by Steven W. Beattie

Repurposing old books (or just reading them)

It's not an easy time to be a book. Prey to the depredations of digital books that offer convenience and (theoretical) low cost, the traditional paper-and-ink book is beleaguered and battling cultural irrelevance. So what ... Read More »

January 9, 2012 | Filed under: Digital publishing and technology, Libraries

Spring preview 2012: Canadian fiction, poetry, and graphica

By Steven W. Beattie

In the January/February issue, Q&Q looks ahead at the spring season's new books. NOVELS Vincent Lam won the 2006 Scotiabank Giller Prize for his debut, the short-story collection Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures. His follow-up is ... Read More »

January 9, 2012 | Filed under: Book news, Preview

Novel becomes a bestseller despite author’s anonymity

By Steven W. Beattie

"During the first weeks of spring 1974, when Jingqiu was still at senior high school, she and three other students were selected to take part in a project to compile a new school textbook." So ... Read More »

January 9, 2012 | Filed under: Authors, Industry news

New Jane Austen family papers made available for public viewing

By Steven W. Beattie

The good news is that a slate of Jane Austen family books, previously available only to academics, has been digitized and is being offered for viewing by members of the public. The bad news, depending ... Read More »

December 19, 2011 | Filed under: Book news

Christopher Hitchens, 1949-2011

By Steven W. Beattie

Critic, gadfly, supporter of the Iraq war, misogynist, atheist. Christopher Hitchens was all these things. He was also one of the most erudite and plain-spoken writers of his day, possessed of intelligence, wit, and interests ... Read More »

December 16, 2011 | Filed under: Book news

Show Rob Ford and TPL some love this holiday season

By Steven W. Beattie

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has not been terribly successful on the literary front. From his under-the-breath insult to author Vikki VanSickle during this summer's marathon executive committee hearing to his brother Doug's very public spat ... Read More »

December 12, 2011 | Filed under: Book news, Libraries

Ontario students score high in reading proficiency, but don’t like to read for pleasure, report finds

By Steven W. Beattie

There is good news and bad news in a report released today by the advocacy group People for Education. Entitled Reading for Joy, the study found that students in Ontario are competitive in their reading ... Read More »

December 12, 2011 | Filed under: Book news

Books of the year: Q&Q review editor Steven W. Beattie

By Steven W. Beattie

Creating lists of the year's best books is an annual ritual in which I am frequently asked to participate. These requests never fail to make me uncomfortable: such judgments ultimately come down to matters of ... Read More »

November 14, 2011 | Filed under: Books of the Year

Was Jane Austen poisoned to death?

By Steven W. Beattie

Conspiracy theories about the untimely deaths of major authors appear to be turning into something of a cottage industry. Over the summer, an Italian scholar let loose with his supposition that the car crash that ... Read More »

November 14, 2011 | Filed under: Book news

Would-be terrorists allegedly found inspiration in online novel

By Steven W. Beattie

Prosecutors in Georgia are alleging that a group of four would-be terrorists found inspiration for planned attacks in a violent online novel called Absolved. Written by Mike Vanderboegh, a former leader of a militia group ... Read More »

November 7, 2011 | Filed under: Book news

Prev 32 333435 36....62 63 Next