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The shortlist for Canada’s Governor General Prize has been announced, including big names like Alice Munro and Miriam Toews, and newcomers like David Bezmozgis, Trevor Cole and Colin McAdam.

Has anyone noticed that I’ve been linking to the Telegraph a lot less of late? That’s because they truly suck at getting their content up in a timely fashion. But finally, after some time, Susanna Yager’s crime fictin column actually sees the light of day. She examines new releases by Ruth Rendell, Robert Wilson, Henning Mankell, Carl Hiaasen, G.M. Ford, Paul Johnston, Jeffery Deaver, Ed McBain, and oh yeah, some guy named Grisham.

Anthony Rainone gives Nichelle Tramble’s THE LAST KING the full-length treatment at January Magazine, and explains far better than I could why it’s so damn good.

Jasper Fforde, who’s in Toronto this week for the International Festival of Authors, talks to Rebecca Caldwell at the Globe and Mail about his Thursday Next novels.

So the UK is introducing mandates on how many new books libraries should buy and how often they should replace old stock–is this good, or bad? For some reason, I’m not sure….

The Swansea literary prize, which at 60,000 pounds is the largest one going, has been launched in Swansea and New York. The official ambassador is…Catherine Zeta Jones? Hah? OK, she’s Welsh, she’s famous, but come on….

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Natasha Walter argues that fan fiction is the new oral tradition]7, a way to retell stories for future generations. Um, yeah. Seems just like a bit of a stretch to me….

Ed has a new edition of the Literary Hipster’s handbook! Although honestly, I would have gone for the more obvious definition of “to Bentley.”

Elsa Klensch, the former fashion doyenne for CNN, speaks to the Orlando Sentinel about her debut novel (which opens with the main character recovering from a face-lift!) and what her future plans are.

Ah, it had to happen: the Scotsman discovers Jon Stewart and the Daily Show and asks the usual questions. (Semi-related: What would Lenny Bruce think of the election? Then again, what would Vaughn Meader?)

And finally, there’s Radovan Karadzic: former Bosnian Serb leader, war criminal…and bestseller? Granted, only 1000 copies were printed “through secret channels” but they are all gone now.