Friday Books and Stuff News Round-up

 Virginia Woolf in Portraits Exhibition Follow the link to the guardian article about a new exhibition at The National Portrait Gallery in London about this enigmatic and fascinating woman and her circle.


This week saw Cumann Na mBan finally being honoured for their part in the 1916 Rising, one hundred yearsafter their first meeting in Wynne's Hotel. Here is a link to the Irish Independent article about the ceremony.

Irish born writer Fionnuala Kearney has signed a book deal with Harper Fiction details from the Bookseller. Fionnnuala's book deals with a marriage imploding after the husband's indiscretions are revealed.

It has also been announced last night that Katherine Rundell has been chosen as the winner of WCBP 2014 that's the Waterstones Children's Book Prize in case you didn't know. Katherine won for her wonderful book Rooftoppers in the 5-12 age group as well as winning the overall prize. The Picture Books Prize went to illustrator Nicola O'Byrne for Open Very Carefully and the Teen prize went to Geek Girl author Holly Smale.




GOLLANCZ CRASHES HEAVEN WITH SPECTACULAR DEBUT SF NOVEL 
Gollancz, an imprint of The Orion Publishing Group, has bought world rights to a remarkable SF debutWritten by an assured new UK author, Crashing Heaven echoes classic SF and brings a cutting edge digital twist. 
Simon SpantonGollancz Associate Publisher, bought rights for two books from London author Al Robertson in a major pre-empt ahead of an auction, through Sue Armstrong at Conville & Walsh.  The first novel, Crashing Heaven, will be published in June 2015. 
Crashing Heaven follows a unique friendship and ultimately asks what it means to be human in our technologically advancing world. Crackling with energy and wit, it will appeal to fans of everything from detective noir to genre classics like Neuromancer. 
Gollancz Associate Publisher, Simon Spanton said: “From the very first lines of Crashing Heaven I was caught in the tangles of the amazing relationship between Jack and Hugo Fist. It was clear that Al Robertson was a writer completely in command of his material and totally at home in his chosen genre. To find all this, fully formed, in the work of a debut writer is special indeed. Why was I determined to publish this book? It’s a long time since I’ve read a book that takes the familiar and fashions it into something that feels so fresh. And it will be a long time before I can forget the terrifying manic energy, the barely contained rage, the chilling face of Hugo Fist.” 
Sue Armstrong added: “Al Robertson is a master storyteller. Every page of Crashing Heaven sparks with energy and it takes a brilliant craftsman to create and control such an imaginative novel, especially one where the characters are as mesmerising as the ideas. That this is a debut is all the more extraordinary. But extraordinary is what Al Robertson does, I knew that the moment I met Hugo Fist.” 
Al Robertson said: “’Gollancz publish the writers who taught me how to write. They use new worlds to dig into this one, which is exactly what I wanted to do with Crashing HeavenIt’s hugely exciting to be joining them, I can’t wait to start working with Simon and his team.’ 
Al Robertson has already been shortlisted for the BSFA short story award and longlisted for the British Fantasy Award. For more information about Al Robertson you can visit his website or follow him on Twitter: @al_robertson. 
Crashing Heaven * Al Robertson * Gollancz * 9781373203402  
Trade paperback £14.99 * eBook £7.99 
For further information please contact Publicity: Sophie Calder  
Tel: 020 752 4314 /sophie.calder@orionbooks.co.uk


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