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Number 3 chiller

What Text wants (and will give) for Christmas

It can feel a bit risky* to get a publishing professional a book for Christmas: what if they’ve already read it (and hated it)? What if they’re judging my choices? What if the last thing they want is a book after spending all year making them?

Well, fear not.

Today, Elsewhere

Mr Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore and the rise of the backdoor fantasy story.

There was Read more

Today, Elsewhere

Judith Landry on the strange music of Finnish, translation as walking a tightrope and the experience of translating Diego Marani’s New Finnish Grammar.

Michiko Kakutani writes a review in verse, Salon points out that she always seems to go a little crazy around the holidays.

Today, Elsewhere

A bookseller’s lament: no one gives me books.

The other careers of famous writers.

Fun fact: over a third of ereaders are used just once before being set aside.

Friday Links

Brilliant book ads encouraging people to read.

Word and Film think of their dream casts for favourite books.

A very special book vending machine.

Hyphen. An incredibly popular mark, particularly amongst hipsters and domesticated fowl. This is the sexiest punctuation mark.

Queensland student wins Billionaire competition!

We’re delighted to report that 11-year-old Dhruv Singh from Durack State School in Queensland has won our ‘I Became a Billionaire’ writing competition.

Friday Links

How to make your own cute pom pom bookmarks.

Philip Roth’s retirement and other famous literary exits.

Dream houses built for books and the nerds who love them.

A site devoted to pictures of secret bookshelf doors.

11 weirdly spelled words and how they got that way.

A Read more

Interview with Elizabeth Haynes, author of the upcoming Human Remains

Elizabeth Haynes shot to fame upon publication of her debut novel, Into the Darkest Corner, which was Amazon UK’s Best Book of the Year in 2011 and has been published in twelve languages. Her follow-up, Revenge of the Tide, was also well-received. Read more

Today, Elsewhere

Some fictional names are filled with semantic clues about the nature of their owners: you know that someone called Gradgrind will not be an advocate of child-centred learning, and that Luke Skywalker will not stay long on Tatooine. What’s in a literary name?

Read more

Today, Elsewhere

The longlist for the 2012 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award has been announced. Congratulations to Kate Grenville (Sarah Thornhill), Carol Birch (Jamrach’s Menagerie), Elizabeth Haynes (Into the Darkest Corner), S. J. Watson (Before I Go to Sleep) and David Whitehouse (Read more

FRIENDS OF THE CHILLER

Alpha Reader

ANZ LitLovers

Bite the Book

The Conversation

Diva Booknerd

Inside a Dog

Kids’ Book Review

Killings

Literary Minded

Meanjin Blog

ReadPlus

Scribe News

The Wheeler Centre

Whispering Gums

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