The Canongate Books boss on the success of Letters Live, performances of notable correspondence by leading lights of stage and screenJamie Byng, 46, son of the 8th Earl of Strafford, grew up in Hampshire and studied at the University of Edinburgh. After graduating he joined Canongate Books as an intern and bought out the struggling Edinburgh publishing house two years later, aged just 25. His successes include the UK publication of Yann Martel’s Life of Pi, which won the Man Booker prize in 2002 and sold more than 3m copies. In 2013 he set up Letters Live, “a celebration of the enduring power of literary correspondence” based in part on Shaun Usher’s Letters of Note books. Letters Live returns to London’s Freemasons’ Hall on Thursday 10 March.How did Letters Live come about?In 2013 we published two books about letters on the same day. One was Simon Garfield’s To the Letter, which is a history of letter-writing. The other, Letters of Note, grew out of Shaun Usher’s website, which compiles great correspondence throughout history. We decided to promote both books by getting people to read out letters in a live setting. Nick Cave had a letter in Shaun’s book and he’s a good friend, so it was very straightforward to call him up and say “How’s about it?” Gillian Anderson went totally nuts for a Katharine Hepburn letter to Spencer Tracy. Everyone I asked who was around – Benedict Cumberbatch, Matt Berry, Neil Gaiman, Bruce Robinson – said yes. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2016-03-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A full cast of narrators brings an audiobook to life in totally new and unexpected ways. Here are some of the latest you can't miss. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-07-21 10:36:00 UTC ]
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In addition to being a prolific novelist, Toni Morrison was a prolific editor. She was committed to championing Black writers, both through her role as senior editor at Random House and her work with writing collectives like The Sisterhood (which included literary giants like June Jordan, Alice... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-12-10 18:40:25 UTC ]
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On February 2, 1922, Sylvia Beach, through her legendary bookstore and occasional imprint Shakespeare and Company, published the entirety of James Joyce’s modernist novel, Ulysses. (It was also Joyce’s 40th birthday.) Two years later, she sought to have at least some of it recorded in Joyce’s... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-02-02 15:29:36 UTC ]
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As you may remember, about a week ago, Senator Josh Hawley challenged the results of the election, encouraged the storming of the Capitol, and then complained about Simon & Schuster canceling his book deal, calling the publisher’s decision “Orwellian” (how?) and “a direct assault on the... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-01-19 16:20:57 UTC ]
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Author Shirley Jackson often responded to readers’ letters; this one, written in 1962 after republication of her historical fiction for juveniles, The Witchcraft of Salem Village, seems uncannily prescient for our times. –Laurence Jackson Hyman, editor of the forthcoming The Collected Letters of... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-10-30 08:49:48 UTC ]
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A new Audible Captions feature launching in September, allowing people to read along to their audiobooks, will only be available to US customers, the firm has said. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-07-18 23:46:46 UTC ]
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Amazon already brings joy to the millions of people who receive its packages, but now it wants to know how you’re feeling during the other 1,400 minutes in your day. Bloomberg reports that Amazon is developing a new wearable device “that can discern the wearer’s emotional state from the sound... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2019-05-23 14:16:00 UTC ]
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Amazon already gives Prime customers access to a Kindle lending library, allowing the user to "borrow" books each month. But for some of the more voracious types, this may not provide enough material for a month's worth of entertainment. For those customers, the retail giant has unveiled Kindle... Continue reading at Betanews
[ Betanews | 2014-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The world’s fastest-selling memoir is merely an episode in a soap opera in the Sussexes’ adopted Californian hometownOn the day Prince Harry’s controversial, headline-grabbing memoir Spare officially became the fastest-selling non-fiction book in history, the bookstore in his adoptive hometown... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-01-21 14:25:09 UTC ]
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The Right to Read Act was introduced in Congress October 6. Here's what it is and how it could impact libraries and book bans nationwide. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-10-10 14:39:31 UTC ]
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Get ready for summer with domestic suspense novels by Lisa Scottoline, Sally Hepworth, Katie Gutierrez and Amanda Jayatissa Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-05-14 12:00:14 UTC ]
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Inspired by another Rioter's bookish rituals, I'm trying my own. I wake up earlier than usual to enjoy a slow morning reading short stories. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-11-18 11:36:00 UTC ]
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The Reading Agency has unveiled the covers for its 2022 Quick Reads titles, written by the likes of Paula Hawkins, Graham Norton and Alex Wheatle. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-11-09 07:14:30 UTC ]
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Our critic’s picks include a new edition of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and a biography of Whistler. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-12-02 14:00:00 UTC ]
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You will scare yourself silly with these chilling horror books published by an indie press. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-01-10 11:33:18 UTC ]
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Read Harder Challenge participants, and anyone looking for broader reading horizons, we've got your recommendations for the YA nonfiction book task. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-12-04 11:32:54 UTC ]
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You can make your reading experience *even better* with these great book reading accessories. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-11-15 11:38:51 UTC ]
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Books are about people. Reading while you’re around them is a useful reminder of that. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2019-09-20 12:00:00 UTC ]
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YA-themed books will feature on this year's suggested reading lists to celebrate National Poetry Day on 3rd October. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-08-22 22:42:06 UTC ]
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