Round-Up: The Passing of William Trevor, a Poem by Anne Frank, and the Shanghai Children’s Book Fair
From the passing of William Trevor to the auction of a handwritten poem by Anne Frank, here are this week’s biggest literary headlines:
- Irish writer William Trevor has passed away. The novelist, playwright, and short story writer won the Whitbread Prize three times and was short-listed for the Booker Prize four times. He was a contributor to the New Yorker, and his short stories were collected and published by Viking in 2009. Upon hearing of Mr. Trevor’s death, President Michael D. Higgins said, “The work of William Trevor was widely regarded by his peers and critics as being among the finest literary works produced in Ireland…It was a great privilege for me to be able to bestow on him the honor of Saoi of Aosdána, a recognition from his peers, and title given to those who have made a singular and enduring contribution to the creative arts.”
- A short handwritten poem by Anne Frank was auctioned for $148,000. Dated March 28, 1942, the poem was given to Christiane van Maarsen by Anne Frank, who was Ms. Van Maarsen’s little sister’s best friend. The initial price of the poem was $32,000. Thys Blankevoort, co-director of the auction house that sold the poem, said, “The bid was much higher than I expected and shows Anne Frank’s cultural importance and also who she was and what she represents.” The winning bidder wished to remain anonymous.
- The Shanghai Children’s Book Fair (CCBF) concluded on November 20. The three-day fair was driven by the market of 370 million Chinese children below the age of 18. A large percent of children’s bestsellers are translated titles, and publishers are looking for Chinese titles that could work in English-speaking markets. Some of the trends of the fair included augmented reality, educational elements and values, sibling-related titles, and diversity for global perspectives.
