By Sophie
How are we in May already?! It seems this past April’s literary scene has followed what we do when this country has a spell of glorious weather: enjoyed the sun and take it east. Still, here are a few fun tidbits for you.
– Summer reads! Well, since we’re this close to summer, let’s dive in to some highly anticipated books to be published over the coming months with PW, from a James Baldwin biography to the new V. E Schwab to a new look at Plato. The list doesn’t include one of the ABC staff’s most eagerly anticipated books, however: Katabasis by R. F. Kuang.
– R.I.P. Peruvian Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa died in April, aged 89.
– Awards! The shortlist for the International Booker Prize was announced recently. Sadly Astrid Roemer’s recently translated On a Woman’s Madness didn’t make the jump from the longlist, but still all props to her and her translator. The winner will be announced on 20 May.
– Awards II! If discovering new authors is your gig, have a look at this year’s Whiting Award winners. Also, the Women’s Prize for Fiction announced its shortlist; this one does include a Dutch contribution in Yael van der Wouden’s The Safekeep.
– Awards III! Hey, May is a big month for awards, okay? In a few days one of the very biggest US prizes will be announced, the Pulitzers, which doesn’t have a shortlist or anything. That didn’t stop Electric Literature from ranking 10 big contenders, however…
– Podcast! Thank you Lauren for pointing me in the direction of the Outlook Mixtape podcast from the BBC, where one particular episode focuses on books that changed lives. From secretly tapping out Anna Karenina on a prison wall to cooking your way through 524 recipes in a single year, books can give you something to cling to when your life is at its darkest.
– Interview! The Guardian talked to Sayaka Murata, the enigmatic author of Convenience Store Woman and other equally eccentric novels. She is just as interesting as her books!
– Literary TV & Films of 2025! Some of these are already on screens, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying the comparison of the book to the movie/TV-series. Personally I’m looking forward to a reboot of The Running Man, and of course The Thursday Murder Club, among others.
– Lists! The 8 Most Underrated Horror Books, 7 Novels by Autistic Authors That are Revolutionizing Literature, and 7 Books That Turn the Workplace Into a Nightmare.
– A subject close to my heart: on the joy of writing letters! By hand, on paper. Not much beats the feeling of joy and anticipation of finding a letter in your (actual, 3D) mailbox, and writing one in return. I can heartily recommend it.
