UK Literary Luvvies

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elwb said:
I heard Zadie Smith admit in a podcast she’d give a good coverline to a friend even if she thought the book terrible. She had the integrity to admit it and it was fascinating to hear her debate the ethics. rather than these women who just circle around one another’s podcasts/coverlines/festivals saying nice things about any old crap.
Zadie was only talking about the circumstances of a good friend - these women are rent a quote in the promise of getting one in return from anyone.
Holly Bourne is another offender. Dawn o porter - who I saw admit on Instagram barely reads. Imagine Zadie Smith saying I don’t really read apart from occasionally promoting her media mates work?
It’s so irritating. On the high low there were some great reviews and recommendations but in the end you had to unpick where it was just this circle who need free promo and it became pointless.
I actively avoid books any of these people are on the cover of. I know tattle has a bad rep for just being horrible but tbh a thread like this is important to stop us being ripped off quite frankly.
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I remember Holly Bourne moaning on Twitter about Wordle being too hard because it had a slightly obscure word and flouncing in a hilariously OTT way. I started reading her murder book (can't remember the name) and gave up because it was crap.
The Cows was hilariously bad, me and my mum share a kindle library which is why I read it but, it's OKAY not to be a writer. Nobody is forced to do it, DOP is a much more natural presenter or vintage clothing seller.
I recently got Adults by Emma Jane Unsworth out of the library, I read 100 pages and returned it, it reminded me of The Cows with the with an influencer/blogger storyline that reads as outdated as soon as its published. On the cover there are recommendations from Jessie Burton (I liked the miniaturist!) plus old faves Dolly and Marian who'll say anything's good.
 
So I don’t actually know who Stephen Mangan is but assume he’s related to Lucy Mangan to get her a job in the media :) so nepotistic
 

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queenamber said:
Kanye “White Lives Matter” Wests’s followers.

*pretends to be shocked*

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Yeah if Kanye was a white man having a breakdown and behaving as he does and sharing conservative viewpoints they wouldn’t be following him :)

Why did Dolly Alderton and Elizabeth Day apply for a blue tick, yeah there’s going to be sooo many people impersonating them cos they’re soooo illustrious :)
 
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soph30 said:
Yeah if Kanye was a white man having a breakdown and behaving as he does and sharing conservative viewpoints they wouldn’t be following him :)

Why did Dolly Alderton and Elizabeth Day apply for a blue tick, yeah there’s going to be sooo many people impersonating them cos they’re soooo illustrious :)
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Seriously , all of this. Part of me feels embarrassed for them in their earnestness to appear to have an understanding and more importantly actually care about anyone outside their insulated bubble. But then i remember these are largely well educated and seemingly well read women, there is really no excuse.
 
queenamber said:
Kanye “White Lives Matter” Wests’s followers.

*pretends to be shocked*

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Hmm I do think this is probably the case that they’ve just been following Kanye for a long time and haven’t actively unfollowed - loads of people I follow don’t even come up on my timeline anymore. There have been people I’ve unfollowed who I didn’t realise I even was initially!

I really don’t think they’re supporting WLM. x
 
Mermaid456 said:
Hmm I do think this is probably the case that they’ve just been following Kanye for a long time and haven’t actively unfollowed - loads of people I follow don’t even come up on my timeline anymore. There have been people I’ve unfollowed who I didn’t realise I even was initially!

I really don’t think they’re supporting WLM. x
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I agree, but I also think he would have been unfollowed a lot more quickly by the usual types if he was white for fear of a backlash, they know how they want to appear in the media :) Little off topic I know.
It’s not just the race thing by the way, it’s the general echo-chamberness. A woman would get more leeway as a badly behaved CEO who threw things at staff for example than a man would- he’d be cancelled immediately. I understand the power dynamics, I’m a woman myself, but they all follow the same status quo of what’s “allowed” and what isn’t, which shows they’re not really being brave and making considered decisions about what’s presented to them, which they should be as journalists 🤷🏻‍♀️
 
Mermaid456 said:
Hmm I do think this is probably the case that they’ve just been following Kanye for a long time and haven’t actively unfollowed - loads of people I follow don’t even come up on my timeline anymore. There have been people I’ve unfollowed who I didn’t realise I even was initially!

I really don’t think they’re supporting WLM. x
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I agree they probably don’t even realize they’re following him, but they need to do better. Kanye has been problematic for a long time. These women have a platform and they should realize they have an influence. They’ll post a black square on Instagram and call themselves allies of BIPOC but then passively support someone like this. All of their liberal politics just starts to feel performative once you really dig into them. Same for Dolly writing for The Times and Elizabeth writing for The Telegraph. Their own morals seem to go out the window when it comes to their pay checks.
 
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Just popping in to say I can't bear columnists full stop. It must be such a pain to have to opine on some pressing issue every week. And it shows! There are way too many columnists and this lot's work is dintinctively average when you compare it to some of the brilliant stuff you find on Substack. Also, agree with the person who pointed out the unimaginative cliche of having a podcast to accompany your book, which generally follows the trend of having this circle jerk of luvvies all guesting on each others pods. Yawn! At least switch up the format 🙄
 
How to Fail book by Elizabeth Day
How to Fail podcast by Elizabeth Day
How to Fail live tour by Elizabeth Day
How to Fail merch by Elizabeth Day
Failosophy by Elizabeth Day
And just in time for the Christmas/New Year cash grab, Failosophy FOR TEENS by Elizabeth Day.

Someone please make it stop 😂
 
queenamber said:
How to Fail book by Elizabeth Day
How to Fail podcast by Elizabeth Day
How to Fail live tour by Elizabeth Day
How to Fail merch by Elizabeth Day
Failosophy by Elizabeth Day
And just in time for the Christmas/New Year cash grab, Failosophy FOR TEENS by Elizabeth Day.

Someone please make it stop 😂
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I've never read How to Fail, but my friend did. She said it was one big humblebrag despite the misleading tite.
 
Oh please can we not forget the time at Daily mails fun, light, Tory white womens Sunday read of choice YOU magazine with Jo Elvin. Good pals, jumped ship 2/3 months before Jo?

With such master pieces as …well I tried to research but really cringed myself inside out.

But I do remember there was dismissal of ‘fake fun’ article.

Then the one off interview in 2019 or Liz Truss - calling her role as PM.

Oh also let’s not forget the other writer who was one of the first EVER pretty woman to be divorced Rosie Green.
 
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I love this thread.
My main gripe with this horrible avalanche of mediocre-bad books is that it makes searching for my next read SO hard.

I love a page turner but it has to be high quality and I feel that’s been lost because The page-turner market is full of stuff that is borderline unreadable.

There is a serious talent to writing escapist, relatable novels but in my view that genre was dismissed as chick lit and standards dropped in favour of all the fluff surrounding releases like evenings with the authors, podcasts etc.
 
I quite like Elizabeth Day. I only v occasionally listen to HTFbif there is someone I like on. I agree that she is way to gushing and probably couldn’t stand to listen to it more than occasionally but the bloody podcast tours can do one. Why why why??? Who goes to see them live? I kindof get it when it’s a comedian (even then I cannot imagine it’s actually worth the money) but to go and spend money on watching something that you can listen to for free? Especially when it’s Jamie lang or someone. I mean I wouldn’t know Elizabeth day if I fell over her and I’ve seen many a pic of her. Do not get it. Anymore the merch! Who buys it? Again I get it if it’s someone who is so established like Richard herring or Adam Buxton and both of those have quite fun ‘on brand’ merch but who bought a bloody High Low beret?
 
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