One to Watch Wednesday

Many authors tackle the subject of the church: whether their approach be positive, negative, cycnical, comical, devout; whether their novel be literary, satire, thriller, comedy, non-fiction ... in fact, it's probably one of the few subjects that can be and has been tackled so diversely. This week's one to watch is a timeless and quaint approach to a huge topic: 

The Holy Innocents by Fr. Ambrose de Montford Smith
 

Scott's blog

Me again. Just checking in with a few comments and updates. If you have any questions then feel free to ask them here and I will do my best to answer them.

One to Watch Wednesday

A few people have been talking about the novel that I've chosen as this week's One to Watch, so if you've not read it yet, it's time to see what the fuss is about:

Ramadan Sky by Victoria Hunter

Ramadan Sky is a literary novel set in Indonesia, an area rarely covered in literature. The story begins with a young boy of twelve being told that his father has died. Yet, despite this sad opening, there is a naivety and sweetness to the narrative that prevents the tone from feeling too heavy. As the narrative progresses, the boy, Fajar, grows up as the youngest son of a large family, and there are new challenges to contend with. 

I was drawn to this manuscript because of the writing style, which is concise, and subtle, yet evocative and very readable.  I was reminded of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – a personal favourite of mine. Within just a couple of paragraphs, Victoria establishes a subtle, but undeniably rich setting; we are also introduced to an intriguing dynamic, in the form of our protagonist Fajar’s relationship with his teacher, Dedi, which opens a window on Fajar’s own personality. 

I have included Victoria’s pitch below, but urge everyone to take a look at the first few chapters. For me, the pitch suggests a much more abstract narrative than what you actually get with the chapters available. 

 -------------------------------------------------

Here's Victoria's Pitch 

To them I am Lady Chatterly gone mad. Do I have to explain my lover with the smooth skin and electric black eyebrows...?

He is snorkelling – waving his thin arms around in the inexpert way he did in Bali – but this time he is naked and asleep, eyes shut tight, crawling like a shrimp across the crisp linen. He chats away to her in a high-pitched voice, sometimes in English and sometimes in Indonesian. She wonders whether the conversations they have when he is awake make any more sense than those when he is asleep. And what the hell she is doing here with him in this inhospitable place. The morning call to prayer rings out as he suddenly opens his eyes to find her watching him. They begin their dance without speaking, desire rising and breaking like waves while the voice outside continues to proclaim the greatness of God.

.

Authonomy member story: There's more to authonomy than the editor's desk. Really

Today we have a guest blog from Genevieve Graham, whose book, 'Under the Same Sky', formerly on authonomy, is being published by Penguin in January. 

On my first day on Authonomy I met two amazing, encouraging authors, Jane Alexander and Jake Barton. I had never in a million years expected my book to impress anyone, let alone these two. Their work was gorgeous, and I figured I was just there to learn. I was happy to do so.

A Message from Scott, Publisher at The Friday Project and Authonomy

I am going to attempt to write a blog post every couple of weeks to discuss various aspects of Authonomy and what we are doing with the site. I welcome your feedback and will do my best to respond to comments. Today I am looking at a few areas that may be of interest.  

One to Watch Wednesday

Having already spoken excitedly about my love of dystopian fiction, it’s not surprising that I was delighted by this week’s one to watch:

The Dollywagglers by Frances Kay

THE DOLLYWAGGLERS opens in a dilapidated London: ‘parped’ figures litter the streets; the social elite are those that have taken up residence in Sainsbury’s; and books have no value beyond their flammability.

Authonomy Imprint Acquisition

In October we announced that HarperCollins is launching a new imprint, dedicated to authonomy authors. Our first title, THE QUALITIES OF WOOD by Mary Vensel White - a former editor's desk winner - will be published as a digital original on January 31st.

I'm now thrilled to be able to announce the second title acquired for the list: MORE TEA, JESUS? by James Lark. What a great start to 2012!