‘I’m giddy to be here’: the risk-takers who opened bookshops during Covid

More than 60 bookshops launched in the UK and Ireland in the past 18 months – but who would open one in a pandemic? We asked five to share their stories, while bestselling author Val McDermid remembers the bookshops of her youthWhen I was growing up in a small Scottish town, we had a bookshop that was utterly terrifying. The books were housed on high shelves behind counters staffed by intimidating assistants. If you didn’t go in knowing what you wanted, tough. There was no possibility of browsing. If I got a book token for my birthday or a school prize, I’d always pick a title I hadn’t read yet from a favourite author so I knew what to ask for. Chances were, they didn’t have it and it would have to be ordered. Cue pursed lips and a frown.Honestly, it’s a miracle that I ever managed to amass a book collection at all.Val McDermid’s new novel, 1979 (Little, Brown, £20), is published on 19 August Related: Shakespeare and Company: a 'socialist utopia masquerading as a bookstore' – in pictures Related: 10 independent bookshops you should visit worldwide: our readers recommend Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2021-08-15 11:00:06 UTC ]
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Industry Notes: Europeana Opens ‘Literary Tour’; Trio in UK Opens Literary Events Consultancy

Keyed on World Book Day, the cultural heritage platform Europeana opens a literature focus, as a new consultancy for festivals opens in the UK. The post Industry Notes: Europeana Opens ‘Literary Tour’; Trio in UK Opens Literary Events Consultancy appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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International Notes: Open Road Acquires Iconic UK and US Titles; Germany’s De Gruyter Reorganizes Open Access

Ebook rights to works of Joan Didion, Joyce Carol Oates, and Philip Pullman go to Open Road, while Germany's De Gruyter ups its ante in Open Access. The post International Notes: Open Road Acquires Iconic UK and US Titles; Germany’s De Gruyter Reorganizes Open Access appeared first on Publishing... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Chorleywood Bookshop crowned Vintage Independent Bookshop of the Year 2016

Chorleywood Bookshop has been named the Vintage Independent Bookshop of the Year 2016, making it the first shop to have won the prize twice. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-10-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How open is Open Access?

Goldsmiths Press director Sarah Kember argues that Open Access in the academy may not be the universal good many claim. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Open Source for an Open Publishing Ecosystem: Readium.org Turns One

March marked the one-year anniversary of the formation of the Readium Foundation (Readium.org), an independent nonprofit started with the objective of developing commercial-grade open source publishing technology software. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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London Book Fair 2014: Open Source for an Open Publishing Ecosystem: Readium.org Turns One

Last month marked the one-year anniversary of the formation of the Readium Foundation (Readium.org), an independent nonprofit launched in March 2013 with the objective of developing commercial-grade open source publishing technology software. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-04-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PW Bookstore of the Year 2024 Finalist: Red Balloon Bookshop

The Red Balloon, founded in 1984 in St. Paul, Minn., specializes in books for children of all ages. It has been a community gathering space for decades. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-04-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Lauren Groff Prepares to Open Her Bookstore—with a Little Help from Her Bookseller Friends

Fortified by advice and tips from Ann Patchett and Emma Straub, her fellow authors-turned-indie-booksellers, the author of 'Fates and Furies' and 'Matrix' readies to open her new bookstore, the Lynx, in downtown Gainesville, Fla., this spring. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
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RuPaul has launched an online bookshop that will share its profits with writers.

There’s a new online bookstore in town—and this time it’s helmed by RuPaul. Yes, that RuPaul. (Reading being, after all, fundamental.) Allstora, announced today*, is a membership-based bookstore that offers a profit-split to authors. RuPaul serves as Allstora’s Chief Creative Officer and... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-03-04 16:45:28 UTC ]
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Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop

Before running the bookshop, Yeongju had never considered whether she was suitable to be a bookseller. She thought, rather naively, that anyone who loves books could be one. It was only when she started her own bookshop that she realized she had a serious shortcoming. She fumbled questions such... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-02-23 09:44:53 UTC ]
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U.K. Publishing Spotlight: How Covid Fostered DK's Transatlantic Collaboration

The CEO of DK U.K. explains how the shift to remote work provided a vital connection to the U.S. and introduced new practices that helped grow sales by 20%. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-23 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Taiwan’s President Opens Taipei Book Exhibition

At the opening ceremony for the 2024 edition of Taipei's book fair, Taiwan's president speaks of 'democratic partners.' The post Taiwan’s President Opens Taipei Book Exhibition appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-02-20 12:59:46 UTC ]
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Starting this year, the National Book Awards will be open to non-citizens.

Today, the National Book Foundation announced a change in the eligibility criteria for the annual National Book Awards for Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Young People’s Literature. Beginning with the 75th National Book Awards, submissions for which open on March 13 of this year, the prizes... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-02-15 15:30:03 UTC ]
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Court Trims Authors’ Copyright Lawsuit Against Open AI

A federal judge in California has dismissed a host of claims made by several groups of authors in a now consolidated lawsuit and gave the authors until March 13 to file an amended complaint. The suit’s core claim of direct infringement—which Open AI did not seek to dismiss—remains active. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-14 05:00:00 UTC ]
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