This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by A Horse Walks into a Bar by David Grossman, new in paperback from Vintage Books.
Female Writers Dominated 2017’s Bestsellers
Margaret Atwood, Sarah Perry, Zadie Smith and more women dominated the UK’s list of top 10 bestselling literary authors of 2017, according to an analysis by The Booksellers. Atwood topped the list at almost £2.8m with The Handmaid’s Tale and Alias Grace, followed by Perry at £1.6m with The Essex Serpent. Haruki Murakami was the only male writer on the list. The Bookseller noted that they “made somewhat arbitrary value judgments about what is ‘literary,'” and limited themselves to those who won or were shortlisted for major awards.
Lupita Nyong’o Will Publish Her First Children’s Book
Look out for Lupita Nyong’o’s first children’s book, Sulwe, in January 2019. The story follows five-year-old Sulwe from Kenya as she learns to see the beauty of her dark skin while on an adventure in the night sky. According to a New York Times piece, the 12 Years A Slave and Black Panther star was motivated to write the story because of her own childhood struggles with her complexion and self-image.
Fire and Fury Picked Up For TV Adaptation
Endeavor Content has purchased film and television rights to Michael Wolff’s Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House. Endeavor Content plans to adapt the controversial book about Donald Trump’s first year as president as a TV series, though a network is not yet attached. Wolff will executive produce the series.