A Google chat with Nobel Peace Prize-winner Leymah Gbowee

Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee stopped by Google to discuss her new memoir, Mighty Be Our Powers: How Sisterhood, Prayer, and Sex Changed a Nation at War (Beast Books, 2011)

Interview with Melanie Notkin, author and founder, Savvy Auntie

In this exclusive interview for Digital Book World, Rich Fahle of Astral Road Media interviews Melanie Notkin, author and Founder of Savvy Auntie, who discusses niches, marketing, and communicating with your audience through social media

ALPSP Fundamentals of eProduction

Whether your production facility remains in-house or you have an outsourced arrangement, a knowledge of underlying technologies and associated jargon is essential. This course explains the current, common technologies used within the production workflow:- manuscript submission systems; file delivery mechanisms (such as FTP); PDF and PDF-X; use of SGML and XML for online products. A portion of the day will be dedicated to a 'clinic' where delegates are invited to bring along specific problems for discussion - 22 November 2011 - London, UK

American Libraries launches E-Content blog

Keeping up with the many varieties of digital content - and how libraries can offer them to their patrons - just got easier. American Libraries has launched an "E-Content" blog that provides information on e-books, e-readers, e-journals, databases, digital libraries, digital repositories, and other e-content issues. The blog complements the new section on e-content that appears in the weekly e-newsletter American Libraries Direct and focuses on similar issues

Gomorrah author Roberto Saviano wins Pen/Pinter International writer of courage award

An Italian author who has been in hiding since writing an expose about the Naples mafia has won the Pen/Pinter International writer of courage award. Roberto Saviano's 2006 book Gomorrah explores the vast reach and corruption of the Camorra. Mr Saviano, 32, has lived under constant police protection since death threats were issued against him by the mafia in 2006. He is sharing the prize with British playwright Sir David Hare. The Pen/Pinter Prize was established by the writers' charity Pen in 2009 in memory of British playwright Harold Pinter

Wexford is me, Ruth Rendell confesses

Author Ruth Rendell has admitted that her famous creation, Ch Insp Reginald Wexford, is based on her. Appearing at The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, she said: "However you look at it, he is me." Rendell, made a peer in 1997, said she gave Wexford many of her habits as well as her hatred of corporal punishment and a memory for birthdays. She also paid tribute to the late actor George Baker who played Wexford on TV series The Ruth Rendell Mysteries. The 80-year-old, from West Lavington, Wiltshire, died of pneumonia on Friday following a recent stroke. "Where would Wexford have been without George?" Rendell said

International Festival of Authors (Ontario, Canada)

The International Festival of Authors brings together the best writers of contemporary world literature for 12 days of readings, interviews, lectures, round table discussions, and public book signings each October. The IFOA presents a number of special events including readings by Scotiabank Giller Prize, Governor General's Literary Awards, and Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize finalists, as well as the awarding of the Harbourfront Festival Prize. IFOA Ontario, the festival's touring programme, now stops in 17 locations across the province

A talk on illustrator and novelist Mervyn Peake

Mervyn Peake author of the three celebrated Gormenghast books, was one of the most multi-talented artists of the 20th Century. Painter,novelist,author of children's books and nonsense verse, war artist, post and dramatist, he also illustrated such classic works as Treasure Island, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Ancient Mariner, Grimm's Household Tales and Bleak House. A man of extraordinary vision and artistic creations are unforgettable, and his influence felt to this day - 11 October 2011 - London, UK

Maney editorial board member wins Nobel Prize

Dr Jules A Hoffmann, Editorial Board member for the Maney journal Pathogens and Global Health, has jointly won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2011

PA Bulletin 10th October 2011 (UK)

PA Bulletin 10th October 2011, from The Publishers Association, UK, is now available online #publisher #publishing