Faber & Faber: by Toby Faber review – the untold story of a publishing giant

They turned down Ulysses and Animal Farm, but still shaped 20th‑century literatureAll publishing houses have archives, but for anyone interested in 20th-century literature the archive of Faber & Faber is a fabled treasure house. This is the firm that was, as Toby Faber puts it, “midwife at the birth of modernism”. In 1924 Faber’s grandfather, Geoffrey Faber, aspiring poet and fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, had been installed as chairman of the Scientific Press, recently inherited by another All Souls fellow, Maurice Gwyer. It published mostly books and journals for nurses. Geoffrey Faber renamed it and started making it into a literary publisher. Within his first year he had installed TS Eliot as a fellow director and acquired his backlist.The firm would go on to publish Ezra Pound, WH Auden and James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake. Then Robert Lowell, Sylvia Plath, Ted Hughes, Philip Larkin, Seamus Heaney: a poetry list to beat all others. Academics have always itched to get into the Faber archive, to get at the letters and memos that record how this 20th-century canon was made. Toby Faber has rights of entry. He has given us a highly selective anthology rather than a narrative: his book is made up of extracts from original documents (mostly letters, but also memos, board minutes and blurbs), with spare comments from himself.Faber & Faber allowed The Bodley Head to get Ulysses; “Feebler and Fumbler”, Joyce called the firm Related: Lord of the Flies? ‘Rubbish’.... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2019-06-20 11:00:08 UTC ]
News tagged with: #ted hughes #philip larkin #seamus heaney #bodley head #anthology #publishing houses

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Faber & Faber: by Toby Faber review – the untold story of a publishing giant'


Plexus also set to publish David Bowie colouring-in book

Plexus is publishing David Bowie: Starman: A Colouring Book, a "cultural history in pictures" revealing the late musician's 50-year fashion evolution in 30 illustrations. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-03-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #colouring book #cultural history


Major Publishers Contribute to Open eBooks Initiative

The Open eBook private-public partnership offers access to quality digital content, including a catalog of ebooks valued at more than $250 million. The post Major Publishers Contribute to Open eBooks Initiative appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-03-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #$250 million


The case against combining publisher and editor roles

Tribune Publishing decided to combine the editor and publisher roles at its major dailies, in a major break with publishing tradition. There's more collaboration than ever in publishing, but even the most forward-leaning digital media companies find a lot to like in the traditional editorial... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2016-03-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #vox media #top editors


A Busy Year for Polish Publishing: BEA, FBM, LBF

Polish publishing is featured in The Markets Global Summit at Frankfurt Book Fair 2016, the Market Forum at BEA 2016, and LBF's Market Focus in 2017. The post A Busy Year for Polish Publishing: BEA, FBM, LBF appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-03-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #lbf appeared #busy year #market focus


Silvertail to publish Wright's Scientology exposé

Independent publisher Silvertail Books is set to publish an investigation into Scientology by Pulitzer prize-winning author Lawrence Wright, three years after it was pulled in the UK by Transworld. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-03-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Magazine publisher wants editor to live within half an hour of Mayfair

Advert for ‘gregarious, vivacious’ journalist requires inner London locationA magazine publisher in central London seeking a “gregarious, vivacious” journalist to join its “small, friendly team” has added another interesting requirement: applicants must “live within half an hour of Bond... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-03-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishing business #sloane square


10 Best Linked Story Collections

Books by Salinger, Bradbury, and more, chosen by Amy Parker, the author of 'Beasts and Children.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-03-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


'Brexit would be a disaster for British publishing'

Over a book-writing career of more than three decades I have produced a number of well received books with very modest sales mainly on European and international political themes. But never have I had a book - Brexit: How Britain Will Leave Europe (I.B.Tauris) - go through two editions in just... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-03-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #brexit referendum #european union #british publishing #prime minister


Publishing's future lies in diverse audiences, Chi tells IPG

Publishers need to do a “much better job of catering to underrepresented groups” as they have a responsibility to “represent the experiences of their broad readership”, Elsevier chariman Youngsuk Chi has told the IPG Conference. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-03-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #diverse audiences #ipg conference


A UK Independent Publisher at DBW: Nosy Crow’s Tom Bonnick

As the IPG’s representative to Digital Book World 2016, Tom Bonnick says he's looking at the role of independent publishers in today's industry. The post A UK Independent Publisher at DBW: Nosy Crow’s Tom Bonnick appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-03-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #nosy crow #tom bonnick #independent publishers


Can Simon & Schuster's new Muslim imprint ease publishing's diversity problem?

The new Salaam imprint, focused on Muslim characters and stories, is expected to launch in 2017 with nine books, from picture books for children to Young Adult titles for tweens and teens. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2016-03-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #picture books #simon schuster #muslim characters


S&S to publish Jaycee Lee Dugard book on freedom

Simon & Schuster is set to publish Freedom: My Book of Firsts, a memoir by Jaycee Lee Dugard, who was kidnapped in the US aged 11 and held prisoner for 18 years. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-03-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #simon schuster


Hachette to acquire Perseus' publishing arm, finally

Hachette will acquire Perseus' publishing arm, both publishers announced Tuesday. The deal is the culmination of an effort that started and was stopped in 2014 when details proved too complicated. Now things have been simplified by separating Perseus' publishing business from its distribution... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2016-03-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishing arm #publishing business #distribution business


Terry Pratchett short story collection coming this summer

Penguin Random House Children’s will this summer publish a second collection of short stories from Terry Pratchett. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-03-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #summer publish #short stories #terry pratchett


Publishers Have to Pay Up to Track Their Audiences on Distributed Platforms

Publishers are increasingly coming around to the idea of a distributed future. They're re-allocating resources to build teams that produce content for specific social platforms, and they're giving away articles on platforms like Apple News, Facebook and Flipboard, hoping to make money by selling... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2016-03-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #apple news #make money #selling ads #additional cost


Facebook is letting publishers use Instant Articles to collect e-mail newsletter signups

Facebook has been running publishers’ content through Instant Articles for about a year, and now it’s letting some of them test newsletter sign-up messages. The New York Times and Washington Post are among those who are participating. The test seems addressed at the concern publishers have about... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2016-03-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #post facebook


Wold joins Watkins as associate publisher

Chris Wold has joined Watkins Media Limited – publishers of Watkins, Nourish, Angry Robot and Repeater – in the role of associate publisher of Nourish and Special Projects. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #associate publisher #angry robot #special projects


Can publishing keep its soul in an increasingly data-driven future?

The Literary Platform's Sophie Rochester on publishing by numbers, and whether the industry can keep its soul in an increasingly data-driven future. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #literary platform


Picador to publish Brownrigg sequel 20 years on

Picador has acquired Pages For Her by Sylvia Brownrigg, a novel set 20 years on from Brownrigg’s first novel Pages for You. The new novel, set to be released in 2017, will tell the story of Flannery, a wife and mother, who is invited to a writers’ conference and embarks on an affair with the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Hachette Agrees to Buy Perseus Publishing Business

The Hachette Book Group has signed a binding agreement to acquire the nine publishing imprints of Perseus Books Group and talks are continuing to sell Perseus's distribution division. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hachette agrees #publishing imprints