'I've never felt less festive': the art of writing Christmas novels, 365 days a year

Drinking sherry, bingeing Downton Abbey ... how authors keep up the spirit of the season, even when writing during heatwaves and a nightmarish ChristmasChristmas novels are not a new phenomenon. Charles Dickens sold out of his first print run of A Christmas Carol in days in December 1843, while Agatha Christie played on seasonal stresses with titles including The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding in 1923 and Hercule Poirot’s Christmas in 1938. But these days, there are acres of festive crime and rags-to-riches romances under the mistletoe to choose from. All tastes are catered for, whether it’s a love of trains (Edward Marston’s Victorian railway detective story A Christmas Railway Mystery), religion (Unlikely Santa: An Amish Christmas Story) or even festive erotica. Ebook retailer Smashwords stocks romance titles including The Old Dragon of the Mountain’s Christmas, and the inventive-sounding A Cyborg’s Old Terran Christmas. (“Interstellar bride Nell and her three children are forced to enter space-sleep capsules in the hope of surviving a calamity. She wakes over 700 years later on a ship of cyborg warriors. In this strange environment, Nell can’t imagine what their future will hold, but she is determined to keep her promise and make Christmas for her children.”)It may sound futuristic, but it is part of a long tradition beloved by readers. As Christina Storey at Allison & Busby, an independent publisher whose titles this year range from Anna Jacobs’ Christmas in... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2020-12-17 15:22:04 UTC ]
News tagged with: #print run #allison busby #wonderful time #independent publisher

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Arts Council defends Poetry Book Society cuts

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Mon, 04/04/2011 - 09:16 The Arts Council has defended its funding cut to the Poetry Book Society (PBS), claiming its "reach and distribution was not as wide or effective as other applicants'". In a letter to the Times, Antonia Byatt, director of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Blackwell Group halves losses within a year

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Thu, 31/03/2011 - 09:14 Blackwell UK hopes to become profitable in two years, after nearly halving its operating losses to £5.6m. The academic bookseller’s year-end results to 26th June 2010 show the company has narrowed its operating losses from... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fourth Estate to publish next Tan novel

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Wed, 30/03/2011 - 14:55 Fourth Estate will publish the latest novel by The Joy Luck Club author Amy Tan after HarperCollins bought The Valley of Amazement. Publication date for the novel is expected to be autumn 2012. Daniel Halpern, president and... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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S&S and Templar among Bologna day one dealmakers

Written By: Caroline Horn and Benedicte Page Publication Date: Mon, 28/03/2011 - 16:07 Simon and Schuster UK and Templar have announced deals on the first day of the Bologna Book Fair, as Walker Books reveals a new digital partnership. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Forbes wins £50k Warwick Prize for Writing

Publication Date: Wed, 23/03/2011 - 07:50 Writer, journalist and editor Peter Forbes' exploration of mimicry and camouflage in nature, art and warfare has been awarded the £50,000 Warwick Prize for Writing. His Dazzled and Deceived (Yale University Press) was described by chair of judges... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Indiebound in Mother's Day push

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Fri, 18/03/2011 - 16:25 Posters reminding book buyers that "Mum's The Word" are being made available for indie retailers to encourage Mother's Day sales. The Booksellers Association has produced a series of designs, which can be downloaded and... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Luke Johnson to write business advice for Portfolio

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Thu, 17/03/2011 - 15:57 Luke Johnson, best known in the book trade for his spell owning Borders, and fellow Financial Times journalist Mrs Moneypenny are writing business titles for Penguin's business imprint Portfolio. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Continuum crowned indie publisher of the year

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Zinio Newsstand Back Up After Some Services Down For Four Days

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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Female authors heralded on International Women's Day

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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£1 World Book Day books storm to the top of the charts

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hearst's John Loughlin Highlights Four Key Drivers for Magazines at DMA Circ Marketing Day

John P. Loughlin, EVP and GM of Hearst Magazines, kicked off DMA's Circulation Marketing Day at the Time Inc. Conference Center in New York City as keynote speaker. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-03-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Vintage to hold open day

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bloomsbury predicts 2011 to be "year of the ebook"

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Mon, 28/02/2011 - 09:20 Bloomsbury is anticipating 2011 to be the "year of the ebook", as it reported ebook sales were just under 10% of trade print sales in its latest results. For the 12 months ending 31st December 2010, sales were up 4.01%... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin has best-ever year as Pearson profits leap

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Digital doubles at this year's LBF

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hodder to release final Earth’s Children novel

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gibbons proposes National Libraries Day

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Westfield London to hold Gruffalo event for Red Nose Day

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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