In the age of Corbyn, is the time right for another Road to Wigan Pier?

It’s no surprise that the Left Book Club is being relaunched now, with the imprimatur of the Labour leader and Ken Livingstone. It began in the anxious 1930s, a decade that has all too many parallels with the current oneAiming to “set the agenda for a new age of political debate”, the Left Book Club was re-launched this week at a meeting at the Conway Hall in London. The Left Book Club last published a book in 1948. Jeremy Corbyn had yet to be born. Nevertheless the Labour leader has generously endorsed the revival as “a terrific and timely idea” that will give “intellectual ballast to the wave of political change sweeping Britain and beyond, encouraging informed and compassionate debate”. He added that he had a large collection of Left Book Club titles, some bought new by his parents and others that he acquired second hand. I speculate that the memory of these books in their plain red or orange covers – their flash upon his inward eye – must have provided Corbyn with a rare pleasurable moment in the past few weeks: the thought of them on his shelves having same kind of heart-filling effect that the daffodils had on Wordsworth.My own collection isn’t so large. In fact, it runs to just one book, Orwell’s The Road to Wigan Pier, and I didn’t inherit it. I bought it 20 or 30 years ago because I liked the idea of having such a fine book in its cheap and original form – seeing the words and photographs as its first readers must have seen them. Published in 1937, the year after... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2015-11-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hodder Studio strikes two-book deal with Wolf Road author Lewis

Hodder Studio is publishing the next two novels by Beth Lewis, author of debut The Wolf Road, starting with "powerful novel" The Origins of Iris, which touches on themes of self-discovery and survival. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-12-21 05:11:55 UTC ]
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Radio 2 Book Club moves to prime-time Steve Wright show

The Radio 2 Book Club, now marking 10 years on air, is moving to a prime-time daytime slot on Steve Wright's show. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-12-18 12:29:27 UTC ]
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Bloomsbury mounts big campaign for Such a Fun Age paperback

Bloomsbury is to embark on "one of its biggest campaigns" ahead of the paperback release of Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-12-18 11:17:53 UTC ]
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Indie Success: The Road Less Traveled

We’re closing out this difficult year with indie books that embody the principles of kindness, beauty, and gratitude. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-12-18 05:00:00 UTC ]
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How Julia Donaldson conquered the world, one rhyme at a time

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... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-12-17 06:00:31 UTC ]
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Watch Karla Cornejo Villavicencio and Marcelo Hernandez Castillo at the L.A. Times Book Club

Watch Karla Cornejo Villavicencio and Marcelo Hernandez Castillo at the L.A. Times Book Club Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-12-16 02:55:22 UTC ]
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Pulitzer winner Alison Lurie dies, aged 94

Alison Lurie, who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1985 for her novel Foreign Affairs (Vintage), has died at the age of 94. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-12-03 22:01:54 UTC ]
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Wellcome and Profile to publish Mosse's 'timely' exploration of carer role

Wellcome Collection and Profile Books will publish An Extra Pair of Hands by Kate Mosse, her own "deeply personal" story of finding herself, in middle age, caring for her relatives.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-12-02 21:14:32 UTC ]
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Two Roads unveils Hogan's latest novel, based on famous clairvoyant

Ruth Hogan is publishing her fourth novel with Two Roads in April 2021, Madame Burova—a story of community, love and friendship set in Brighton and spanning over 50 years. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-12-02 16:42:42 UTC ]
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Devon indie to open in time for Christmas

Nigel Jones, formerly of Ottakar's and the Totnes Bookshop, and his wife Claire Jones, a former W H Smith children's buyer, are to open their own independent bookshop in Totnes, two weeks before Christmas.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-11-30 12:29:44 UTC ]
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Open Road Integrated Media’s Data and Tech Marketing System Can Double Sales

Publishing partners pay no out-of-pocket fees for the company’s “white-glove” service. (Sponsored) Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-11-30 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Thanksgiving is a time to grieve, read and remember. Two new books capture the mood.

Two recently published and appealingly idiosyncratic memoirs reflect this week’s autumnal spirit. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-11-25 14:00:00 UTC ]
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The Joy of Diverse Stories: One Book at a Time

Eileen Robinson and Move Books are inspiring middle graders to find joy in reading through diverse characters and exciting stories. (Sponsored) Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-11-23 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Ezra Klein Leaves Vox for The New York Times

Lauren Williams, the website’s editor in chief, is also leaving. The departures come against a backdrop of change in the digital media business. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2020-11-20 21:04:29 UTC ]
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Marcus Rashford's book club couldn't come at a better time – children's reading is at a 15-year low

Research shows action is needed to get more kids reading for pleasure – especially those from disadvantaged and minority backgrounds. Continue reading at The Conversation

[ The Conversation | 2020-11-20 16:53:51 UTC ]
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Now Is the Time to Finally Close the Digital Divide

The incoming president of the Association of Rural & Small Libraries argues that Covid-19 has shown us the urgent need for a national broadband strategy and a more equitable, sustainable digital library market. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-11-20 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Olga Tokarczuk is publishing an illustrated, all-ages book about finding fulfillment.

Ah, February 2021: maybe by then, we’ll have forgotten that 2020 ever existed. An upcoming book by Olga Tokarczuk, translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones and illustrated by Joanna Concejo, promises to help us cleanse the timeline: The Lost Soul, a story for both children and adults. Publisher Seven... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-11-18 18:31:35 UTC ]
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New York Times reports News Corp bid for S&S

Rupert Murdoch's media giant News Corp has made a bid for Simon & Schuster, according to a report in the New York Times. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-11-17 08:28:03 UTC ]
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Pandemic drives ebook and audiobook sales by UK publishers to all-time high

Printed book sales plunge in first six months of 2020 on back of shop and school closuresSee all our coronavirus coverageSales of digital books by British publishers are set to hit an all-time high this year as the public turns to reading to escape pandemic cabin fever.However, the ebook and... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-11-14 07:00:02 UTC ]
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The Election and a Changing America: LARB Politics Editor Tom Zoellner on The National Road

Subscribe on Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | We’re joined by Tom Zoellner, award-winning author and the LA Review of Books Politics Editor. Tom and the co-hosts talk about the election, the tenor of the online political debate, and the future of patriotism. We also discuss Tom’s new book, The... Continue reading at Los Angeles Review of Books

[ Los Angeles Review of Books | 2020-11-13 17:43:52 UTC ]
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