Weeky book agenda: Philip Roth's 'Nemesis' hits the shelves

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Pulitzer Prize-winner Philip Roth is set to release his 31st title, Nemesis, on October 5 and 7 (US/UK). Also the Frankfurt Book Fair opens its doors October 6, offering thousands of events for book lovers, publishers, and authors.

Blio reader begins roll-out
September 28
International

The Blio e-reading platform, a highlight among e-reader software presented at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, is set to get a long-awaited launch for Windows devices on September 28, with applications for iOS and Android systems to follow soon after. Blio's major advantage over other e-reading apps is its book-like format, which makes it a top choice for titles with detailed illustrations, such as textbooks, children's books, cookbooks, and travel guides. The software also features integrated web links, video support, highlighting, searching, synchronization, and a text-to-speech function for hands-free reading, and supports ePub and PDF titles. The free app will available for download at the Blio website.
http://www.blioreader.com


'Noah Barleywater Runs Away'
September 30
International

Irish writer John Boyne, author of the internationally best-selling children's book The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, is due to publish a second book for children. Illustrated by award-winning Irish artist Oliver Jeffers, Noah Barleywater Runs Away is, according to Boyne, "a very different book to The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - more fairytale than fable - with a mystery at the centre and a surprise at the end." Boyne is the author of seven novels that have been published in 40 languages. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, the story of a young boy growing up in WWII Berlin, was Boyne's first book for children; written in 2006, it has sold more than 200 million copies worldwide, became a best-seller in the UK, the USA, Ireland, Australia, Spain, and many other countries, and was adapted into a 2008 film.

"World's Best Restaurant" publishes cookbook
October 4
International

René Redzepi, the head chef of Copenhagen-based restaurant Noma, is set to publish the first major recipe book for his restaurant, which was awarded the top honor at the San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants awards in April. Noma: Time & Place in Nordic Cuisine will feature more than 90 original recipes, as well as 200 color photographs of the dishes, ingredients, suppliers, and landscapes of the Nordic region. The book will also examine Redzepi's food, philosophy, and creative inspiration, including diary excerpts, a look at how he obtains his locally sourced products, and a behind-the-scenes look at the two-Michelin-star restaurant.

Giller Prize announces shortlist
October 5
Canada

On September 20, the longlist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, Canada's most prestigious literary award, was announced, with high-profile writers Douglas Coupland, Tom Rachman, Jane Urquhart, and David Bergen in the running for the CA$50,000 (€37,000) prize. This year's jury, which includes journalist Michael Enright, author Claire Messud, and writer Ali Smith, selected 13 books from 98 submitted by 38 Canadian publishers. Now in its 17th year, the Giller Prize celebrates the best Canadian novels and short-story collections published in English, including translations. The Giller Prize will announce its shortlist nominees on Tuesday, October 5.
http://www.scotiabankgillerprize.ca/


Philip Roth, 'Nemesis'
October 5/7
USA/UK

Nemesis is the 31st title by American author Philip Roth. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author, 76, is considered one of the most important American authors of his generation. Nemesis is called "a work of fiction set in the summer of 1944 that tells of a polio epidemic and its effects on a closely knit Newark community and its children." Roth's previous novels include American Pastoral, The Human Stain, and his most recent title, The Humbling.


Frankfurt Book Fair
October 6-10
Frankfurt, Germany

The Frankfurt Book Fair, the world's largest, offers more than 2,900 events, organized by publishers, cultural organizations, and other groups. Major authors Ken Follett (the upcoming The Fall of Giants), Jonathan Franzen ( Freedom), Bret Easton Ellis ( Imperial Bedrooms), and Günter Grass (the upcoming Grimms Wörter) will be attending this year's fair. More than 7,000 exhibitors from 100 countries and nearly 300,000 visitors attended the 2009 event. Argentina will be the Guest of Honor at the 2010 fair.
http://www.buchmesse.de/en/fbf

World's most expensive book on view
October 7-11
Paris, France

The world's most expensive book, James John Audubon's Birds of America, valued at £4-6 million (€4.9-7.3 million) will be on display at Sotheby's Paris, October 7-11. As part of a collection of rare books and manuscripts, the book will go on auction London on December 7 following public viewings in Paris, New York (October 30-November 5), and London (December 3-5). Also on display is what is considered the most important book of the English language, a copy of Shakespeare's First Folio, valued at £1-1.5 million (€1.2-1.8 million).
http://www.sothebys.com

Man Booker Prize
October 12
London, England

The prestigious Man Booker Prize for Fiction is awarded annually to an English-language novel from an author hailing from either the Commonwealth of Nations, Ireland, or Zimbabwe. The 2010 shortlist includes Peter Carey's Parrot and Olivier in America, Emma Donoghue's Room, Damon Galgut's In a Strange Room, Howard Jacobson's The Finkler Question, Andrea Levy's The Long Song, and Tom McCarthy's C. The 2010 winner will be announced on October 12 in London. Fans can keep up with the status of the awards via Twitter (@manbookerprize) or through a newly launched Man Booker Prize application for iOS, which also includes audio and video content and a GPS feature.                              
http://www.themanbookerprize.com/prize/man-booker-prize


Rick Riordan's 'The Lost Hero'
October 12
International

The internationally best-selling author of the Percy Jackson series, is set to release a spin-off series called The Heroes of the Olympus, beginning with The Lost Hero. In the Percy Jackson series, a 12-year-old boy diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD discovers he is the son of a Greek god and is sent to Camp Half-Blood, a camp for children with a Greek god for a parent. The Lost Hero will feature a new cast of characters from the Percy Jackson books, but the series, says Riordan, is "set in Percy Jackson's world, and Percy has an important role to play in the series." Five Heroes of Olympus books are planned in all.
http://www.camphalfblood.com



Nelson Mandela's 'Conversations with Myself'
October 11/12
USA/UK

Nobel Prize winner Nelson Mandela is set to release his memoir Conversations with Myself on October 11 and 12 in the US and the UK respectively. Assembled from journals, diaries, letters, and records of private conversations, the book spans the course of his storied life - from his 27 years in prison to his presidency of South Africa. C onversations with Myself boasts a forward written by US President Barack Obama, and its publication marks the 20th anniversary of Mandela's release from prison.

National Book Awards announce finalists
October 13
USA

The National Book Awards, the prestigious US literary awards, will announce its 20 finalists for 2010 on October 13 at the Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home in Savannah, Georgia. Acclaimed author and Georgia native Pat Conroy will announce this year's finalists in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and young people's literature.
http://www.nationalbook.org