The New York Times reports on an international scam that is tricking writers, editors, and agents into sending their unpublished manuscripts. So far, it is unclear what the scammers are doing with the drafts. Catherine Eccles, the owner of a literary talent agency in London, told the Times: “They know who our clients are, they know how we interact with our clients, where sub-agents fit in and where primary agents fit in. They’re very, very good.”
The Brooklyn Institute for Social Research is offering a Proust-themed gift card. Courses in early 2021 include an introduction to Frantz Fanon, a primer on sabotage, and a look at the problem of evil, among many others.
PEN America has released its 2021 Literary Awards longlists.
Lithub names the ten biggest literary stories of the year including the Trump book boom, the Harper’s Magazine open letter, the American Dirt controversy, the rise of antiracist literature, and more.
Roxane Gay is starting a reading group. The Audacious Book Club will begin in January, discussing Black Futures, edited by Jenna Wortham and Kimberly Drew, and will focus on one book per month.
The recently passed pandemic stimulus package includes increased aid to struggling local newsrooms.
Tonight, the Brooklyn Public Library and Greenlight Bookstore host Leanne Shapton for the Climate Reads series. Shapton will lead a discussion of Bonnie Tsui’s Why We Swim.