Range of links

And might as well start with the granddaddy of children's book awards: the Newberry and the Caldecott. Cynthia Kadohata took home the Newberry for KIRA-KIRA, and the Caldecott went to Kevin Henkes, a repeat winner for KITTEN'S FIRST FULL MOON.

Jennifer Haigh's BAKER TOWERS has attracted tremendous attention, even before the book was published earlier this month. The Boston Globe's David Mehegan meets the writer, who lives in the area and is still getting a handle on how much booksellers -- and readers -- adore her work.

With 300 million people to target, will a publishing industry in Arab countries be viable? The inaugural Middle East Publishing Conference certainly believes the potential is there for success.

If you're a teenager from the UK or Ireland, the Guardian wants your short fiction. The theme is lies and lying, and DBC Pierre gives it a hearty introduction in the paper.

The T.S. Eliot Prize for poetry--the richest in the field--has been awarded to George Szirtes.

The Malaysian Star Online speaks to writing professor Shirley Lim Geok-lin about her feelings on literary fiction, publishing and the US vs. the rest of the world.

Evidently Henry Raddick isn't just your garden variety Amazon Reviewer--he inserts snippets of his family life, as Mira Katbamna finds out.

Want a sneak preview of Ian McEwan's next novel? The Complete Review obliges with their take on the book, which should be out in the UK soon (and in the US in March).

Yay! Old Hag is back with a vengeance...and writing found poetry, villanelle-style.

And finally, as if you needed another reason to pass on the Belle de Jour book, the Guardian's digested read should provide it quite nicely.

Comments

[Naomi]

Yay for Cynthia! Great comeback after moving from adult literary to SF to finally YA. It's always interesting to me to watch writers jump to another genre--not an easy feat.

[Elaine Flinn]

Ahh...The Newberry! What memories that award brings to mind! The first book I fell in love with -this is really dating me now :)-was a Newberry award winner titled 'King of The Wind'. I recall my grade school teacher lauding this book because of the award and made it mandatory reading. After that book-I was hooked on reading (this from a home that had no books) and have never looked back.