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 ]
News tagged with: #original form

Other news stories related to: "In the age of Corbyn, is the time right for another Road to Wigan Pier?"


Waterstones to open three storey shop on Tottenham Court Road

Waterstones is set to open a new three storey bookshop on London’s Tottenham Court Road in October. At 7,000 sq foot, the shop will be the largest Waterstones to open in the capital since the Oxford Street Plaza branch in 2009 and will stock the largest selection of new fiction titles in London... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #fiction titles #largest selection


Digital Nears a Third of New York Times Ad Revenue

The New York Times Co. posted second-quarter profit that topped analysts' estimates after the publisher cut expenses faster than revenue declined.Earnings excluding some items were 13 cents a share, the New York-based company said in a statement. That compares with the 11-cent average of... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2015-08-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #fell short


​This interactive map crams in American literature's greatest road trips

People love road trips. Some like 'em more than others. And some like them perhaps a little bit too much. This interactive map from Richard Kreitner and Steven Melendez crams the locations mentioned in twelve road-tripping books including Mark Twain... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2015-08-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #interactive map #american literature


Ad Age's 2015 Hispanic Fact Pack Is Out Now

Marketers continue to boost spending in the U.S. Hispanic media market, with 2014 advertising outlays growing by 12.0%, far ahead of the estimated 4.9% growth for overall U.S. major-media ad spending. As usual, internet spending (up 18.3%) and TV (up 14.7%) fueled that growth. Newspapers eked... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2015-08-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #procter gamble #demographic change #includes data #ad spending


Financial Times will now have Rising Sun ethics

Being sold to Nikkei brings a Japanese-style code of behaviourThe FT has not joined the Independent Press Standards Organisation, or its rival Impress project; it is doing its own regulation thing. And it’s worth pausing over that decision as the Pink One becomes a Rising Sun under Nikkei... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-08-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #good sense #publishers association


Nat Geo Rolls Out Big Pope Book, Timed with U.S. Visit

In September, Pope Francis will make his first papal visit to the United States, stopping in Washington, D.C.; New York City; and Philadelphia. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #pope francis #papal visit


Two Roads buys Hannington duo

Two Roads has acquired two novels by Peter Hannington, a producer at BBC Radio 4. Publisher Lisa Highton bought world rights from John Saddler at The Saddler Agency. Hanington’s first novel, titled A Dying Breed, is set in the contemporary world of foreign correspondents reporting from war... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #war zones #contemporary world


Why Nikkei Is Betting Big on Digital Growth at the Financial Times

Nikkei’s $1.3 billion deal to buy the Financial Times underscores the fact that the publishing industry’s fortunes lie in going digital, experts say. Continue reading at Knowledge@Wharton

[ Knowledge@Wharton | 2015-07-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #publishing industry #betting big #digital growth


Pearson, the Financial Times and the culture of modern capitalism

Letter to the FT by Daily Mail group director on the difference between business ownership based on ‘long term value’ and the need to make quick profitsA short letter in Wednesday’s Financial Times makes for fascinating reading. Stimulated by Pearson’s sale of the FT to Nikkei, it poses profound... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-07-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #early 1990s #fascinating reading #long term


Timely Poet’s Tour Trumps Trump with Trump

Oklahoma poet Nathan Brown is garnering attention during his book tour for a poem touching on the life of Presidential candidate Donald Trump. The post Timely Poet’s Tour Trumps Trump with Trump appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-07-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #book tour #trump appeared


Does the age of an author matter when writing YA fiction?

The Book Doctor goes right back to beginnings of YA and teen fiction in the 1950s and 1960s to investigate whether author age has anything to do with reader experienceI saw several really young writers at the Young Adult Literature Convention (Yalc) who seem to know just what their readers are... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-07-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #role models #helena coggan #malorie blackman #young authors #young writers #teen fiction


After Financial Times, Pearson Announces Plans to Sell The Economist Magazine Also

Pearson Plc moved closer to an exit from business publishing as it announced plans to dispose of its stake in the 172-year-old Economist magazine, just days after the sale of The Financial Times newspaper.   Discussions with The Economist Group& ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-07-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #economist group #announced plans #business publishing #economist magazine


The Guardian view on media globalisation: good news for the Financial Times | Editorial

It may not prove easy to marry British and Japanese journalistic cultures. But in a global media world this deal makes senseThe Financial Times is one of the best newspapers in the world, not just in Britain. It is quick without being rash, accurate without leaden pedantry, thoughtful without... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-07-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #make decisions #digital operations #everyday life


Pearson boss defends sale of Financial Times to Nikkei

John Fallon says it was getting harder to run education and journalism arms well and is confident Japanese firm will honour editorial freedomPearson was no longer the best owner of the Financial Times, the publishing group’s chief executive has said in defence of the decision to sell the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-07-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #john fallon


Two Roads acquires novel about Vanderbilt women

Two Roads is to publish a book reimagining the lives of three women from the Vanderbilt family. Publisher Lisa Highton bought UK rights for the currently untitled book by Therese Anne Fowler from Jenny Meyer on behalf of Wendy Sherman. The book will “take readers from the extravagant world of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #jazz age #gilded age #jenny meyer #untitled book


Pearson agrees to sell Financial Times to Japanese publisher in $1.3B deal

Japanese publisher Nikkei Inc. agreed to acquire Pearson Plc's FT Group for $1.3 billion to gain control of the Financial Times newspaper. The sale doesn't include Pearson's 50% stake in... To view the full story, click the title link. Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2015-07-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #50% stake


Two Roads snaps up Volpe self-published memoir

Two Roads has acquired an originally self-published memoir by the general manager of Opera Holland Park. Michael Volpe’s Noisy at the Wrong Times was chosen by The Bookseller’s Caroline Sanderson as an Independent Author pick in April, and was named by the Sunday Times as one of its “100... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #senior editor #kate hewson #sunday times #caroline sanderson #general manager


'We've Gone Headlong': Inside Time Inc.'s Video Strategy

Over the past two years Time Inc., the magazine company, has attempted to position itself as Time Inc., the digital content brand.   Core to the push has been video, which Time Inc. has produced in multiple forms. On the Web, its video team, now ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-07-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #magazine company #video team #video strategy #years time


Brands Start Hosting Real-Time Video Chats on Facebook

Media brands were quick to adopt video apps Periscope and Meerkat to broadcast live streams, and now Facebook marketers want in on that action. Social platform BumeBox started hosting live Facebook chats for brands like VH1 and Discovery Channel back in October, as an alternative to the Twitter... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2015-07-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


HarperCollins UK CEO says “Publishing Entering a Golden Age”

At HarperCollins UK's annual summer party for its authors, UK CEO Charlie Redmayne could not have sounded more positive about the firm's direction in 2015. The post HarperCollins UK CEO says “Publishing Entering a Golden Age” appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-07-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #harpercollins uk #golden age