Alison James – författare

The Documentary Imagination in Twentieth-Century French Literature identifies a documentary impulse in French literature that emerges at the end of the nineteenth century and culminates in a proliferation of factual writings in the twenty-first. Focusing on the period bookended by these two moments, it highlights the enduring concern with factual reference in texts that engage either with current events or the historical archive. Specifically, it considers a set of ideas and practices centered on the conceptualization and use of documents. In doing so, it contests the widespread narrative that twentieth-century French literature abandons the realist enterprise, and argues that writers instead renegotiate the realist legacy outside, or at the margins of, the fictional space of the novel.Analyzing works by authors including Gide, Breton, Aragon, Yourcenar, Duras, and Modiano, the book defines a specific documentary mode of literary representation that records, assembles, and investigates material traces of reality. The document is a textual, visual, or material piece of evidence repurposed through its visual insertion, textual transcription, or description within a literary work. It is a fact, but it also becomes a figure, standing for literature's confrontation with the real. The documentary imagination involves a fantasy of direct access to a reality that speaks for itself. At the same time, it gives rise to concrete textual practices that open up new directions for literature, by interrogating the construction and interpretation of facts.

The Routledge Handbook of Fiction and Belief offers a fresh reevaluation of the relationship between fiction and belief, surveying key debates and perspectives from a range of disciplines including narrative and cultural studies, science, religion, and politics. This volume draws on global, cutting edge research and theory to investigate the historically variable understandings of fictionality, and allows readers to grasp the role of fictions in our understanding of the world.This interdisciplinary approach provides a thorough introduction to the fundamental themes of:Theoretical and Philosophical Perspectives on FictionFiction, Fact, and ScienceSocial Effects and Uses of FictionFiction and PoliticsFiction and ReligionQuestioning how fictions in fact shape, mediate or distort our beliefs about the real world, essays in this volume outline the state of theoretical debates from the perspectives of literary theory, philosophy, sociology, religious studies, history, and the cognitive sciences. It aims to take stock of the real or supposed effects that fiction has on the world, and to offer a wide-reaching reflection on the implications of belief in fictions in the so-called “post-truth” era.

The Routledge Handbook of Fiction and Belief offers a fresh reevaluation of the relationship between fiction and belief, surveying key debates and perspectives from a range of disciplines including narrative and cultural studies, science, religion, and politics. This volume draws on global, cutting edge research and theory to investigate the historically variable understandings of fictionality, and allows readers to grasp the role of fictions in our understanding of the world.This interdisciplinary approach provides a thorough introduction to the fundamental themes of:Theoretical and Philosophical Perspectives on FictionFiction, Fact, and ScienceSocial Effects and Uses of FictionFiction and PoliticsFiction and ReligionQuestioning how fictions in fact shape, mediate or distort our beliefs about the real world, essays in this volume outline the state of theoretical debates from the perspectives of literary theory, philosophy, sociology, religious studies, history, and the cognitive sciences. It aims to take stock of the real or supposed effects that fiction has on the world, and to offer a wide-reaching reflection on the implications of belief in fictions in the so-called “post-truth” era.

A token of the world's instability and of human powerlessness, chance is inevitably a crucial literary theme. It also presents formal problems: Must the artist struggle against chance in pursuit of a flawless work? Or does chance have a place in the artistic process or product? This book examines the representation and staging of chance in literature through the study of a specific case - the work of the twentieth-century French writer Georges Perec (1936-82).In ""Constraining Chance"", James explores the ways in which Perec's texts exploit the possibilities of chance, by both tapping into its creative potential and controlling its operation. These works, she demonstrates, strive to capture essential aspects of human life: its 'considerable energy' (Perec's phrase), its boundless possibilities, but also the constraints and limitations that bind it. A member of the Ouvroir de litterature potentielle (known as Oulipo), Perec adopted the group's dictum that the literary work should be 'anti-chance' - a product of fully conscious creative processes. James shows how Perec gave this notion a twist, using Oulipian precepts both to explore the role of chance in human existence and to redefine the possibilities of literary form. Thus the investigation of chance links Perec's writing methods, which harness chance for creative purposes, to the thematic exploration of causality, chance, and fate in his writings.

Figures of Chance II: Chance in Theory and Practice proposes a multidisciplinary analysis of cultural phenomena related to notions of chance and contingency. Alongside its transhistorical companion volume (Figures of Chance I), it considers how the projective and predictive capacity of societies is shaped by representations and cultural models of a reality that is understood, by varying degrees, to be contingent, unpredictable, or chaotic. This volume reevaluates the role played by figurative representations of chance in contemporary discourses about chance and contingency. Written by seven interdisciplinary teams, and encompassing philosophy, literature, history of science, sociology, mathematics, cognitive science, information science, and art history, this text puts scientific conceptions of chance into dialogue with their contemporary literary and artistic representations. It thus brings out the central role played by art in the human perception of chance, and in our methods for projecting the future, in order to better understand contemporary human attitudes in the face of risk.The Introduction and Chapter One of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.

Figures of Chance II: Chance in Theory and Practice proposes a multidisciplinary analysis of cultural phenomena related to notions of chance and contingency. Alongside its transhistorical companion volume (Figures of Chance I), it considers how the projective and predictive capacity of societies is shaped by representations and cultural models of a reality that is understood, by varying degrees, to be contingent, unpredictable, or chaotic. This volume reevaluates the role played by figurative representations of chance in contemporary discourses about chance and contingency. Written by seven interdisciplinary teams, and encompassing philosophy, literature, history of science, sociology, mathematics, cognitive science, information science, and art history, this text puts scientific conceptions of chance into dialogue with their contemporary literary and artistic representations. It thus brings out the central role played by art in the human perception of chance, and in our methods for projecting the future, in order to better understand contemporary human attitudes in the face of risk.The Introduction and Chapter One of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.

Today's twenty- and thirty-something woman is both blessed and burdened by the expectations of boyfriends, girlfriends, parents, siblings, and even the media as to who she should be and what kind of woman she should become...Alison James, the author of I Used to Miss Him...But My Aim Is Improving, delivers this smart, sassy guide guaranteed to help women laugh and learn from the many roles they play on the road to self-discovery. From the Independent Maven and the Party Girl to the Good Girl, today's young women are trying out different roles in their youth in an attempt to figure out who they are and what they want out of life. Every woman can identify with and learn the pros and cons of being...The idealistic New Graduate; The shopoholic Dollarless Diva; The Party Girl, who knows how to have fun; The changeable Chameleon, who adapts to the tastes and whims of her latest beau; By the book's end, readers will be able to integrate the lessons of each role into one fabulous True You.

Discover how Zendaya conquered the worlds of film, TV and fashion to become the face of a generation. This is her life story, as never told before. Zendaya is a phenomenon. Beginning as a precocious child star on the Disney Channel, she has since graduated to adult roles in some of the biggest movies of the last five years, including The Greatest Showman, Dune and Marvel’s Spider-Man trilogy. In television, she is the star of Euphoria, which has become the second most-watched HBO show of all time after Game of Thrones – in large part thanks to her presence. Today she is, according to some industry analysts, "the most popular actor in the world".In this riveting and in-depth biography from the publishers of Harry, Adele and Billie Eilish, journalist and author Alison James explores every aspect of Zendaya’s life and career to date. Featuring a stunning, full-colour photographic plate section and spanning everything from her early forays into music, to her sensational ascent in the fashion world and her high-profile personal life – including her relationship with Spider-Man co-star Tom Holland – this is the most complete portrait yet of one of the world’s hottest stars.

How well do you know your husband?When Alice Gill sees the little blue line, it's the happiest moment of her life. But her whole world is turned upside down when the police knock at her door minutes later...Her husband, Dominic, is dead.Distraught, Alice goes to identify the body. It's him. Yet when Dominic's estranged brother comes to view the coffin, he insists the man lying there is not Dominic Gill.So who is the man Alice married?And will his secrets put her life in danger too?An absolutely gripping psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the last page. If you love Behind Closed Doors, My Lovely Wife and Friend Request, you'll be hooked on The Man She Married.What readers are saying about The Man She Married:'Make sure you have a ton of time on your hands when you finally sit down to read because this book will BLOW YOUR MIND!' Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars'Alison uses such vivid and powerful descriptions that I felt as though I was part of the story myself... I was gripped from start to finish and on the edge of my seat throughout the story.' Ginger Book Geek, 5 stars'Wow... grabs you from the first page and makes you ignore everything else... fantastic.' NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars'Totally gripping and addictive, this is definitely one of the best psychological thrillers I've ever read. Such a clever plot, and excellent characters, it will completely pull you in and not let you go until the end.' Sibzzreads'I could not put this down, it had me gripped all the way through and when I thought I had it figured; bam; the author threw another curve ball in!' Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars'Wow what a read!... The Man She Married takes you hostage right from the start and keeps a hold of you till the end.' Once Upon a Time Book Blog, 5 stars'A MUST READ, this book is crying out to be made into a film. A very happy reader and definitely left me wanting more.' Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars'Could hardly but this book down, read it in a few hours. So many twists and turns, kept me guessing all the way through!' Netgalley Reviewer, 5 stars'This was a great, gripping, fast-paced story which will definitely keep you hooked until the last page. Highly recommended!!' Stardust Book Reviews, 5 stars'Had me firmly in its grasp from the very first page. The twists just kept coming, and I tore through this one at warp speed in a desperate bid to unravel it all.' Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars'What a brilliant book! I loved this from start to finish... I was completely swept up in the story and characters the whole way through.' LoopyLouLaura'A fantastic thriller that will have you at the edge of your seat... I couldn't put this book down... The author fully deserves all 5 stars and if I could give more I would.' Netgalley Reviewer, 5 stars'This book is wonderfully addictive. It dark and jam packed with twists and turns. I honestly enjoyed every single page.' Netgalley Reviewer, 5 stars'Oh my gosh this story kept me up, to finish it! What a suspenseful book, this story kept me trying to figure it out until the very end.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars'This is absolutely one of the best books I have ever read... Exceptional.' Netgalley Reviewer, 5 stars

A boy born to be king, he had to wait 73 years to fulfil his destiny – the longest wait by an heir apparent in British history. ‘King Charles III’ looks back at his life thus far – how his childhood shaped him into the man and monarch he is today, his eventful private life, family heartache, his passions and achievements – and projects forward to predict the kind of sovereign he’s likely to be.