b28b Reading Groups for Everyone http://readinggroups.org/ en Copyright 2013 Fri, 17 May 2013 10:34:00 +0100 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Join the Women's Prize for Fiction's Book Club Have you read any of the shortlisted titles for the Women's Prize for Fiction? If so, then get involved in the Women's Prize for Fiction Book Club for an opportunity to be part of the discussion celebrating the best of women's fiction, and to see what book groups are recommending. Be part of the Women's Prize for Fiction online community: Join the Women's Prize Book Club - simply log on to Google+ (if you're not a member you'll need to create a gmail account) to meet other members of the book club and share your views on the shortlist and longlist. Enter our competition to take part in a live online chat in a 'Google+ Hangout' with the winning author of the 2013 Women's Prize for Fiction on 6 June. Join in with the celebrations on 5 June and hold a Women's Prize for Fiction party. You can download our party ideas and there will be the opportunity to stream the Women's Prize Awards Ceremony live. Visit the Women's Prize YouTube page to watch a series of live interactive Women's Prize conversations on Google+. Join us in the countdown to the Awards Ceremony and get involved in the discussion on facebook or twitter. You can also follow the Women's Prize on twitter and on Google+. The Women's Prize for Fiction, formerly The Orange Prize for Fiction, is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world celebrating excellence, originality and accessibility in women's writing. The shortlist is Kate Atkinson for Life After Life, A.M. Homes for May We Be Forgiven, Barbara Kingsolver for Flight Behaviour, Hilary Mantel for Bring Up the Bodies, Maria Semple for Where'd You Go Bernadette and Zadie Smith for NW. http://readinggroups.org/news/join-the-womens-prize-book-club.html http://readinggroups.org/news/join-the-womens-prize-book-club.html News Sun, 19 May 2013 12:26:11 +0100 Fiction Uncovered 2013 titles announced Fiction Uncovered, the annual promotion that celebrates the best British fiction writers, today announces its 2013 selection. Now in its third year, Fiction Uncovered celebrates and promotes eight living British writers of any age who have already published at least one novel or short story collection. The Fiction Uncovered 2013 books are: All the Beggars Riding by Lucy Caldwell (Faber & Faber) How I Killed Margaret Thatcher by Anthony Cartwright (Tindal Street Press, Profile) Black Bread White Beer by Niven Govinden (The Friday Project, Harper Collins) The Village by Nikita Lalwani (Viking, Penguin) The Colour of Milk by Nell Leyshon (Fig Tree, Penguin) The Heart Broke In by James Meek (Canongate) Orkney by Amy Sackville (Granta) Secrecy by Rupert Thomson (Granta) Alongside Louise Doughty as chair, the Fiction Uncovered 2013 judging panel includes our programme manager Sandeep Mahal oversees our partnership work, Lynne Hatwell, who blogs at dovegreyreader, and writer Courttia Newland. Each writer will receive a handmade binding of their book by artist bookbinders Kate Rochester and Kaori Maki, and a Kobo Glo e-reader kindly supplied by Kobo in a new partnership for 2013. Chair of judges, Louise Doughty comments: 'It was a great privilege to judge the 2013 Fiction Uncovered promotion and to be reminded just how varied, wide-ranging and fascinating British fiction is at the moment. It was a hard whittling process and there were many excellent titles we weren't able to include. The eight books we eventually selected range from compelling historical mysteries by Rupert Thomson and Nell Leyshon through contemporary dramas of humour and power by James Meek, Anthony Cartwright, Nikita Lalwani and Niven Govinden to books by Lucy Caldwell and Amy Sackville that challenge the very nature of storytelling. What all these eight authors share is the ability to create a unique voice for their own gripping narrative - each novel here is compulsive in its own individual way and there really is something for everyone on this list.' Get involved If you have read any of the Fiction Uncovered 2013 titles, why not add your comments on the books below? http://readinggroups.org/fiction-uncovered-2013-titles-announced.html http://readinggroups.org/fiction-uncovered-2013-titles-announced.html Sun, 19 May 2013 12:26:11 +0100 OUP reading group guides Oxford University Press have created reading group guides for eight of their most recent children's fiction titles. Download and use the guides to discuss these books with your own children's reading group. The books About Moon Bear When twelve-year-old Tam is sent to work at a bear farm in the city, he has never felt so alone. He hates seeing the cruel way the bears are treated, but speaking up will mean losing his job. And if he can't send money home, how will his family survive? When a sick cub arrives at the farm, Tam secretly nurses it back to health and they develop an unbreakable bond. Tam swears to return his beloved cub to the wild, but how will they ever find a way to be free? Download the reading group guide for Moon Bear. About Waiting for Gonzo Meet Oz . . . he's got a talent for trouble but his heart's always in the right place (well, nearly always). Uprooted from his friends and former life, Oz finds himself stranded in the sleepy village of Slowleigh. When a joke backfires on the first day at his new school, Oz attracts the attention of Isobel Skinner, the school psycho - but that's just the beginning. After causing an accident that puts his mum in hospital, Oz isn't exactly popular at home either. His older sister's no help, but then she's got a problem of her own . . . one that's growing bigger by the day. Oz knows he's got to put things right, but life isn't that simple, especially when the only people still talking to you are a hobbit-obsessed kid and a voice in your own head! Download the reading group guide for Waiting for Gonzo. About After Tomorrow "The raiders headed right for us. There were half a dozen of them. Heavy, tall men with packs on their backs. And guns in their hands." What if you woke up tomorrow and everything had changed? Money is worthless. Your friends are gone. Armed robbers roam the streets. No one is safe. For Matt and his little brother, Taco, that nightmare is a reality. Their only hope of survival is to escape through the Channel Tunnel. But danger waits on the other side...Stay or go. What would you do? Download the reading group guide for After Tomorrow. About Sea of Whispers Hetty's always been a bit of a loner, preferring to keep to the outer edges of the close-knit island community. But when a strange woman is washed up on the shore, Hetty finds herself under increasing scrutiny from the islanders. There's a connection between Hetty and the woman that makes people suspicious, so when death comes to the community the woman is branded a bad omen and Hetty has no choice but to take matters into her own hands. As she heads out to sea, a storm is breaking and the whispers that she's heard before are louder than ever. Voices from the very depths of the sea . . . and they're calling her name. Download the reading group guide for Sea of Whispers. About Song Hunter An Ice Age is dawning on Mica's homeland. The climate is getting colder, there are fewer mammoths to hunt, and the future of her people looks uncertain. Mica's mind is bursting with new ideas to help them survive the long winter, but the others refuse to listen, determined to cling to the old ways no matter what. Shunned and frustrated, Mica feels as if no one will ever understand her. Not even Bear, her childhood friend. One night, Mica wakes to hear mysterious voices calling. Their cries fill her with a deep longing that she can't explain. But who do they belong to? And then she makes a discovery so incredible, so extraordinary, it will challenge everything she thought she knew about her world... Download the reading group guide for Song Hunter. About The Positively Last Performance The performances at The Royal Theatre are extraordinary. You'd have to see them to believe them! But that's the problem. Nobody can see them. Except Gracie, that is. Gracie's new to this seaside town, but she's making friends quickly. There's Mikey the Mod who wears a parka and drives a scooter, Miss Melluish whose skirt is missing, and Frank Stuart, the builder of elephants. But the old theatre is under threat. Will Gracie and the residents be able to save their home, or is the curtain set to fall on their very last performance? Download the reading group guide for The Positively Last Performance. About Sky Hawk When Callum and his friends find Iona on Callum's farm they try to chase her back into the village. But Iona runs from them up into the hills. It is late and dark and snow lies in the mountain gullies. Worried for Iona's safety, Callum follows to find her shivering with cold but refusing to leave. She is guarding a secret hidden in the forest above the dark waters of the loch. So they make a deal. Iona shares the secret and in return Callum allows her back onto the farm. They form a deep bond of friendship and make a promise to keep their secret safe. It is a promise that will change Callum's world forever... Download the reading group guide for Sky Hawk. About White Dolphin When they first meet, Kara and Felix can't stand each other. But on discovering an injured dolphin calf on the beach they know they must work together to save it. Now friends, they set out to find the truth behind the disappearance of Kara's mother, and to protect the nearby reef. But powerful people don't want them to succeed. And with the odds stacked against them, how can Kara and Felix make their voices heard? Download the reading group guide for White Dolphin. http://readinggroups.org/chatterbooks/oup-reading-group-guides.html http://readinggroups.org/chatterbooks/oup-reading-group-guides.html Chatterbooks Sun, 19 May 2013 12:26:11 +0100 Fiction and non-fiction reading group offer from Pan and Palgrave Macmillan We have teamed up with non-fiction publisher Palgrave Macmillan and fiction publisher Pan Macmillan to give reading groups the opportunity to read and review two exciting new titles. We have five reading group sets to giveaway and each will contain ten copies of the non-fiction book An American Bride in Kabul, the memoir of Phyllis Chesler, and ten copies of the fiction book Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler. If you would like to be in with a chance of winning a set of these brilliant books please fill in this short form by Thursday 23 May. We ask that winning groups write a review of the two titles by October 2013. About An American Bride in Kabul Twenty years old and in love, Phyllis Chesler, a Jewish-American girl from Brooklyn, embarked on an adventure that has lasted for more than a half-century. In 1961, when she arrived in Kabul with her Afghan bridegroom, authorities took away her American passport. Chesler was now the property of her husband's family and had no rights of citizenship. Back in Afghanistan, her husband, a wealthy, westernized foreign college student with dreams of reforming his country, reverted to traditional and tribal customs. Chesler found herself unexpectedly trapped in a posh polygamous family, with no chance of escape. She fought against her seclusion and lack of freedom, her Afghan family's attempts to convert her from Judaism to Islam, and her husband's wish to permanently tie her to the country through childbirth. Drawing upon her personal diaries, An American Bride in Kabul is the story of how a naïve American girl learned to see the world through eastern as well as western eyes and came to appreciate Enlightenment values. This dramatic tale re-creates a time gone by, a place that is no more, and shares the way in which Chesler turned adversity into a passion for worldwide social, educational, and political reform. About Phyllis Chesler Phyllis Chesler is an Emerita Professor of Psychology and Women's Studies at City University of New York, bestselling author of over fourteen books, legendary feminist leader, and psychotherapist. She is co-founder of the Association for Women in Psychology and the National Women's Health Network, among others. Dr. Chesler has lectured and organised women's rights and human rights campaigns all over the world and has also appeared on outlets such as CNN, Fox News, The O'Rielly Factor, The Today Show, Oprah, and multiple NPR programs, including a three year tenure as a regular contributor to NPR's At the Opera. Her writings have been featured in The Washington Post, The International Herald Tribune, The Times, The Weekly Standard, National Review, The New York Times, Salon, The Globe and Mail, The Guardian and her archives are held at Duke University. About Calling Me Home 89-year-old Isabelle McAllister has a favour to ask her hairdresser Dorrie Curtis and it's a big one. Isabelle wants Dorrie, a black single mother in her thirties, to drop everything to drive her from her home in Arlington, Texas, to a funeral in Ohio. As they drive, Isabelle starts to tell her story: as a wilful teen in 1930s Kentucky, she fell deeply in love with Robert Prewitt, the black son of her family's housekeeper-in a town where blacks weren't allowed out after dark. The tale of their forbidden relationship and its tragic consequences makes it clear that Dorrie and Isabelle are headed for a gathering of the utmost importance, and that the history of Isabelle's first and greatest love just might help Dorrie find her own way. About Julie Kibler Julie Kibler grew up in Kentucky, New Mexico and Colorado, then moved to Texas to attend college and stayed because even the strangers were friendly. Aside from writing, she is a freelance editor and tries to keep up with her teenagers and a couple of shelter dogs who don't always appreciate their rescue. Julie Kibler began writing Calling Me Home after learning a bit of family lore - as a teen, her white paternal grandmother fell in love with a young black man, but their families tore them apart. http://readinggroups.org/offers/fiction-and-non-fiction-reading-group-offer-from-pan-and-palgrave-macmillan.html http://readinggroups.org/offers/fiction-and-non-fiction-reading-group-offer-from-pan-and-palgrave-macmillan.html Books for reading groups Books to review Offers Sun, 19 May 2013 12:26:11 +0100 After Eden - read and review We have five sets of ten copies of the new young adult novel After Eden to give away to young people's reading groups. To apply for a set simply fill in this short form before midnight on Monday 3 June. We'd like you to submit reviews of the book in early July. About the book When mysterious new boy Ryan Westland shows up at her school Eden Anfield is intrigued. On the face of it, he's a typical American teenager. So how come he doesn't recognise pizza and hasn't heard of Hitler? What puzzles Eden most, however, is the interest he's taking in her. As Eden falls in love with Ryan, she stumbles across a book in Ryan's bedroom - a biography of her best friend - written fifty years in the future. Unravelling Ryan's secret, she discovers he has one unbelievably important purpose . . . and she might just have destroyed his only chance of success. About the Author Helen Douglas is originally from Newlyn in Cornwall. She graduated from the LSE with a degree in economic history and after a stint as a subeditor in London, she moved to California, where she co-founded a theatre company and worked as a director. After a few years in New York she and her husband moved back to Cornwall to raise their children. Helen trained as an English teacher at Exeter University and went onto teach at her old secondary school, which was also the inspiration for the school in the book. http://readinggroups.org/offers/after-eden.html http://readinggroups.org/offers/after-eden.html Books for reading groups Offers Sun, 19 May 2013 12:26:11 +0100 The Academy: Game On We have five sets of ten copies of The Academy: Game On by Monica Seles to give away to young people's reading groups. To apply for a set simply fill in this short form before midnight on Monday 3 June. We'd like you to submit reviews of the book in early July. About the Book The Academy is the hottest international sports school for teen athletes. There are only two ways in: money - and lots of it - or enough talent to earn a scholarship. Young tennis star Maya's dreams have finally come true! She's got the scholarship. She's got the drive. She's on her way from small town to pro career... But when Maya starts boarding at the sports training school, her fantasy of the Academy doesn't quite match the reality - because where there are beautiful, talented teens, there's plenty of drama. Meet the players: Nicole: a tennis star who feels threatened by Maya (although she'd never admit it). Cleo: Maya's rebel / punk room-mate who's reaching the top of the golf world. Renee: a super-rich, super-gorgeous swimmer. Travis: the son of the Academy's owner and perfectly groomed to be the next big star of the National Football League. Jake: Travis's younger brother - and the bad boy of the school. About the Author Monica Seles won the French Open at the age of 16. She went on to become the number one ranked woman in tennis, winning a total of nine Grand Slam titles before retiring from the game in 2004. Monica was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2009. She is now an ambassador for IIMSAM, the Intergovernmental Institution for the use of Micro-algae Spirulina Against Malnutrition, and a board member of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which uses the power of sport as a tool for change. Monica's memoir, Getting a Grip - On My Body, My Mind, My Self, was a US bestseller. http://readinggroups.org/offers/books-for-reading-groups/the-academy-game-on.html http://readinggroups.org/offers/books-for-reading-groups/the-academy-game-on.html Books for reading groups Offers Sun, 19 May 2013 12:26:11 +0100 Meet the official Women's Prize for Fiction reading groups We've selected reading groups in three regions to be our official Women's Prize for Fiction reading groups. The groups are shadowing the 2013 Women's Prize and sharing their thoughts on the shortlist on the Women's Prize Google Communities page. If you and your reading group are reading one of the shortlist, you can also join in with the conversation on this page. The three regions taking part are the South East, Nottingham and Cumbria/Lancashire and here the participating groups introduce themselves: Cumbria/Lancashire Rigghead Readers, Cumbria Library Services Rigghead Readers was formed in November last year. We have seven members and aim to read as widely as possible covering both fiction - for example, Tender is the Night and non-fiction, such as Richard Macfarlane's The Old Ways. We also like to cover local authors such as Jacob Polley and Sarah Hall, who we are scheduled to read later this year. We have already read The Pinecone by Jenny Uglow, which like many of our books was provided by Cumbria Library Services. As we are a dispersed group living in a rural area we make the book evening a social event too and have made every meeting despite facing floods and snow. The 'All Js', Carlisle Library Tall or short, blond or brunette, single or married, divorced or widowed, business woman or vicar, realist or dreamer, we're all Js. Jacquis, Janets, Janines, Jens, Jennies and Julias who love to read, even though some Js have to conjure non-existent time from their packed schedules to enter the world of the latest reading group book. The All Js meet about every six weeks to discuss their latest novel, and only the J who collects the books from Carlisle Library ever knows in advance which title from their wish list will be unveiled on the evening. And even then, the other Js like to prolong the suspense of the surprise by insisting J introduces the next book with a charade. (After The Luminous Life of Lily Aphrodite, is anything impossible?) The All Js' views and book choices are as diverse as the individuals in the group and it's astonishing where their discussions can lead. And that's what the All Js love about getting together. That and J's mum's home-made biscuits and cakes. Houghton Book Group, Cumbria Library Services Houghton Book Group are a fun, informal gathering who meet one Tuesday night a month at the local pub. We use the Cumbria Libraries reading group service and have read a wide variety of titles. The group's stand-out favourite book ever is Dirt Music by Tim Winton; this was read three years ago and has yet to be toppled. We will be reading all of the shortlisted titles for the Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist and we will let you know how we get on via Google+. Alston Moor Reading Group, Alston Library The Alston Moor Reading Group was set up in 2004 and meets on the first Thursday of every month. Over the years countless books have been enjoyed, some not so much, but there is always a lively, fun and interesting discussion on the book of choice. Three of the original members still take part in the group which is made up of men and women. The Johnby Reading Group Our name is a bit misleading - we usually meet once a month in Johnby but most of our members come from surrounding villages, like Penruddock, Stainton, and Greystoke. We have far-reaching appeal! We enjoy reading books that spark debate - ones that are loved by some and loathed by others, such as The Suspicions of Mr Whicher - and encountering new authors. It's rare that we're unanimous in our thoughts of a title, but Niccolo Ammaniti's I'm Not Scared stood out as a book we all appreciated. While a book provides the focus of us getting together, we relish catching up on recent life events and, of course, local gossip. IVC reading group We are a group of people who are members of Border and Lakeland IVC who all live in Carlisle or just outside. We started the group about a year ago, and have found our local library in Carlisle to be very helpful in obtaining books for us. We meet in each others' homes and have lively discussions about the current book, usually with a glass of wine or a cup of tea (the drivers!) The first book we read was Dissolution by CJ Sansom and our latest read was Miss Garnet's Angel by Sally Vickers. South East Leighton Park PTA Book Group, Reading We've been meeting twice a term for two years. We generally have around 12 people attending each session, held in the school library, with the inevitable cakes and coffee (sometimes wine) and always plenty to say!! The group is organised by myself (school librarian) and three parents and, at this time of yea,r we're inviting nominations for and choosing next year's reads. The opportunity to get involved in shadowing the Women's Fiction Prize was an unexpected 'gift' and everyone is looking forward to meeting up with other groups from the region. We'll be reading Zadie Smith's NW. This has been a lucky term for us - we've also just enjoyed hosting an evening with Tracy Chevalier and are off to see the new Great Gatsby film next week. The PTA Book Club is a great way for parents to get to know each other and socialise as well as providing an opportunity to share our love of books! Bookworms, Sunbury Library We are 14 regular readers who huddle over coffee in the corner of Sunbury Library on a Tuesday afternoon every six weeks, and have been meeting since September 2010. We swap opinions on our chosen book and chew over anything remotely connected with the subject matters especially those connected to our own life experiences. We usually give our books a mark out of 10. We love it when we really enjoy a book we wouldn't have otherwise read. We'll be reading Maria Semple's Where'd You Go Bernadette. Ashcroft Reading Group, Fareham A group of 10 female readers meeting monthly at the Ashcroft Arts Centre. The group has been running for six years, with quite a number of original members. We read mainly contemporary fiction and love discovering new writers... We're excited to be reading A M Homes' May We Be Forgiven. We look forward to our discussions, sometimes second guessing whether others will like or loathe the book! At the end of each session we award the book star ratings, both as a personal read and as a reading group discussion. Books and Banter, Slough Library We are a friendly group with a range of ages from mid-30s and beyond. We like to read anything and everything. In the last few months we've read and very much enjoyed fiction like Wool by Hugh Howey and Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger, and non-fiction like The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer. This range of fiction, genre fiction and non-fiction is typical. We like to read something different from what we would normally read and get to the bottom of why we like or don't like a book and what is interesting about them. We also love to talk about reading in general and just have a good chat. Our Women's Prize for Fiction title is Life after Life by Kate Atkinson. Perouse Reading Group, Epsom Library With the origin of the core group lost in the midst of time, the Perouse Reading Group consists of 10-12 members who meet one evening a month in Epsom Library. Always prepared to read an eclectic range of books...the members of the group are not shy to express their views and a lively debate often ensues. We'll be reading Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver. Nottingham Nottingham Library Tuesday Readers Group Reading Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver We are a group of about 14 people who have been meeting together for over 10 years. We meet at the Central Library and tend to read either literary fiction or the classics. We have some great conversations, especially when we don't agree about a book. We have a wide age range of members; although most of the group are female, we do have several men who are part of the book club. Nottingham Library Thursday Book Club Reading Where Did You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple Our group has been meeting for about five years, and membership has changed a lot over that time. The group has recently grown in size which is great and we currently have about 10 active members. We read all sorts of things - thrillers, modern novels and classics and are really looking forward to reading the Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist. Aspley Book Club Reading N W by Zadie Smith We are a small but enthusiastic book group who have been meeting together for over 10 years in Aspley Library. We have very different tastes which makes for some really good discussions. We have shadowed the Orange Prize for many years, and are looking forward to reading one of the books from the Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist. Punjabi Ladies Club Reading Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel As the name suggests we are a group of Punjabi ladies who love to read. Our group has been meeting together for over 10 years and has grown in size significantly during this period. We meet in people's homes and are a very friendly group. We now have over 20 members. We are willing to try all sorts of different genres and have read crime, children's books, literary novels, classics... we haven't tried horror yet! Wollaton Library Reading Groups Reading May We Be Forgiven by A M Homes These are 2 reading groups that meet on a Tuesday evening at Wollaton library; the second formed from the waiting list to join the original group. Both groups will tackle difficult books such as Julie Myerson's Then but will happily read thrillers, literary prize nominations and classics. The groups are multigenerational and mainly women. We would welcome new members. Wilford Wanderers Reading Life After Life by Kate Atkinson We are determined readers who, when their meeting place closed, continued to meet in each others' homes. This now takes us across a wide area of the city; our reading reflects this as we read a wide range of genres. Get involved Check out the Women's Prize Google Communities page to see what these reading groups think of the shortlist. Get involved with the Women's Prize for Fiction - let us know what you think of the shortlisted books by commenting below or log on to Google+ (if you're not a member you'll need to create a gmail account) to share your views with the rest of the Women's Prize Google Community. http://readinggroups.org/news/the-womens-prize-official-reading-groups.html http://readinggroups.org/news/the-womens-prize-official-reading-groups.html News Sun, 19 May 2013 12:26:11 +0100 Author focus: Graeme Simsion answers our questions We caught up with Graeme Simsion while he was visiting Britain to promote his new book The Rosie Project. We asked him about his reading habits, where he got his inspiration and his future writing plans. The interview For anyone who hasn't read The Rosie Project, can you give us the plot in a couple of lines? A socially-awkward genetics professor sets out to find a wife the only way he knows how - scientifically. After his 16-page questionnaire fails to find the perfect woman, he meets Rosie, a feisty barmaid who ticks none of Don's boxes. But she needs Don for a quest of her own - to find her biological father. Don is an interesting, charming and funny character. Is he based on any people you know? I brought together two separate story ideas - the socially-inept man looking for love and the woman looking for her father. The first idea came from a friend's quest. The second I'd had fifteen years earlier, and given to my partner, who had abandoned it. Both were dramas - the switch to comedy came as I developed the story. Don's character was inspired and informed by people I've met in information technology and academe. And, as with all my characters, there's a dash of me in him. The book is funny as well as moving, how important do you think that is? And how did you achieve that tricky balance of being sympathetic of a character with Asperger's and being comedic at the same time. I think the success of the book has a lot to do with it being funny. There are plenty of moving or thought-provoking books out there, but it's actually quite hard to be laugh-out-loud funny on the page. I feel Don is a gift there - wherever he goes, there's the prospect of comedy. I prefer the word 'empathetic' to 'sympathetic' here, because I see Don as being different rather than disabled. He's a fish out of water - and that's a very traditional comedy premise. The beauty of it is that it cuts both ways - sometimes we laugh at his failure to grasp the culture around him, but equally we laugh when he exposes the sometimes irrational assumptions of that culture. Think Crocodile Dundee in LA - sometimes he looks the fool, but then he pulls out his knife... But we're also, from the first word ('I'), asked to identify with Don. So we may be laughing, but we're on his side, rooting for him as the Americans say. You'd originally intended for the story to be a screenplay. Did you find it challenging going from writing screenplays to writing a novel? At what point did you decide it was a novel? The re-writing as a novel was very easy. I had characters, story, even dialogue. I needed to add Don's thoughts, which were not on the page, but after five years of developing the screenplay were very much in my head. It took seven weeks from start to the manuscript that got me the publishing deal. The timing was basically when I'd 'finished' with the screenplay - it had done its job of getting a producer (who I later bought out) interested. How have people you've met responded to the book? And what's been the most interesting question you've been asked about the book? So far the feedback has been great - especially from the autism / Asperger's community, which I'm very happy about. My goal was to make people laugh, cry and think - and I'm pleased that it seems to be able to do all three in many cases. I wanted it to be funny and readable, but have something below the surface if people wanted to go there. Overall, the Italian press asked the most intellectual questions - they were interested in the ideas in the book, which was a bit of a challenge for a jet-lagged author! One asked "is society becoming more autistic?" - a great question that I've reflected on since. I just hope my answer at the time made sense. (Yes, if we think of the term broadly, perhaps it is. Social media in particular can give us connection without intimacy.) What do libraries mean to you? Why are they important? Well, right now, I think of libraries as hosting book events. I'm going to one tonight! And, for me, the service they provide in bringing people - especially local people - together around books or other culture is their most important service. I'm not much of a book borrower, but The Rosie Project has opened my eyes to how important that aspect is to many members of the community who would not read my book otherwise. Our mission is to inspire people to read more, we're passionate about giving everyone an equal chance in life by helping people become enthusiastic readers. How important is reading in your own life and what book would you recommend to a reluctant young reader? Reading is central to my life. Like many males, I read a lot of non-fiction, and in the last five years I've read less fiction as I've been writing myself. I've had to draw on what I've read in the past! To a reluctant reader - of any age - I would forget about any idea of imposing my idea of 'quality' - the most important thing is to read something that keeps you turning the pages. I'd certainly consider non-fiction. Try Shackleton's Diaries, the latest fantasy series (before it gets to the screen) if that appeals, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, any of the page-turning thrillers - Ludlum, Shibumi by Trevanian, or, may I humbly suggest, The Rosie Project... I'm probably showing my age with this selection. Your top five favourite books of all time I feel like Rob in High Fidelity, pondering the list for years, then panicking when actually asked. I re-think it all the time. And the books are chosen because they affected me at a particular time, which has as much to do with where I was at as the intrinsic quality of the book. A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving (makes the reader laugh, cry, think. That's my aim.) One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich - Alexander Solzhenitsyn (read at 15 - for me, a powerful statement about human nature.) Gödel Escher Bach - Douglas Hofstadter (Read when I was a computer / maths geek. A bit of a cult book amongst us.) The Third Chimpanzee - Jared Diamond (Eye opening as is Guns Germs and Steel). The Stone Diaries - Carol Shields (A few scenes that have stuck with me. The man throwing away his possessions and walking to the Orkneys is an image that I have a special affinity for.) The most important book you've never read Man's Search for Meaning - Victor Frankl The book that changed your life The Unkindest Cut - Joe Queenan - this inspired me to make a low-budget feature film and set me off on a writing career. Which book do you wish you'd written The sequel to The Rosie Project. Nice to get it done! Anything else implies being someone other than me, or having different ambitions. I could say Chronicles: Volume One by Bob Dylan, because to write it I'd have to be the most influential artist of the 20th Century, or A Brief History of Time, because I'd have realised my original ambition of being a theoretical physicist. But I'm totally happy with where I am and where I'm going. I am in awe of some literary writers that I don't believe I could emulate - James Joyce's Ulysses comes to mind - but that's not what I wish I'd written. OK, if I'm not allowed to be precious, I'll pick Hofstadter's Gödel Escher Bach - original, reflects a renaissance mind, and got a Pulitzer... The best fan mail you ever got A tweet from a bookseller who had a guy who had never read a book come into the shop. She gave him The Rosie Project. What's next for you? A sequel. And the screenplay - The Rosie Project has been optioned to Sony Pictures and I have the job or updating my screenplay. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion is published by Michael Joseph, £12.99 hardback Get involved Follow Graeme Simsion on Twitter. Or visit Graeme's website. Have you or your reading group read The Rosie Project? We'd love to hear your thoughts. Please post your comments below or email them to us. http://readinggroups.org/tips/author-focus-graeme-simsion-answers-our-questions.html http://readinggroups.org/tips/author-focus-graeme-simsion-answers-our-questions.html Author focus Tips Sun, 19 May 2013 12:26:11 +0100 Soul Shadows photo competition We are excited to be running a fun photo competition with Curious Fox to celebrate the publication of their new horror book Soul Shadows by Alex Woolf. One lucky young people's reading group will win 10 tickets to the cinema and a reading group set of Soul Shadows. The competition To be in with a chance of winning 10 cinema tickets and 10 copies of Soul Shadows for your reading group, all you have to do is take a photograph of your shadow. Scare us or make us laugh, just be creative with your shadow snaps! The winning group will be chosen by the author Alex Woolf. Submit your shadow photographs to juliana.oliver@readingagency.org.uk by June 10th. For some inspiration read a sample of Soul Shadows (click on 'Google Preview'), and have a look at some of the Curious Fox team's shadow photos. You can also download the competition flier to pass around your reading group. About Soul Shadows Estelle thinks that a stay in a remote cottage will give her the peace and quiet that she needs, but the nearby wood holds a terrible secret. Can she and her friend Sandor discover what s going on in the mysterious military lab, before it's too late? Shadows come to life, and can be good or bad, depending on who is controlling them ... Terms and conditions: By entering the competition you agree to these terms 1. One entry per individual 2. If the group reviews the book this review will be promoted by Curious Fox but does not influence the competition 3. Runner up group will receive five copies of Soul Shadows 4. Photos to be submitted to The Reading Agency 5. Closing date is 10 June, winner to be announced within 10 working days and judged by Author Alex Woolf 6. Tickets will be provided in the form of vouchers to a cinema of the winning groups' choice, to the value of 10 tickets. 7. Competition only open to UK 8. No cash prize alternative is offered http://readinggroups.org/offers/soul-shadows-photo-competition.html http://readinggroups.org/offers/soul-shadows-photo-competition.html Competitions Offers Sun, 19 May 2013 12:26:11 +0100 Win a live online reading group session with the winner of the 2013 Women's Prize for Fiction We have a fantastic opportunity for readers to win the chance to participate in a live online chat in a 'Google+ Hangout' with the winning author of the 2013 Women's Prize for Fiction - to be announced on 5 June. This event will be the next in a series of live interactive Women's Prize conversations on Google+ taking place to mark the 2013 Women's Prize for Fiction, known as the Orange Prize for Fiction between 1996 and 2012. You can watch the latest hangout below, and visit the Women's Prize YouTube page to watch other previous hangouts. The shortlist for the 2013 Women's Prize for Fiction is Kate Atkinson for Life After Life, A.M. Homes for May We Be Forgiven, Barbara Kingsolver for Flight Behaviour, Hilary Mantel for Bring Up the Bodies, Maria Semple for Where'd You Go Bernadette and Zadie Smith for NW. Four people will win the chance to pose questions to this year's winning Women's Prize author in the Google+ Hangout. Prize co-founder and bestselling novelist Kate Mosse will also be chairing the session. For your chance to win a place in the hangout, simply submit a 50-word entry to using this online form stating why you should be chosen, and which three questions you would ask the 2013 winner. The deadline for entries is Friday 24 May. The four winners will need to available to take part in the Google+ Hangout on Thursday 6 June (time TBC) and be ready 30 minutes before the start of the event for a technical run-through. The winners will also need a PC computer or laptop, a hard-wired internet connection, a webcam, a gmail account and earphones to be able to participate It's easy to join a Women's Prize Google+ Hangout - simply log on to Google.com/+WomensPrizeforFiction. Please note: the competition prize of a hangout session with the winner of the 2013 Women's Prize for Fiction 2013 is subject to events out of the Prize's control such as the unavailability of the winning author. http://readinggroups.org/offers/win-a-session-with-the-winner-of-the-2013-womens-prize-for-fiction.html http://readinggroups.org/offers/win-a-session-with-the-winner-of-the-2013-womens-prize-for-fiction.html Meet the author Offers Sun, 19 May 2013 12:26:11 +0100 0