Granta#Granta Books

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}{{Infobox magazine

| title = Granta

| logo = Granta logo.svg

| image_file = Granta magazine.jpg

| image_caption = Granta 142

| editor = Thomas Meaney

| category = Literary magazine

| paid_circulation =

| unpaid_circulation =

| total_circulation = 23,000

| circulation_year = 2023

| frequency = Quarterly

| publisher = Sigrid Rausing

| firstdate = Relaunch: 1 September 1979

| language = English

| founded = {{start date and age|1889}}

| country = United Kingdom

| based = London

| issn = 0017-3231

| website = {{URL|http://www.granta.com}}

}}

Granta is a literary magazine and publisher in the United Kingdom whose mission centres on its "belief in the power and urgency of the story, both in fiction and non-fiction, and the story's supreme ability to describe, illuminate and make real."[http://www.granta.com/About About Granta Magazine.] In 2007, The Observer stated: "In its blend of memoirs and photojournalism, and in its championing of contemporary realist fiction, Granta has its face pressed firmly against the window, determined to witness the world."{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/dec/30/culture.features |first=Simon |last=Garfield|title=From student rag to literary riches|newspaper=The Observer|date=30 December 2007}}

Granta has published twenty-seven laureates of the Nobel Prize in Literature. Literature published by Granta has regularly won such prizes as the Forward Prize, T. S. Eliot Prize, Pushcart Prize and more.[http://www.granta.com/prizes Prizes Granta Magazine.]

History

{{Expand section|coverage of the first decades of the journal, its reception, and its influence|small=no|date=June 2016}}

Granta was founded in 1889{{cite web|title=Top 50 Literary Magazine|url=http://www.everywritersresource.com/topliterarymagazines.html|work=EWR|access-date=17 August 2015}} by students at Cambridge University as The Granta, edited by R. C. Lehmann (who later became a major contributor to Punch). It was started as a periodical featuring student politics, badinage and literary efforts. The title was taken from the River Granta, the medieval name for the Cam,{{Cite web |last=Davies |first=Ella |date=2022-12-07 |title=Spotlight: Granta |url=https://www.thepublishingpost.com/post/spotlight-granta |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=The Publishing Post |language=en-gb}} the river that runs through the city but is now used only for that river's upper reaches. An early editor of the magazine was R. P. Keigwin, the English cricketer and Danish scholar; in 1912–13, the editor was poet, writer and reviewer Edward Shanks.{{Cite web |title=Granta: Origin, Importance & Contributions {{!}} StudySmarter |url=https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/english-literature/literary-studies/granta/ |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=StudySmarter UK |language=en-GB}}

In this form, the magazine had a long and distinguished history. The magazine published juvenilia of a number of writers who later became well known: Geoffrey Gorer, William Empson,Haffenden, John, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Michael Frayn, Ted Hughes, A. A. Milne,Roach, J. P. C., [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=66634 "The University of Cambridge: The modern university (1882-1939)"], in A History of the County of Cambridge and the Isle of Ely: Volume 3: The City and University of Cambridge (1959), pp. 266–306; and F. A. Rice, The Granta and its contributors, 1889–1914, London: Constable, 1924. Sylvia Plath, Bertram Fletcher Robinson, John Simpson, and Stevie Smith.

Rebirth

During the 1970s, the publication faced financial difficulties and increasing levels of student apathy, and was rescued by a group of interested postgraduates, including writer and producer Jonathan Levi, journalist Bill Buford, and Peter de Bolla (now Professor of Cultural History and Aesthetics at Cambridge University). In 1979, it was successfully relaunched as a magazine of "new writing",{{cite news|first=Elise |last=Blanchard|title=London-Based Lit Mags|url=http://www.thereviewreview.net/publishing-tips/london-based-lit-mags|access-date=4 October 2015|work=The Review Review|archive-date=5 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305065238/http://www.thereviewreview.net/publishing-tips/london-based-lit-mags|url-status=dead}} with both writers and audience drawn from the world beyond Cambridge. The magazine's first issue as a national publication was entitled "New American Writing".{{cite magazine|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/books/2022/05/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-literary-bloke|title=The rise and fall of the literary bloke|first=Erica|last=Wagner|author-link=Erica Wagner|magazine=New Statesman|date=10 May 2022|access-date=12 June 2024}} Bill Buford (who wrote Among the Thugs originally as a project for the journal) was the editor for its first 16 years in the new incarnation. During this time, the staff included Richard Rayner and the novelist Carole Morin. Ian Jack succeeded Buford, editing Granta from 1995 until 2007.[https://granta.com/contributor/ian-jack/ Ian Jack profile], Granta.

Since 2003, Granta has been published in Spain in Spanish.{{Cite web |date=2014-04-06 |title=Galaxia Gutenberg relanza la edición en español de la revista «Granta» |url=https://www.abc.es/cultura/libros/20140406/abci-galaxia-gutenberg-relanza-edicion-201404041837.html |access-date=2023-06-29 |website=Diario ABC |language=es}}{{Cite web |date=2016-02-09 |title=Nosotros |url=https://www.granta.com.es/presentacion/ |access-date=2023-06-29 |website=Granta |language=es}} In April 2007, it was announced that Jason Cowley, editor of the Observer Sport Monthly, would succeed Jack as editor in September 2007. Cowley redesigned and relaunched the magazine; he also launched a new website. In September 2008, he left after having been selected as editor of the New Statesman.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/a-new-statesman-kind-of-guy-just-not-new-labour-833820.html|title=A 'New Statesman' kind of guy. Just not New Labour|newspaper=The Independent|first=Joy |last=Lo Dico|date=25 May 2009|access-date=12 June 2024}}

Alex Clark, a former deputy literary editor of The Observer, succeeded him as the first female editor of Granta.{{cite news|first=Stephen |last=Brook|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/may/28/pressandpublishing |title=Granta names Alex Clark as first female editor|newspaper=The Guardian|date=28 May 2008}} In late May 2009, Clark left the publication and John Freeman, the American editor, took over the magazine.{{cite news|first=Oliver |last=Luft|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/may/29/alex-clark-leaves-granta |title=Alex Clark steps down as Granta editor|newspaper=The Guardian|date=29 May 2009}}

{{As of|2023}}, Granta{{'}}s circulation is 23,000.{{Cite web |title=Advertise {{!}} Granta Magazine |url=https://granta.com/advertise/ |access-date=2023-07-09 |website=Granta |language=en-US}} In the 164th issue Sigrid Rausing, who had served as editor since 2013, announced she would turn over editorship to Thomas Meaney with the Autumn issue of 2023.{{Cite web |title=Introduction |url=https://granta.com/introduction-last-notes/ |access-date=2023-09-22 |website=Granta |date=20 July 2023 |language=en}}

Ownership

In 1994, Rea Hederman, owner of The New York Review of Books, took a controlling stake in the magazine.{{Cite web |title=DAW Books |url=https://www.worldswithoutend.com/publisher.asp?id= |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=Worlds Without End |language=en}} In October 2005, control of the magazine was bought by Sigrid Rausing.{{Cite web |last=Kowalik |first=George |date=2019-07-17 |title=Power; Granta and the Power of the Story |url=https://centmagazine.co.uk/power-granta-and-the-power-of-the-story/ |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=Cent Magazine |language=en-GB}} Rausing established the Granta Trust in 2019 as the owner of the magazine.

Granta Books

In 1989, then-editor Buford founded Granta Books.{{Cite web|url=http://grantabooks.com/about-granta-books-3017|title=About Granta Books - Granta Books|website=Granta Books|language=en-GB|access-date=13 June 2016|archive-date=21 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160621035753/http://www.grantabooks.com/about-granta-books-3017|url-status=dead}} Granta's stated aim for its book publishing imprint is to publish work that "stimulates, inspires, addresses difficult questions, and examines intriguing periods of history." Owner Sigrid Rausing has been vocal about her goal to maintain these standards for both the magazine and the book imprint, telling the Financial Times, "[Granta] will not publish any books that could not potentially be extracted in the magazine. We use the magazine as a yardstick for our books.... We are no longer going to look at what sells as a sort of argument, because it seemed to me that we were in danger of losing our inventiveness about what we wanted to do."{{cite news|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1277cd78-ca62-11de-a3a3-00144feabdc0.html#axzz31JmIRfrN |first=Isabel |last=Berwick|title=Lunch with the FT: Sigrid Rausing|newspaper=The Financial Times|date= 6 November 2009}} Authors recently published by Granta Books include Michael Collins, Simon Gray, Anna Funder, Tim Guest, Caspar Henderson, Louise Stern and Olga Tokarczuk.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}

When Rausing purchased Granta, she brought with her the publishing imprint Portobello Books, founded in 2005; as of January 2019 the Portobello Books imprint was closed, with all its contracted authors thereafter published under the Granta Books imprint.{{cite web|url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/granta-shutters-portobello-imprint-865286|title=Granta shutters Portobello imprint|website=The Bookseller|first=Benedicte|last=Page|date=14 September 2018|access-date=23 October 2023}} Granta Books are distributed by The Book Service in the UK.[https://granta.com/the-independent-alliance/ The Independent Alliance]. Granta Books. Granta Books are distributed by Ingram Publisher Services in the US.{{Cite web| title = Publishers We Work With - Book Distribution {{!}} Ingram Content Group| access-date = 12 November 2017| url = https://www.ingramcontent.com/publishers/publisher-services/publisher-list| archive-date = 7 September 2018| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180907065826/https://www.ingramcontent.com/publishers/publisher-services/publisher-list| url-status = dead}}

''Granta'' Best of Young British Novelists

In 1983, Granta (issue #7) published a list of 20 young British novelists as names to watch out for in the future. Since then, the magazine has repeated its recognition of emerging writers in 1993 (issue #43), 2003 (issue #81) and 2013 (issue #123). In 1996 (issue #54), Granta published a similar list of promising young American novelists, which was repeated during 2007 (issue #97). In 2010 Granta issue #113 was devoted to the best young Spanish-language novelists. Many of the selections have been prescient. At least 12 of those identified have subsequently either won or been short-listed for major literary awards such as the Booker Prize and Whitbread Prize.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}

The recognition of Adam ThirlwellThirlwell, Adam (19 November 2010), [http://www.granta.com/New-Writing/The-Granta-blog-5 "Lists, lists, lists..."], New Writing |Granta Magazine. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120409063957/http://www.granta.com/New-Writing/The-Granta-blog-5 |date=9 April 2012}}. and Monica Ali on the 2003 list was controversial, as neither had yet published a novel.{{cite news |first=Alfred|last=Hickling|title=Actually, I don't like it {{!}} Review: Politics by Adam Thirlwell |url=http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,12084,1031683,00.html |work=The Guardian |date=30 August 2003}} Thirlwell's debut novel, Politics, later met with mixed reviews. Ali's Brick Lane was widely praised.{{Citation needed|date=January 2012}} Those controversially excluded in 2003 included Giles Foden, Alex Garland, Niall Griffiths, Zoë Heller, Tobias Hill, Jon McGregor (who won the International Dublin Literary Award less than ten years later), Patrick Neate, Maggie O'Farrell and Rebecca Smith.{{cite news |last=Bedell |first=Geraldine |title=Granta's grotto: Every decade Granta's list of Britain's best young novelists causes a literary sensation. Here The Observer presents an exclusive preview of the winners for 2003 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2003/jan/05/fiction.features6 |work=The Observer |date=5 January 2003}}

Dan Rhodes contacted others on the 2003 list to try to persuade them to make a joint statement in protest against the Iraq War, which was gaining momentum at the time. Not all the writers responded. Rhodes was so disappointed he considered stopping writing, but has continued.{{cite web|url=http://www.3ammagazine.com/litarchives/2003/jul/interview_dan_rhodes.html|first=Andrew|last=Gallix |title=3am Interview: "A small but satisfying kick in Blair's nuts: An interview with Dan Rhodes|website=3 AM Magazine|date= July 2003|access-date=14 March 2013}}

In 2023, the list for the first time included international writers who view the UK as their home.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65256575|title=Granta: Eleanor Catton and Saba Sams make Best of Young British Novelists list|first=Katie|last=Razzall|website=BBC News|date=13 April 2023}}

=Ageism controversy=

As with other bodies giving awards to younger writers, Granta has been accused of contributing to ageism in the publishing industry by promoting an age-restricted list.{{cite web |title=UK Group to Fight Bias Against Older Debut Authors |url=https://publishingperspectives.com/2015/07/uk-group-to-fight-bias-against-older-debut-authors/ |website=Publishing Perspectives |access-date=25 March 2025 |date=16 July 2015}}{{cite web |title=Gray Matter: Reading into Ageism |url=https://apogeejournal.org/2014/05/02/gray-matter-reading-ageism/ |website=Apogee |access-date=25 March 2025 |date=2 May 2014}} Writing in The Times, Erica Wagner complained about the ageism of the Granta list, as well as its predictability.{{cite web |last1=Wagner |first1=Erica |title=Nothing novel about Granta's 'new' writers |url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/books/article/nothing-novel-about-grantas-new-writers-9vskjtdm88b |website=The Times |access-date=25 March 2025 |date=16 April 2013}} Writing in The Guardian, Joanna Walsh argues that age-restricted awards also unfairly discriminate against women, people of colour, LGBTQ people, and other groups that might come late to writing.{{cite web |last1=Walsh |first1=Joanna |title=All the awards for young writers amount to discrimination |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2017/sep/08/all-the-awards-for-young-writers-amount-to-discrimination |website=The Guardian |access-date=25 March 2025 |date=8 September 2017}} Writing in the Irish Examiner, she queried the arbritrariness of the age limits, noting that Granta's sister publication in the Spanish-speaking world sets an age limit of 35 for the same award. She also noted that age restriction of this sort is legislated against in employment.{{cite web |last1=Walsh |first1=Joanna |title=Joanna Walsh: Creativity and expression shouldn't be bound by ageism |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/artsandculture/arid-41148478.html |website=Irish Examiner |access-date=25 March 2025 |date=26 May 2023}} David Cutler of the Baring Foundation is among those who pointed out that the Turner Prize abolished its age limit in 2017, six years before the latest Granta list.{{cite web |last1=Cutler |first1=David |title=Ageism and creative ageing |url=https://baringfoundation.org.uk/blog-post/ageism-and-creative-ageing/ |website=The Baring Foundation |access-date=25 March 2025 |date=2 May 2023}} Writers selected for the list have also complained about its discrimination. Yara Rodrigues Fowler tweeted that “Age cut offs are discriminatory to women, carers, disabled + working class ppl” and make for "a more boring and homogenous literature". Philip Hensher has said that he "regards such age-related line-ups as artificial and particularly unfair to women".{{cite web |title=A longer shelf life for seasoned scribes |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/a-longer-shelf-life-for-seasoned-scribes-2325855.html |website=The Independent |access-date=25 March 2025 |date=26 July 2011}}

=1983=

=1993=

=2003=

=2013=

=2023=

''Granta'' Best of Young American Novelists

=1996=

=2007=

=2017=

''Granta'' Best of Young Spanish-Language Novelists

=2010=

=2021=

''Granta'' Best of Young Brazilian Novelists

File:Escritores.jpg, Javier Arancibia, Leandro Sarmatz, Julian Fuks, Antonio Xerxenesky, Vinicius Jatoba, Miguel del Castillo and Emilio Fraia]]

=2012=

References

External links

[http://www.granta.com/ Granta official website]
[http://grantabooks.com/ Granta Books official website]
[https://findingaids.library.columbia.edu/ead/nnc-rb/ldpd_4078830 Finding aid to Granta records at Columbia University. Rare Book & Manuscript Library.]

Category:1889 establishments in the United Kingdom

Category:Literary magazines published in the United Kingdom

Category:Quarterly magazines published in the United Kingdom

Category:Digests

Category:Magazines published in London

Category:Magazines established in 1889

Category:Publications associated with the University of Cambridge