Month: July 2021

Paramount Pictures Acquires the Rights to Wayward Children Fantasy Book Series

Paramount Pictures has acquired the rights to the Wayward Children fantasy book series by Seanan McGuire. Six books have already been published in the series, and a seventh is coming in early 2022. Sources have said Emma Watts, the president of Paramount’s Motion Picture Group, has had her eye on the series for a while and was hands-on in aggressively pursuing the rights for the series. Paramount is planning a series adaptation, which will be produced by Pouya Shahbazian, who is currently working on Season 2 of Netflix’s Shadow & Bone.

Scarlett Johansson Sues Disney for Breach of Contract over Black Widow Release

Actress Scarlett Johansson is suing Disney over the company’s decision to release Black Widow on Disney Plus at the same time as it hit theaters. The lawsuit was filed on Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court. Attorneys allege that the Johansson’s contract was breached when the studio chose not to debut the film exclusively in theaters. Johansson and other artists connected to the project rely on compensation tied specifically to the box office performance of Black Widow. In other words, when the film hit certain benchmarks at the box office, bonuses would be handed out. The suit reads, “Disney chose to placate Wall Street investors and pad its bottom line, rather than allow its subsidiary Marvel to comply with the agreement.”

John Berlinski, an attorney for Johansson, said in a statement, “It’s no secret that Disney is releasing films like Black Widow directly onto Disney Plus to increase subscribers and thereby boost the company’s stock price…But ignoring the contracts of the artists responsible for the success of its films in furtherance of this short-sighted strategy violates their rights and we look forward to proving as much in court.”

6th Grade Author Helps Launch Pop-Up Library in Charlotte

Jade Watkins, the 11-year-old author of the book I AM ME, is helping to launch two pop-up library locations in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Thumbs Up Reading library initiative was established in memory of life-long Charlotte resident Clyde Albert Phifer, who was an avid reader. The initiative hopes to recognize the power of diversity in children’s literature and aims to give children and young adults access to over 1,000 books, specifically those living in historically Black and brown communities. The installation of the first Thumbs Up Reading’s pop-up library is scheduled for Saturday, July 31, 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Steele Creek A.M.E. Zion Church, 1500 Shopton Road, Charlotte.

Books to Put on Hold at the Library Right Now

Don’t hesitate when it comes to these new and upcoming releases! Everyone’s going to want to get their hands on these fall 2021 books, so put them on hold at your local library ASAP!

The Latest Addition to Tamsyn Muir’s Locked Tomb Series is Coming Soon!

On Friday, Tordotcom Publishing announced the latest addition to Tamsyn Muir’s Locked Tomb Series. The third novel in the series, Nona the Ninth, will publish in fall 2022, and Alecto the Ninth will follow in fall 2023. Originally, Muir’s beloved series was set to be a trilogy, but with the addition of Nona the Ninth, the world of the Locked Tomb is expanding into a series. Does that mean we have even more books to look forward to in the future? Only time will tell!

Two New Octavia E. Butler Adaptations in the Works

Fans of American sci-fi author Octavia E. Butler have a lot to look forward to! There are two adaptations of Octavia E. Butler works coming our way. HBO is working on a series adaptation of Fledgling, Octavia Butler’s take on the vampire novel. Issa Rae and J.J. Abrams are on board for the project as the executive producers. Sonya Winton-Odamtten and Jonathan I. Kidd, the writers of HBO’s Lovecraft Country, will write the pilot script. Additionally, Butler’s Parable of the Sower has inspired an upcoming A24 film directed by Garrett Bradley (Time) and produced by Paul Mezey (Beasts of the Southern Wild). Octavia E. Butler fans can add these two projects to the list of upcoming Butler adaptations to get excited about. FX is also developing a television series based on Kindred. And Amazon Studios has two Octavia E. Butler projects in the works. The first is a series based on Butler’s Wild Seed, with novelist Nnedi Okorafor co-writing. They’re also developing a series based on Dawn, with Ava DuVernay executive producing.

Kalamata’s Kitchen Publishes Fourth Book About Culture and Cuisine

Earlier this month, Kalamata’s Kitchen published a fourth book in their series encouraging children to be open to new cuisines and cultures. This is the first book of the series to be published with Random House. Previous books in the series invited kids to try cuisine from Venezuela, the South of France, and more alongside the main character Kalamata and her “Taste Buds,” a club which kids could join. In this new book, author Sarah Thomas, a former sommelier at Chef Ripert’s La Bernadin in New York City, welcomes young children to try cuisine from her own Indian background. The book is illustrated by Jo Kosmides Edwards.

Americans Read Nearly 25% More Last Year, According to New Research

Did you find yourself reading a whole lot more in 2020? Well, you’re not alone! According to new research, Americans read nearly 25% more last year.

Crime Novelist Mo Hayder Dies at 59

British crime novelist Mo Hayder has died at the age of 59 after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) on December 22. Mo Hayder, which was the pen name for Clare Dunkel, was often called the “queen of fear” for her dark, shocking thriller stories. Hayder’s publisher Transworld, who announced the death earlier this week, said that since Hayder’s diagnosis, the author “fought valiantly,” but ultimately “the disease progressed at an alarming rate.” The publisher reported that Clare Dunkel was working on a new series under the name Theo Sand. The new novel The Book of Sand will be published in early 2022. The author is survived by her daughter Lotte and her husband Bob.

Here’s Your First Look at John Le Carré’s Final Novel

Legendary spy novelist John le Carré’s posthumous novel Silverview will be released on October 12th of this year, and here’s your fist look at the book. Le Carré’s final novel follows Julian Lawndsley who flees the city to work at a bookstore in a small town. Meanwhile, a London spy chief arrives to that same town to investigate a potential leak. Silverview will include an afterword from le Carré’s son Nick Cornwell, paying tribute to his father — along with his siblings and an archivist, he’s currently cataloguing all of le Carré’s work. “This is the authentic le Carré, telling one more story,” Cornwell said. “The book is fraught, forensic, lyrical, and fierce, at long last searching the soul of the modern Secret Intelligence Service itself. It’s a superb and fitting final novel.”

4thWrite Short Story Prize Reveals 2021 Shortlist

The 4thWrite Short Story Prize—a prize seeking out the best new Black, Asian, and minority ethnic writers—has announced its 2021 shortlist. Chosen from a longlist of twelve stories, the six finalist are: “Cadaver” by Sulaxana Hippisley; “Home Is Not Here” by Laura Blake; “Hopscotch” by Inigo Laguda; “The Ritual Seat of the King” by Zimbabwe-born Gift Nyoni; “Pontianak” by architect Nicola Sheppey; and “Postpositions” by Amaan Hyder. The winner will be announced on September 1st. The winner’s prize includes £1,000, a one-day publishing workshop at 4th Estate, and publication on The Guardian website.

#TheNewLatinoBoom: The Rise of Literature Published in Spanish in the U.S.

In the United States, there’s been a growing interest in Spanish literature in its original language. Here’s what you should know about the New Latino Boom.