Diary of a small town sensation: how the Wimpy Kid author built his dream bookshop

Growing up, Jeff Kinney discovered Tolkien, comics and computers at his local bookshop. When it closed he was bereft – would opening his own as an adult help to right that wrong?Author Jacqueline Woodson recently spoke about books being either mirrors or windows. Mirrors for seeing ourselves, and windows for seeing into other worlds. Growing up, I enjoyed both types of books, from the realistic contemporary fiction of Judy Blume to the epic fantasy of JRR Tolkien. I had access to books by these and every author in between courtesy of a bookstore a short drive from my house. I didn’t understand my privilege then, but I’ve come to understand it better over time.In the short time that it was open, I developed interests that would shape my career. I grew up at the advent of personal computing, and the books I read helped me along a path to becoming a programmer. I also developed a deep appreciation for comics, thanks to an expansive humour section at the bookstore. Those comic collections helped to prepare me for my dream career as a cartoonist. Had we not had a bookstore nearby during my formative years, I would have grown up to be a completely different person.We’ve had several romances develop from first dates in the cafe, and one couple is getting married this autumn Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2019-10-05 09:00:40 UTC ]
News tagged with: #local bookshop #judy blume #epic fantasy #formative years #bookstore

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Three bookshops open

Three new independent bookshops have launched onto the scene in Manchester, Cheltenham and Cornwall. The Suffolk Anthology opened its doors at the end of last month in Cheltenham, run by former GP Helene Hewett as a family business with her two children, selling new titles, with a significant... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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French Children’s Book Authors Suffer Pint-sized Payments

With meager advances, often just 500 euros, and royalty rates of 3-8%, French children's book authors have much to complain about. The post French Children’s Book Authors Suffer Pint-sized Payments appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-03-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Debut author organises own £200k marketing campaign

A debut author has arranged a marketing and publicity campaign she estimates is worth £200,000 to support the release of her book, and which her agent said “must be unique for a first-time author”. Janet Kelly’s Dear Beneficiary, about an older woman who has a relationship with a Nigerian man... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why Reading Translated Kids’ Books Makes a Difference

'Writing translated from other languages makes you see things differently,' says UK translator Daniel Hahn who will mine the Bologna Book Fair for gems. The post Why Reading Translated Kids’ Books Makes a Difference appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Lauren Oliver, author of Delirium trilogy: 'Writing is compulsive for me'

The bestselling young adult author wrote her first published novel on a BlackBerry while commuting. Now she has a fan base ardent enough to complain about the way she ended one bookLauren Oliver, a bestselling young adult writer whose latest book, Vanishing Girls, was published in the US last... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Author Louise Erdrich takes the Library of Congress Prize

Erdrich is the author of such works as 'The Round House,' which won the 2012 National Book Award, and 'The Plague of Doves.' She is also the owner of the Minneapolis bookstore Birchbark Books and Native Arts. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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VIDEO: Pupils 'spooked' by leading author

Pupils from St Edmund Arrowsmith High School meet author Joseph Delaney and talk to him about his best-selling book The Spook's Apprentice which has just been made into a Hollywood film. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2015-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Terry Pratchett, acclaimed fantasy author, dies

Pratchett is the author of such works as 'Wyrd Sisters,' 'Night Watch,' and 'The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents.' He was knighted in 2009 and was the bestselling author in the United Kingdom in the 1990s. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apocalypse Weird brings authors and fans a shared world of pain

The indie SF publisher Wonderment plans 20 ebook titles exploring a universe of characters enduring world-shattering eventsWriting can be hard – not hard like mining diamonds in Zimbabwe or making cheap clothes for westerners in Bangladesh, of course, but anyone in the 21st-century knowledge... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors Annoyed by Gender-Segregated School Visits

Some public schools now exclude boys from school visits by female authors and it is driving authors crazy. The post Authors Annoyed by Gender-Segregated School Visits appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Acclaimed 'Discworld' author Terry Pratchett dies aged 66

Sir Terry Pratchett, the author best known for his Discworld series, has died aged 66. His novels weaved fantasy, science fiction, satire and whimsy to great effect -- more than 80 million Discworld books have been sold worldwide. Despite publishing ... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2015-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Wimbledon BookFest to pay authors

Wimbledon BookFest is to start paying a fee of £150 each to all participating authors. This will be the first year the 10-day book festival has paid authors for appearing. Previously it only paid chairs of events. The announcement follows a story in The Bookseller in which a number of authors,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Author Daniel Torday draws praise for his debut novel 'The Last Flight of Poxl West'

'Poxl' is being published on March 17 and centers on teenager Eli, who loves to hear stories of his uncle's World War II bravery. However, he soon discovers all may not be what it seems. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Spirituality and Religion Update: Meet the Authors

This rich category embraces a plethora of topics, as evidenced by the writers of five new books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bestselling author Alice Hoffman's children's book, 'Nightbird,' receives mostly positive reviews

Hoffman's book tells the story of a girl whose family had a curse placed upon them and whose town is fearful of what they believe to be a monster living in their midst. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-03-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The VéroK Literary Agency on Kids Book Biz Changes

The VéroK Agency represents children’s book publishers across Europe and the English-language markets and is seeing changes in who buys what where. The post The VéroK Literary Agency on Kids Book Biz Changes appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-03-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors demand festival appearance fees

Authors should be paid for festival appearances, writers have told The Bookseller, because “authors are professional and deserve professional treatment”. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Independent Bookshop of Year shortlists and winners revealed

The regional shortlists and winners of The Bookseller Industry Awards’ Independent Bookshop of the Year category, sponsored by Gardners Books, have been praised by the judging committee for their “creativity, passion and [for] demonstrating the very best the sector has to offer”. The judges —... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Collins and MacPhail win Scottish kids book awards

Authors Ross Collins and Cathy MacPhail both won their third Scottish Children’s Book Awards, announced today (4th March) at a ceremony in Edinburgh. Debut writer Alex McCall also picked up a prize. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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German indies launch online bookshop

Already dubbed by the media as a serious contender for Amazon, the new German online bookshop Genialokal.de will finally be launched on March 12th, the first day of the Leipzig Book Fair. The e-commerce platform promotes localism under the banner “fantastically local” and is an initiative of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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