPR informs us that Joy Harjo, the U.S.’s first Native American Poet Laureate, has received a second term by the Library of Congress.

This Week in Literary News, Week of April 26

We start off with some helpful news for parents and kids:

Brittle Paper has two features this week for children. On Mondays, Michelle Obama will be doing live streams reading classic children’s books. They’ve also made a list of easily accessible and free children’s e-books.

The Washington Post has tips to parents from a parent on how to sneak in some time for your own reading in these days full of work and chores.

Now in Literary News:

Book Riot has put together a list of the best virtual reading series out there right now. These live streams range from the west coast to the east, check out these open mics along with featured readers.

For the bookworms with more time on their hands, The New York Times has advice from interior designers on how to organize and decorate with your books.

After an Alaskan school board pulled classics from their curriculum (I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, for example), many community members have been offering students money and free food to get them to read these important classics. Check it out on The Guardian.

Brittle Paper has a list of eight trilogies by African Writers to delve into. And while you’re at it, check out our Dark Web trilogy by Peter Church.

On Read It Forward, Frances Cha has an essay that shows how diversity in literature can encourage young writers to create without fear.

This Week in Literary News, Week of April 19

This week in Catalyst News!:

We have teamed up with four publishers— City Lights, Cinco Puntos, Enchanted Lion, and Readers to Eaters— to promote a new and diverse selection of children’s books. From history to poems, take a look at these books here!

Our own Caroline Kurtz has won the Presbyterian Writers Guild’s biennial Best First Book Award for A Road Called Down on Both Sides: Growing Up in Ethiopia and America. It’s a double celebration as her sister, Jane, also won the Presbyterian Writers Guild’s David Steele Distinguished Writer Award. We wish them both congratulations!

Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu (The Theory of Flight) has an essay on Times Select. Read about the author’s thoughts on how we can all learn something from feeling powerless.

In other literature news:

The Theory of Flight by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu

Cartoonist Peter Kupur created illustrations for Earth Day to talk about Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, the book that begun to raise awareness about the environment. Check it out at The New York Times.

If you’re a history buff looking for something new to read, Electric Lit has got you covered with seven books about forgotten wars.

Lit Hub has an essay from Mai Tran, who writes about how writing becomes an outlet for those who are socially anxious.

Is there a book that you’ve been trying to get through for weeks? Read It Forward has an article on why you shouldn’t feel bad about quitting a book.

Finally, Book Riot has the finalists for the 25th Women’s Prize for Fiction Shortlist, which celebrates excellence, originality, and accessibility from women authors.

This Week in Literary News, Week of April 12

It has been an exciting week of news for Catalyst Press!

We start off with an excerpt from Peter Church’s Crackerjack, the first book in the Dark Web Trilogy. Read it on The Johannesburg Review of Books.

We have reviews for not one, but two, of our books over at Publishers Weekly! There’s a starred review for Ameera Patel’s Outside The Lines, as well as a review for Bitter Pill by Peter Church. Both books are out in June.

Check out this essay by Yewande Omotoso, author of Bom Boy, over on The Sunday Times (South Africa) where she writes about COVID-19 and how it has shined a light upon the problems of the world.

We have also created a list of our educational resources. Take a look at some of our published books, sorted by age level, to find activities and resources to fit your needs!

And in other literary news:

The New York Times has an article about how some librarians continue to work through the pandemic after many of the nation’s libraries remain closed.

Need to find some new tasks for your free time? Book Riot has made a to-do list and guide to spring clean your books— from your shelves to your digital collections.

Yes! Magazine has an essay from Myriam Gurba and how the controversy around American Dirt inspired a movement for Latinx writers.