A charming French novel about an old-school publisher trying to get to grips with the digital ageAt more than one point in this novel I found myself asking: could this be any more French? Early on we meet a character described thus: “She used to be incredibly good-looking and now at thirtysomething she is creditably handsome.” Sorry? What the narrator, an ageing male publisher, looks like, or how creditably or uncreditably good-looking he is, we don’t find out. Another woman leaves the room “in a wiggle of buttock” – I dropped my annotating pencil when I read that line. “Artichokes require a degree of elegance” – there’s another drop of essence of Gallic for you.But there is more to Dear Reader, and what kept me going was that one of the subjects exercising our narrator is the issue of electronic readers – Kindles or, as our hero Robert Dubois has it, the “dear reader” of the title. This book is an elegy for a dying world: that of the printed book and, that death’s darker corollary, the reader who is still interested in, or has the attention span for, the long-form narrative. (I always thought these things were arranged better in France, with no Net Book Agreement and tax breaks for bookshops, but apparently not.) In the world of Dear Reader, there has been a general collapse of cultural understanding: the interns point out to Dubois the remarkable coincidence that the publishing house they have landed in has the same name as him. Meanwhile, Dubois cannot quite get to... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2014-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Egmont is to publish Little Monster and the Spooky Party by illustrator Nick Sharratt and author Pippa Goodhart to coincide with Halloween next year. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-10-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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British gamer Joseph Garrett may be nervous in crowds, but he has a growing legion of young fans – and a publishing deal to make their Christmas“When you’re trying to get somewhere and you’re surrounded, that’s when I get panicked. I’m not great with crowds anyway, but it’s OK on stage. It’s... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-10-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Old Street Publishing is to release The Corbyn Colouring Book, an "adult colouring book with a sense of humour" inspired by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, in time for Christmas. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-10-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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When The New York Times announced that it would create a separate, centralized group of editors and designers to focus on producing its daily print product, those at the German publishing giant Axel Springer’s Die Welt took particular notic ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-10-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mitali Perkins sells to FSG, Feiwel & Friends nabs teacher Jake Burt’s debut, Amy Ephron sells her first children’s book, and more in this week's notable book deals. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Perhaps the biggest question to come from Pierre Leval’s written opinion in the extraordinary case of Google Books, is how it might ripple into the day-to-day application of fair use in higher education. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Writer's Edit, a Sydney-based literary magazine, has branched into books and is winning industry accolades and launching new careers. The post Australian Lit Mag “Writer’s Edit” Launches Books, Builds Careers appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-10-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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SLIC c.e.o Amina Shah has today (29th October) been appointed as Scottish Book Trust’s new director of programme. The director of programme is a key post at the national charity promoting literacy and a diverse reading and writing community in Scotland. Working with the c.e.o. as part of the... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-10-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'The Name of God Is Mercy: A Conversation with Andrea Tornielli' will be published in January 2016. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In their petition, Apple suggested a negative effect on the economy if the decision was left to stand. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Bank Street Book Fair, held at Bank Street College in upper Manhattan on October 24, offered a full day of incisive, humorous, and sometimes revelatory discussions. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Independent booksellers, librarians, authors and members of the publishing community gathered for this year's Southern California Independent Booksellers Association show, basking in the warm outdoor setting courtesy of sunny Los Angeles. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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After spending five years researching the occult in America, Alex Mar draws parallels between witchcraft and her childhood Catholicism. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Although Microsoft’s Surface Book is officially just a few days old, the “ultimate laptop” is being hit by a wave of unexpected lockup problems that has concerned new users. A thread on Microsoft’s support forums has begun to gain steam, with users reporting similar symptoms: The notebook just... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2015-10-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Orion Children’s Books has acquired the UK and Commonweath rights to The Bone Sparrow, a book about Rohingya refugees in Australia, by Zana Fraillon. The story is told through the eyes of Subhi, a young refugee who has spent his entire life living in a detention centre after his mother fled her... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-10-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The 'New York Times' has announced its Best Illustrated List for books published in 2015. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HarperCollins has acquired The Midlist, a daily e-mail newsletter that features ebook deals from a variety of publishers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Market research companies Nielsen and GfK announced a partnership on Monday with the aim of providing insights about global book publishing. The post Nielsen and Germany’s GfK to Partner on Book Industry Data appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-10-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Allen Lane, while knighted for services to literature, was never much of a reader. Were brothers Richard and John written out of their own bestselling story?Eighty years ago, three brothers – Allen, Richard and John Lane – founded Penguin Books in London. The brothers planned the venture in... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-10-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Michael Rosen answers questions about the new Laugh Out Loud Book Prize (the Lollies). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-10-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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