Se e n & He a r d By Michael Schaub
Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR. 186
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15 april 2021
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seen & heard
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kirkus.com
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ALL-STAR GROUP OF AUTHORS WILL WRITE PANDEMIC NOVEL Margaret Atwood, Celeste Ng, John Grisham, and Ishmael Reed are among the authors who are writing a collaborative novel set in New York during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Associated Press reports. The novel, Fourteen Days: An Unauthorized Gathering, is edited by Atwood and will be published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt imprint Sugar23 Books. The project will benefit the Authors Guild Foundation. In a news release, the Authors Guild Foundation said the novel was the brainchild of novelist Doug Preston, the foundation’s president. “The Authors Guild has poured resources, advocacy and assistance into helping writers, many of whom were already struggling financially, to get through this crazy time,” Preston said. “All the proceeds from Celeste Ng Fourteen Days will continue this vital work, ensuring that all writers are supported, especially young authors and those from underserved and overlooked communities.” The novel will follow “a diverse group of neighbors” who gather on the roof of their Manhattan apartment building after New York’s wealthier residents have begun to flee the city. “Each author has chosen or developed a character who lives in the building and serves as the voice for their story,” the Authors Guild Foundation said. Authors contributing to the project include Angie Cruz, Nafissa Thompson-Spires, Maria Hinojosa, Diana Gabaldon, and Monique Truong. The novel is slated for publication next spring.
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IDRIS ELBA TO PUBLISH A SERIES OF CHILDREN’S BOOKS Actor and musician Idris Elba will make his literary debut next year with a series of children’s books. HarperCollins announced in a news release it will publish a range of books for young readers written by the star of Luther and The Wire starting in 2022. The book deal “will include picture books and fiction featuring a character and world imagined and developed by Idris” and television writer Robyn Charteris, the publisher said. “I feel privileged to have the opportunity to bring stories inspired by my daughter to life with my incredible partner Robyn Charteris and the powIdris Elba erhouse team at HarperCollins,” Elba said in a statement. Elba rose to fame in 2002 after portraying the character Stringer Bell in the television series The Wire. He went on to play the title role in the BBC series Luther and appeared in films like American Gangster, Thor, and Beasts of No Nation. In 2018, he directed a film adaptation of Victor Headley’s debut novel, Yardie. “Idris Elba is a creative force who has many wonderful stories to tell,” HarperCollins Children’s Books president and publisher Suzanne Murphy said. “We are honored to be working with him and with Robyn Charteris to bring Idris’ rich and imaginative storytelling to the world of children’s books, and we are thrilled to welcome them to the HarperCollins family.”