News - Literary News
News - Literary News

Elle Magazine featured THE PROPHETS by Robert Jones Jr. on its “Essential Pride Reading List.” They write: “Just based on the modern media and publishing, one might think that queerness didn’t exist before the late 20th century, and certainly not for Black people. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. In THE PROPHETS, Jones takes readers back to a time in history when being Black and queer was unspeakable, and those who dared to love and be loved were true activists.” Amazon Book Review also featured THE PROPHETS as one of its Editors’ Picks for Pride month. Senior editor Erin Kodicek praises: “[A] lyrical but devastating debut novel that shines a harsher light on a shameful legacy that is still deeply felt today. It’s also a profound reminder of love’s power to repudiate it.” G.P. Putnam’s Sons published the novel on January 5, 2021.

CHINA ROOM by Sunjeev Sahota received glowing praise from Claire Messud in Harper’s Magazine. She writes: “Sahota creates an all but unbearable tension...[She] is a restrained stylist whose details bloom in the imagination.” Viking will publish the book on July 13, 2021.

EVERYTHING NOW by Rosecrans Baldwin is a Los Angeles Times bestseller for the week of July 4, 2021, appearing at number 6 in Hardcover Nonfiction. MCD published the book on June 15, 2021.

In celebration of their fiftieth anniversary, Powell’s included TIGHTROPE by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn as one of its “50 Books for 50 Years,” a list of books that “not only show us who we have been as a country and a species and where we are going, but the power of the right words, at the right time, to act as a mirror and a beacon.” Powell’s praises TIGHTROPE for “ris[ing] above the pack with its compassionate portrayal of its subjects, careful research, intersectional analysis, and thoughtful policy solutions.” Knopf published the book on January 14, 2020.

Joss Lake’s debut novel, FUTURE FEELING, was hailed by The Cut as “the queer surrealism you’ve been waiting for,” while Real Change News calls it “enthralling, captivating.” The book has been a darling of Pride Month and summer recommended reading lists, including roundups from WRAL, Nylon, Lambda Literary, Ms. (“vivid, imaginative, and immersive”), and Vogue, and a staff pick for Paris Review. Joss was featured in New York Magazine’s “Grub Street Diet” and Shelf Awareness’s “Reading With,” and an excerpt of the first chapter was published on Tor.com. Soft Skull published the book on June 1, 2021.

Maggie Nelson's forthcoming essay collection ON FREEDOM was named one of Publishers Weekly’s Top 10 Essays & Literary Criticism titles for fall 2021. The book was also featured on USA Today's summer reading roundup. They write: "Drawing on a vast range of pop culture and critical theory, the celebrated cultural critic explores the ways we think, experience and discuss the concept of freedom." Graywolf Press will publish the book on September 7, 2021.

Publishers Weekly named the LETTER TO A STRANGER collection, edited by Colleen Kinder and featuring essays from writers including Elizabeth Kolbert, Pico Iyer, and Leslie Jamison, on its Top 10 Essays & Literary Criticism Titles for fall 2021. Algonquin Books will publish the collection on October 5, 2021.

BuzzFeed featured an excerpt from Lauren Etter’s THE DEVIL’S PLAYBOOK, focusing on the point in time in which cigarette alternatives began to reach critical mass. Crown published the book on May 25, 2021.

APPLESEED by Matt Bell is a New York Times notable release for July. They praise: "Bell’s novel — equal parts techno-thriller and science fiction — is an ambitious, time-bending take on climate change.” Custom House will publish the book on July 13, 2021.

THE OLD ENEMY by Henry Porter was lauded in Graydon Carter’s weekly newsletter, Air Mail. They write: “Anyone who has read Porter’s books knows he is a first-class thriller writer, and his latest, the third in a trilogy starring onetime M.I.6 agent Paul Samson, should bring him even more fans…For those who like their international spy thrillers shaken and stirred, THE OLD ENEMY is the ideal tonic.” Atlantic Monthly Press published the book on June 8, 2021.