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?"


IPC says 'business as usual' as Time Warner plans to spin off publishing arm

IPC Media is focusing on not being distract by events outside of its control, as parent company Time Warner unveiled plans to spin off its magazine division Time Inc last night. Continue reading at Media Week

[ Media Week | 2013-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #publishing arm #ipc media


Lewis Lapham: The Digital Age Will Produce “a Montaigne and a Shakespeare”

Lewis Lapham, editor of Lapham's Quarterly, believes we are still in the experimental phase of digital media, waiting for the next online Shakespeare to emerge. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-02-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #digital age


Danish Publisher Network to Use Real Time Bidding

Denmark’s leading publishers are combining with Rubicon Project to launch The Danish Publisher Network, in order to offer their online inventory and data to advertisers via real-time trading. Publishers including Politiken, Jyllands-Posten, ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #rubicon project #leading publishers


Announcing the 2012 L.A. Times Book Prize finalists

The finalists for the 33rd L.A. Times Book Prizes were announced Thursday morning. Two authors -- Margaret Atwood and Kevin Starr -- will also receive special recognition. This post has been updated; see below for details. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-02-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Books in Translation: It’s Time for Others to Join the Fight

The publishers of UK's Stork Books argue that major publishers and the media in the UK and USA underestimate the audience for translated books and are making a big mistake. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #translated books #major publishers


Time Warner Considering Spinning Off Part Of Its Publishing Arm: Report

According to Fortune, the media giant is meeting with a reps from Meredith--but nothing's been confirmed. Could Time Warner be following in the steps of News Corp. and considering spinning off its publishing division? According to a report by Fortune (a Time Inc. publication), the media... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #sports illustrated #real simple #potential buyer #media company #publishing division


Times Chicken House competition picks shortlist

Children's publisher Chicken House and the Times are on the way to choosing the title that... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Indie Reps: Changing with the Times

The fate of the independent sales representative may be inextricably linked to that of the independent bookstore. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #independent bookstore #inextricably linked


Time Warner 4Q earnings up

Time Warner Inc. said Wednesday that net income grew 51% in the last three months of 2012 even as revenue was largely unchanged. Rising fees from cable and satellite companies and higher ad revenue at the TV networks offset revenue declines at its movie studio and magazine businesses.Net income... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2013-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #magazine business #video game


Time Inc. cuts some 500 jobs

Time Inc., the publisher of magazines including Time and Sports Illustrated, has begun eliminating about 6% of its head count—nearly 500 jobs—in the biggest round of cuts at the company since 2008."With the significant and ongoing changes in our industry, we must continue to transform our... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2013-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #fourth quarter #financial results #equivalent period #year totaled #family circle #home journal #meredith corp #trouble spots


Rupert Murdoch says Los Angeles Times purchase not a sure thing

Now that Rupert Murdoch is spinning off News Corp.’s publishing properties into a separate company, media observers have identified the Los Angeles Times as a likely target for acquisition. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #separate company #rupert murdoch


Historic Time for Journal Inc with New Press Launch

From Clay Foster, chairman and CEO of Journal Inc. and publisher of the Daily Journal: Today’s paper is the culmination of months of planning and hard work to go live on a new printing press. In challenging economic times this was not an e ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-01-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #printing press #hard work


Condé Nast Time Ends for Maurie Perl

Maurie Perl, the longtime chief spokeswoman at Condé Nast, is hanging it up after 21 years at the company. For 12 years, Perl built and oversaw the PR machine of the publishing company, reporting to parent Advance Publications Chairman Si Newhouse and then-Condé Nast CEO Steve Florio, who since... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2013-01-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #great fun #hot list #presidential campaign #bill clinton #special projects


It’s Time Publishing Tries Something Radical to Entice Readers

Publishing is doing all it can to convince people to buy books and read, but still 47% of Americans don't. It's time to try something radical: let's start with men. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-01-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #buy books #entice readers


Time Inc. names Nelson editor in chief

Time Inc. has named Martha Nelson as editor-in-chief of the media company. The company said Tuesday that Ms. Nelson is the first woman in the company's 90-year history to hold the role. She has worked for Time Inc. for 20 years and has been editorial director since 2010. She will assume the top... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2012-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #mobile devices #digital publishing #sports illustrated #time warner #media company


The New York Times Is Getting Into eBooks With Byliner And Vook Partnerships

The New York Times is getting into the ebooks business through partnerships with digital publishers Byliner and Vook. The Times will up to 12 original e-singles through Byliner on a variety of topics including culture, sports, business, science, and health. The first Byliner title, "Snow Fall:... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2012-12-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #curated selection #start publishing


B&N launches 'buy a Nook, we'll give a book,' promoting literacy one rhyme at a time

Sure, it's probably not going to convince you to pick up a new device if you weren't already in the market for one, but that's not really the point, right? Barnes & Noble's kicking off the season of giving with its "Buy a Nook, We'll Give a Book" promotion, which finds the company donating a... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-12-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #christmas day #barnes noble #promoting literacy #ll give #bn launches #book charity


Two Roads buys Kirsty Wark novels

Hodder imprint Two Roads has acquired two novels from "Newsnight" presenter Kirsty Wark... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-11-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


'Dark times' for North East literature bodies

Literature organisations in the North East have said they face difficult times with a combination... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-11-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #north east #literature organisations #dark times


Louise Erdrich's 'The Round House' mixes tragedy, coming of age

In Louise Erdrich's latest novel, the National Book Award-winning 'The Round House,' a Native American teenage boy comes to terms with his mother's recent rape, his sexual awakening and his Indian heritage in a solid work that doesn't have a strong emotional pull.The Round House Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-11-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #round house #louise erdrich