Lauren Cerand Public Relations
@laurencerand.com
Sharing news about our endeavors, enthusiasms, and occasional updates from Lauren Cerand.
Logo design: Mark McCoy. Photo: Joanna Tillman.
laurencerand.com
Logo design: Mark McCoy. Photo: Joanna Tillman.
laurencerand.com
Pinned
Planning on being in Baltimore for #AWP26? I’ll be at the Relegation Books booth with copies of The Relegation Reader, international contemporary literary fiction (Roundabout, The Trees), @rnrmagazine.bsky.social tees with a poem by Baltimore poet Donald Berger on them and more! Stop by & say hello.
Reposted by Lauren Cerand Public Relations
“two legs converged in a hazel wood and I
I let myself be swallowed by
coniference.”
Read three new poems Sophia Dahlin on R&R:
www.relegationbooks.com/article/thre...
Read three new poems Sophia Dahlin on R&R:
www.relegationbooks.com/article/thre...
Three Poems
Founded in 2012 by Dallas Hudgens, Relegation Books works to connect readers and writers on a smaller, more intimate scale, understanding that success isn't always measured by sales numbers.
www.relegationbooks.com
February 13, 2026 at 2:40 PM
“two legs converged in a hazel wood and I
I let myself be swallowed by
coniference.”
Read three new poems Sophia Dahlin on R&R:
www.relegationbooks.com/article/thre...
Read three new poems Sophia Dahlin on R&R:
www.relegationbooks.com/article/thre...
Reposted by Lauren Cerand Public Relations
OUT NOW: "Hostages: A Counter-History of Colonial Plunder" by Taina Tervonen, translated by Sara Hanaburgh.
Tervonen, a Finnish journalist and filmmaker, investigates stolen artifacts and unravels a historic mystery.
Tervonen, a Finnish journalist and filmmaker, investigates stolen artifacts and unravels a historic mystery.
Hostages – Schaffner Press
schaffnerpress.com
February 9, 2026 at 12:52 AM
OUT NOW: "Hostages: A Counter-History of Colonial Plunder" by Taina Tervonen, translated by Sara Hanaburgh.
Tervonen, a Finnish journalist and filmmaker, investigates stolen artifacts and unravels a historic mystery.
Tervonen, a Finnish journalist and filmmaker, investigates stolen artifacts and unravels a historic mystery.
Reposted by Lauren Cerand Public Relations
A fantastic piece by @karenattiah.bsky.social to read before or after you read Hostages: A Counter-History of Colonial Plunder by Taina Tervonen, translated by Sara Hanaburgh and out this month from @schaffnerpress.bsky.social: karenattiah.substack.com/p/the-return...
The "Return" of the Golden Sword
My grandfather guarded it. The British stole it. I'm named after it—and I'm going to fight for it.
karenattiah.substack.com
February 11, 2026 at 4:17 PM
A fantastic piece by @karenattiah.bsky.social to read before or after you read Hostages: A Counter-History of Colonial Plunder by Taina Tervonen, translated by Sara Hanaburgh and out this month from @schaffnerpress.bsky.social: karenattiah.substack.com/p/the-return...
A fantastic piece by @karenattiah.bsky.social to read before or after you read Hostages: A Counter-History of Colonial Plunder by Taina Tervonen, translated by Sara Hanaburgh and out this month from @schaffnerpress.bsky.social: karenattiah.substack.com/p/the-return...
The "Return" of the Golden Sword
My grandfather guarded it. The British stole it. I'm named after it—and I'm going to fight for it.
karenattiah.substack.com
February 11, 2026 at 4:17 PM
A fantastic piece by @karenattiah.bsky.social to read before or after you read Hostages: A Counter-History of Colonial Plunder by Taina Tervonen, translated by Sara Hanaburgh and out this month from @schaffnerpress.bsky.social: karenattiah.substack.com/p/the-return...
Reposted by Lauren Cerand Public Relations
I would conservatively estimate that 90% of literary discourse online is driven by people who literally do not read what they're pontificating about. They complain about contemporary fiction, literary fiction, genre fiction, postmodernism, YA books, whatever that they just do not read.
February 11, 2026 at 3:19 PM
I would conservatively estimate that 90% of literary discourse online is driven by people who literally do not read what they're pontificating about. They complain about contemporary fiction, literary fiction, genre fiction, postmodernism, YA books, whatever that they just do not read.
Reposted by Lauren Cerand Public Relations
“It was funny when you heard a random siren. Didn’t bother you at all. But when you knew the siren was calling your name, it cut through your chest, and swirled around inside you like a bullet.”
Read new fiction by Robert Ward on R&R:
www.relegationbooks.com/article/traf...
Read new fiction by Robert Ward on R&R:
www.relegationbooks.com/article/traf...
Traffic School
Founded in 2012 by Dallas Hudgens, Relegation Books works to connect readers and writers on a smaller, more intimate scale, understanding that success isn't always measured by sales numbers.
www.relegationbooks.com
February 10, 2026 at 7:16 PM
“It was funny when you heard a random siren. Didn’t bother you at all. But when you knew the siren was calling your name, it cut through your chest, and swirled around inside you like a bullet.”
Read new fiction by Robert Ward on R&R:
www.relegationbooks.com/article/traf...
Read new fiction by Robert Ward on R&R:
www.relegationbooks.com/article/traf...
Reposted by Lauren Cerand Public Relations
Will I see you in Brooklyn Heights at Books Are Magic for Joanna Margaret’s launch on 3/19 (also online)? She’ll be discussing THE DAUGHTERS (Mysterious Press, 3/17) with internationally bestselling author Clémence Michallon. DM me for one of the last few ARCs! www.eventbrite.com/e/in-store-j...
In-Store: Joanna Margaret: The Daughters w/ Clémence Michallon
"Spellbinding—a novel that braids homespun folk horror, conspiracy-theory paranoia, and full-blooded heartbreak." —A.J. Finn
www.eventbrite.com
February 10, 2026 at 4:12 PM
Will I see you in Brooklyn Heights at Books Are Magic for Joanna Margaret’s launch on 3/19 (also online)? She’ll be discussing THE DAUGHTERS (Mysterious Press, 3/17) with internationally bestselling author Clémence Michallon. DM me for one of the last few ARCs! www.eventbrite.com/e/in-store-j...
Reposted by Lauren Cerand Public Relations
Then join us at Deborah Brown English’s Time’s Breath exhibition opening at Creative Alliance, where we’ll have a special #AWP26 offsite talk on visual art & fiction practices, focusing on debut novelists, featuring English and @margarethutton.bsky.social in conversation with @ldeforest.bsky.social.
February 10, 2026 at 3:38 PM
Then join us at Deborah Brown English’s Time’s Breath exhibition opening at Creative Alliance, where we’ll have a special #AWP26 offsite talk on visual art & fiction practices, focusing on debut novelists, featuring English and @margarethutton.bsky.social in conversation with @ldeforest.bsky.social.
Reposted by Lauren Cerand Public Relations
Planning on being in Baltimore for #AWP26? I’ll be at the Relegation Books booth with copies of The Relegation Reader, international contemporary literary fiction (Roundabout, The Trees), @rnrmagazine.bsky.social tees with a poem by Baltimore poet Donald Berger on them and more! Stop by & say hello.
February 10, 2026 at 3:32 PM
Planning on being in Baltimore for #AWP26? I’ll be at the Relegation Books booth with copies of The Relegation Reader, international contemporary literary fiction (Roundabout, The Trees), @rnrmagazine.bsky.social tees with a poem by Baltimore poet Donald Berger on them and more! Stop by & say hello.
Will I see you in Brooklyn Heights at Books Are Magic for Joanna Margaret’s launch on 3/19 (also online)? She’ll be discussing THE DAUGHTERS (Mysterious Press, 3/17) with internationally bestselling author Clémence Michallon. DM me for one of the last few ARCs! www.eventbrite.com/e/in-store-j...
In-Store: Joanna Margaret: The Daughters w/ Clémence Michallon
"Spellbinding—a novel that braids homespun folk horror, conspiracy-theory paranoia, and full-blooded heartbreak." —A.J. Finn
www.eventbrite.com
February 10, 2026 at 4:12 PM
Will I see you in Brooklyn Heights at Books Are Magic for Joanna Margaret’s launch on 3/19 (also online)? She’ll be discussing THE DAUGHTERS (Mysterious Press, 3/17) with internationally bestselling author Clémence Michallon. DM me for one of the last few ARCs! www.eventbrite.com/e/in-store-j...
Planning on being in Baltimore for #AWP26? I’ll be at the Relegation Books booth with copies of The Relegation Reader, international contemporary literary fiction (Roundabout, The Trees), @rnrmagazine.bsky.social tees with a poem by Baltimore poet Donald Berger on them and more! Stop by & say hello.
February 10, 2026 at 3:32 PM
Planning on being in Baltimore for #AWP26? I’ll be at the Relegation Books booth with copies of The Relegation Reader, international contemporary literary fiction (Roundabout, The Trees), @rnrmagazine.bsky.social tees with a poem by Baltimore poet Donald Berger on them and more! Stop by & say hello.
Reposted by Lauren Cerand Public Relations
I’ve been looking forward to this for weeks.
Encouraging all of the writers and serious readers I know to take this as a brilliant next step for so many I talk to, especially those looking for a way to break through and build a relationship with readers, editors and publishers www.patreon.com/posts/new-cl...
New class next month: Write a Book Review in 4 Weeks with Dave O'Neill of Bookforum | Chelsea Hodson
Get more from Chelsea Hodson on Patreon
www.patreon.com
February 9, 2026 at 5:58 PM
I’ve been looking forward to this for weeks.
Encouraging all of the writers and serious readers I know to take this as a brilliant next step for so many I talk to, especially those looking for a way to break through and build a relationship with readers, editors and publishers www.patreon.com/posts/new-cl...
New class next month: Write a Book Review in 4 Weeks with Dave O'Neill of Bookforum | Chelsea Hodson
Get more from Chelsea Hodson on Patreon
www.patreon.com
February 9, 2026 at 5:56 PM
Encouraging all of the writers and serious readers I know to take this as a brilliant next step for so many I talk to, especially those looking for a way to break through and build a relationship with readers, editors and publishers www.patreon.com/posts/new-cl...
Reposted by Lauren Cerand Public Relations
From the archives, for black history month, a black woman author you should read: @bethanycmorrow.com! Here is my review of Cherish Farrah, which I recommend and love!
hookofabook.wordpress.com/2023/12/11/b...
hookofabook.wordpress.com/2023/12/11/b...
Book review: Cherish Farrah by Bethany C. Morrow
Author Bethany C. Morrow writes a thrilling domestic horror featuring black characters and social themes that c
hookofabook.wordpress.com
February 8, 2026 at 7:53 PM
From the archives, for black history month, a black woman author you should read: @bethanycmorrow.com! Here is my review of Cherish Farrah, which I recommend and love!
hookofabook.wordpress.com/2023/12/11/b...
hookofabook.wordpress.com/2023/12/11/b...
Reposted by Lauren Cerand Public Relations
Perhaps that’s how I came by that radiant patience. So it’s incredibly gratifying to see an evening documented as an aspect of the anthology itself brought to life. If you read one thing today, let it be this: zonamotel.substack.com/p/dispatch-t...
DISPATCH: The Relegation Reader – U.S. Launch (New York City, NY)
It’s important not to mythicize when confronted with a vibrant dose of reality.
zonamotel.substack.com
February 7, 2026 at 4:02 PM
Perhaps that’s how I came by that radiant patience. So it’s incredibly gratifying to see an evening documented as an aspect of the anthology itself brought to life. If you read one thing today, let it be this: zonamotel.substack.com/p/dispatch-t...
Reposted by Lauren Cerand Public Relations
One of the most extraordinary aspects of my career has been that what I do is so often completely ephemeral— a brief social experience or encounter in community to draw readers in to the real work of reading the book, which can only ever be a private and intimate encounter (more)
February 7, 2026 at 4:00 PM
One of the most extraordinary aspects of my career has been that what I do is so often completely ephemeral— a brief social experience or encounter in community to draw readers in to the real work of reading the book, which can only ever be a private and intimate encounter (more)
Reposted by Lauren Cerand Public Relations
Thank you to J.M. Ó Faoláin for covering The Relegation Reader U.S. launch hosted by the Coffee House at the Salmagundi Club , and to Zona Motel for publishing it, and for everyone in the room and in the world who gets what Relegation Books is about...
February 7, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Thank you to J.M. Ó Faoláin for covering The Relegation Reader U.S. launch hosted by the Coffee House at the Salmagundi Club , and to Zona Motel for publishing it, and for everyone in the room and in the world who gets what Relegation Books is about...
Thank you to J.M. Ó Faoláin for covering The Relegation Reader U.S. launch hosted by the Coffee House at the Salmagundi Club , and to Zona Motel for publishing it, and for everyone in the room and in the world who gets what Relegation Books is about...
February 7, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Thank you to J.M. Ó Faoláin for covering The Relegation Reader U.S. launch hosted by the Coffee House at the Salmagundi Club , and to Zona Motel for publishing it, and for everyone in the room and in the world who gets what Relegation Books is about...
Reposted by Lauren Cerand Public Relations
With Ron Charles and Becca Rothfeld laid off from WaPo, there are now only 5 full-time book critics working in the United States.
That's down from 7 when this pubbed last year, though you may find my definition of a "full-time book critic" arbitrary.
worldliteraturetoday.org/2025/septemb...
That's down from 7 when this pubbed last year, though you may find my definition of a "full-time book critic" arbitrary.
worldliteraturetoday.org/2025/septemb...
Criticism Is Literature. Why Is It Vanishing?, by Adam Morgan
What do the best book reviews do? What is the current state of the critical ecosystem? Chicago Review of Books founder Adam Morgan takes stock of book reviewing in the US.
worldliteraturetoday.org
February 6, 2026 at 6:12 PM
With Ron Charles and Becca Rothfeld laid off from WaPo, there are now only 5 full-time book critics working in the United States.
That's down from 7 when this pubbed last year, though you may find my definition of a "full-time book critic" arbitrary.
worldliteraturetoday.org/2025/septemb...
That's down from 7 when this pubbed last year, though you may find my definition of a "full-time book critic" arbitrary.
worldliteraturetoday.org/2025/septemb...
Reposted by Lauren Cerand Public Relations
“And then it all made sense on the afternoon of Pearl Harbor Day, as I watched her sitting in the bay window eating a cluster of green grapes.”
Read three new stories by Stephen Mortland (@stephenmortland.bsky.social) on R&R:
www.relegationbooks.com/article/thre...
Read three new stories by Stephen Mortland (@stephenmortland.bsky.social) on R&R:
www.relegationbooks.com/article/thre...
Three Stories
Founded in 2012 by Dallas Hudgens, Relegation Books works to connect readers and writers on a smaller, more intimate scale, understanding that success isn't always measured by sales numbers.
www.relegationbooks.com
February 6, 2026 at 1:58 PM
“And then it all made sense on the afternoon of Pearl Harbor Day, as I watched her sitting in the bay window eating a cluster of green grapes.”
Read three new stories by Stephen Mortland (@stephenmortland.bsky.social) on R&R:
www.relegationbooks.com/article/thre...
Read three new stories by Stephen Mortland (@stephenmortland.bsky.social) on R&R:
www.relegationbooks.com/article/thre...
Reposted by Lauren Cerand Public Relations
…those following art crime and provenance discussions in the museum world and art market, and fans of narrative nonfiction. DM me for a review or bookseller’s copy. The author is available for interviews in English. #booksky
Author photo: Chloé Vollmer-Lo
Author photo: Chloé Vollmer-Lo
February 3, 2026 at 7:47 PM
…those following art crime and provenance discussions in the museum world and art market, and fans of narrative nonfiction. DM me for a review or bookseller’s copy. The author is available for interviews in English. #booksky
Author photo: Chloé Vollmer-Lo
Author photo: Chloé Vollmer-Lo
Reposted by Lauren Cerand Public Relations
Tervonen returns to her roots in Senegal to investigate the mystery behind a group of culturally sensitive artifacts that had been captured by the French army in the late 19th century. This important new book will be of interest to historians…
February 3, 2026 at 7:46 PM
Tervonen returns to her roots in Senegal to investigate the mystery behind a group of culturally sensitive artifacts that had been captured by the French army in the late 19th century. This important new book will be of interest to historians…
Reposted by Lauren Cerand Public Relations
(You can read an excerpt @crimereads.bsky.social, or DM me for a review copy.) Tervonen’s voice as an independent journalist is singular, and we’re working to amplify it here. In her new book, Hostages, out today…
February 3, 2026 at 7:41 PM
(You can read an excerpt @crimereads.bsky.social, or DM me for a review copy.) Tervonen’s voice as an independent journalist is singular, and we’re working to amplify it here. In her new book, Hostages, out today…
Reposted by Lauren Cerand Public Relations
and @shelf-awareness.com called, “a powerful choice…Brief but unsparing of emotional details, The Bone Whisperers demands slow and thoughtful attention. It will cause readers to reflect on how their own lives have been touched by—or spared from—the effects of war.”
February 3, 2026 at 7:39 PM
and @shelf-awareness.com called, “a powerful choice…Brief but unsparing of emotional details, The Bone Whisperers demands slow and thoughtful attention. It will cause readers to reflect on how their own lives have been touched by—or spared from—the effects of war.”
Reposted by Lauren Cerand Public Relations
Happy publication day to Hostages: A Counter-History of Colonial Plunder by #TainaTervonen, translated by Sara Hanaburgh for @schaffnerpress.bsky.social! Tervonen continues her work of excavating silent histories, after The Bone Whisperers (2024), which garnered her the Jan Michalski Prize…
February 3, 2026 at 7:38 PM
Happy publication day to Hostages: A Counter-History of Colonial Plunder by #TainaTervonen, translated by Sara Hanaburgh for @schaffnerpress.bsky.social! Tervonen continues her work of excavating silent histories, after The Bone Whisperers (2024), which garnered her the Jan Michalski Prize…