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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Man Booker Prize: A crowdfunded novel makes the longlist for the first time

'The Wake,' by Paul Kingsnorth was reportedly published by the website Unbound, which funds the publishing of books through donations. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-07-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Man Booker Prize longlist is released with Americans eligible for the first time

Four American authors made the cut, including Joshua Ferris and Karen Joy Fowler. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-07-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Time Inc. Creates Native Ad Group to Forge Programs Across Brands

Time Inc. has created an eight-person unit to focus on native advertising at the publishing company, led by a staffer from the editorial side, Sports Illustrated Group Creative Director Chris Hercik, and another from the business side, Senior VP-Marketing and Sales Development Priya Narang.Mr.... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-07-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Digital Publishers: It's Time to Think About Paying to Promote Content

There is a long-held belief among content publishers -- including many we are partnered with -- that they shouldn't pay to amplify their content. Their clear aversion most often comes from some dogmatic belief that quality content doesn't require paid promotion. For them, paying to promote... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-07-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fox tried to buy Time Warner -- and HBO -- for $80 billion

Could Fox News and CNN have the same owner? No, but close. 21 Century Fox has confirmed reports (first published by the New York Times) that it made an $80 billion bid for fellow media conglomerate Time Warner -- and was turned down, for now.... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2014-07-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Collins 'will not be replaced' at Sunday Times

Robert Collins, deputy literary editor of the Sunday Times, is to leave his role this week, and... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fricking Awesome Maps From the Silver Age of Comic Books

When combined, maps and comic books are irresistible to fans who want to explore their favorite fictional worlds. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2014-07-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The literary World Cup: readers' best all-time teams

Could goalie Camus cope with an attack formed by Burroughs, Ballard and Bolaño? Guardian readers imagined football squads made from their favourite writers. As the World Cup comes to an end, we take a look at our best fictional elevens. But what team would you put your money on? Back when the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HarperCollins Presses Damages Case Against Open Road

In a short reply brief filed on July 2, HarperCollins attorneys urged the court to uphold their request for an injunction and more than $1.1 million in damages and attorneys fees. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Humble Bundle, Open Road Launch Sci-Fi Bundle

The pay-what-you-wish digital bundle includes sci-fi autbors Greg Bear, Barbara Hambly and, to mark the 45th anniversary of the Apollo Moon Landing, a novel by astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Paul Pope Revisits 'Escapo,' this Time in Full Color

Cartoonist Paul Pope is dipping back into his archives to reissue his 1999 work 'Escapo' in a new hardcover edition from Z2 Comics that will be in full color for the first time and offer a wealth of supplementary material. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Time Incs M Scott Havens: We want to build the next LinkedIn or Facebook

Digital chief on rethinking the rules of journalism, shaking off the magazine group tag, and developing innovationM Scott Havens, senior vice president of digital at newly independent Time Inc is not a man to pussyfoot around journalistic conventions. We have to rethink the old church and state... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-06-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sportswriter Simon Barnes leaves The Times after 32 years

Simon Barnes, The Times's award-winning chief sportswriter, is leaving the newspaper after 32 years. He claims the publisher can no longer afford his wages, according to a Sports Journalists' Association report. The report cites Barnes's email message to Mark Avery in which he wrote:"I have no... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-06-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Time Inc. Sells Off Its Mexican Magazines to Concentrate on U.S. and U.K.

Time Inc., the owner of People, Time and Sports Illustrated, said Thursday that it had sold Grupo Editorial Expansin, Mexico's second-largest magazine publisher, to the Latin-American private equity firm Southern Cross Group.Terms of the deal were not disclosed.When Time Inc. bought Grupo in... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-06-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'The Silkworm' is now available on Amazon – but the shipping time keeps changing

J.K. Rowling's bestseller 'The Silkworm' – previously unavailable to Amazon customers – can now be ordered, although shipping time is still slow. 'The Silkworm' is published by Hachette, with whom Amazon is currently involved in a dispute.  Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-06-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Felix Dennis dies aged 67

Magazine publisher who was an editor on 1960s counter-culture title Oz dies after battle with cancer The nine lives of Felix Dennis: Ive lived an unbelievable life, even if I did do my best to kill myself This much I know: Felix Dennis Weekend Magazine Q&A, Felix Dennis: Its no fun watching... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-06-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Open Road Fires Back at HarperCollins in Copyright Case

Open Road attorneys called HarperCollins' $1.1 million request for attorneys fees "shocking," and argued that such an award would universally harm authors. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Are Digital Distractions Monopolizing Reading Time?

Books do furnish a room, but according to many in the publishing industry, the fear is that emails, online video texts and tweets will prevent them being read. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-06-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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On the Road with Book Trucks

First there were food trucks. Now literacy advocates are filling buses and trucks with a different kind of nourishment—books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Play the literary World Cup: nominate your all-time top team

Which authors would form your literary XI? Penguin have created a literary World Cup and we're joining the fun. Nominate the writers you would pick, and explain which positions you would place them in. We will unveil the Guardian readers' definitive team soonEverything is about football these... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-06-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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