Edgar Award Winners Announced
The Mystery Writers of America recently gave out their annual mystery genre awards, known as the Edgar Awards (named for Edgar Allen Poe, naturally). The award for Best Novel went to Gone, by British author Mo Hayder. Best First Novel, an award that has predicted success for its past winners, went to Lori Roy for Bent Road. In addition to awards for print writing, the MWA also gave out ones for Best Play and Best Television Episode Teleplay. Here is a complete list of winners and nominees.
Rowling’s First Adult Novel Will Arrive in September
J.K. Rowling’s publisher, Little, Brown & Co., has announced that Rowling’s next book will be released on September 27th, 2012. The book is titled The Casual Vacancy. It is about the English town of Pagford, which is shaken by the unexpected death of Barry Fairweather. Barry’s death leaves a spot open on the parish council, and stirs up conflict the brewing beneath the town’s picturesque surface. This is Rowling’s first post-Potter book, and her first work written specifically for adults.
Book Expo 2012 Coming Soon to NYC
The 2012 Book Expo America (BEA) will be held this year at the Javits Center in NYC. This is the fourth consecutive year that BEA, the largest book trade fair in the U.S., will be held in the city. BEA will run from Tuesday June 5th thru Thursday June 7th, and will feature a book exhibition, as well as author events and signings. Unfortunately, the Book Expo is only open to those in the book industry, but if you happen to be nearby in early June, you just might see some literary celebrities. Many well-known writers are set to attend, including John Green, Daniel Handler and Barbara Kingsolver.
Notable New Releases for May
This month, three notable titles will be released on the 8th. Stephen Colbert will be publishing his first “children’s” book, I Am a Pole (And So Can You!), the patriotic story of a pole looking for its destiny. The book was first announced in January, when Colbert interviewed children’s author Maurice Sendak on The Colbert Report. (To see Colbert read a first draft of the story to Sendak, watch this video.)
John Irving’s latest novel, In One Body, is narrated by Billy Abbott, a bisexual man who is struggling with his sexual identity. Irving describes Billy as a “sexual suspect”, a term Irving himself coined in his novel The World According to Garp.
Toni Morrison is also releasing a new book, entitled Home. Home is the story of a Korean War vet named Frank Money, who must return to the small Georgia hometown he hates.
