She published her first book in her 40s and became the biggest selling author of the past decade in any genre – The Gruffalo alone has sold 13m copies. How did this former busker make it so big?The room where the children’s author Julia Donaldson writes – the heart of her vast picture book empire – is down a winding staircase, in the cellar of her grand white house in Steyning, West Sussex. Her desk looks out on the street at knee height. “I’m thinking of writing a book about legs,” Donaldson said, as she showed me around the house this summer. Children from the nearby school often wave in at her as they pass. Donaldson is well known in Steyning, due to her frequent signings at the local bookshop. She and her husband, Malcolm, a retired paediatrician, recently bought the local post office to save it from closure. But elsewhere she can walk the pavement without being recognised. “I got a letter the other day for Jacqueline Wilson,” Donaldson told me. “It said: ‘You’re my favourite author!’”If you are not someone who spends much time with young children, you may only be dimly aware of Donaldson’s work – although you will probably be familiar with her most famous creation, the Gruffalo. If you have children, however, you will know her as a cultural juggernaut whose influence among children is perhaps only surpassed by the works of Disney and CBeebies. Donaldson, who is 72, has written more than 210 books: chiefly picture books, but also poetry, plays, a 60-part phonics... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2020-12-17 06:00:31 UTC ]
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Despite budget cuts and insufficient bilingual staffing, United States libraries continue to invest money expanding Spanish-language children’s and YA collections. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This new library-in-a-shipping-container plans on using growing Internet access in Africa to create a new model for making available both electronic information and physical books. It’s a conundrum that library advocates have struggled with for years: in many areas in the developing world,... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2013-03-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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World Book Night has had a record number of givers sign up, with more than 23,000 people... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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While the fate of gay married couples in America hangs in the balance awaiting a pair of Supreme Court decisions, Time's latest cover insists a bigger decision has already been made. As the Supreme Court hears arguments in landmark marriage-equality cases, many around the country, including... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2013-03-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Random House enjoyed a record year in 2012, with worldwide sales up 23% and profits up by 76%. In... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In China children's books are for indoctrinating good citizens and instilling morals, but elsewhere, kids books are becoming increasingly entertaining, enticing and personal. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pulitzer Prize-winner Junot Díaz has won the £30,000 Sunday Times Short Story Award... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fairfax Media is rolling out a number of initiatives this year as part of its ‘Fairfax of the Future’ strategy which aims to streamline operations and support the publisher’s shift to multi-platform delivery. The compa ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-03-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Literary fiction publisher Europa Editions is releasing a new crime list called World Noir this... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How do you live with the knowledge that your baby is dying? A radiant new memoir chronicles the nine months after a mother's worst nightmare came true.Emily Rapp is not one to sugarcoat hard truths, including the brutal diagnosis she and her husband received in January 2011 when they took their... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-03-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The spinoff of Time Inc. to create the world's largest publicly-traded magazine publisher may be just the beginning of deals for the owner of People and Sports Illustrated.With analysts estimating an enterprise value of about $3.9 billion—a measure of what it could cost to buy a company—an... Continue reading at Crains New York
[ Crains New York | 2013-03-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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World Book Night UK will be holding its main event in Liverpool this year, in a collaboration... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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That is: The magazine publisher thinks his industry can come back. Here's his plan. Continue reading at AllThingsD
[ AllThingsD | 2013-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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An era came to an end last week when Time Warner announced it would be spinning off its storied magazine division by the close of the year, leaving the owner of People, InStyle, Fortune, Sports Illustrated and, of course, Time to fend for itself as a publicly traded Time Inc. The announcement... Continue reading at Crains New York
[ Crains New York | 2013-03-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Back in the 1980s—before bookstores began weighing the addition of cafes, possibly with wine and beer licenses—stores like Louie’s Bookstore Café in Baltimore and Trident Booksellers & Café in Boston aimed specifically to integrate food for the mind and the body. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-03-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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On Thursday, Time Warner investors were giving the thumbs up to Wednesday's announcement that the media giant would be spinning off its troubled magazine division—pushing shares up 2% in midday trading, on top of the 6% increase that followed reports last month of a sale of Time Inc.But magazine... Continue reading at Crains New York
[ Crains New York | 2013-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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IPC Media is focusing on not being distract by events outside of its control, as parent company Time Warner unveiled plans to spin off its magazine division Time Inc last night. Continue reading at Media Week
[ Media Week | 2013-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Denmark’s leading publishers are combining with Rubicon Project to launch The Danish Publisher Network, in order to offer their online inventory and data to advertisers via real-time trading. Publishers including Politiken, Jyllands-Posten, ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The finalists for the 33rd L.A. Times Book Prizes were announced Thursday morning. Two authors -- Margaret Atwood and Kevin Starr -- will also receive special recognition. This post has been updated; see below for details. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-02-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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After only one year Germany's participation in international World Book Night celebrations... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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