Jamie Byng: ‘Listening to letters being read out is quite something’

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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Struggling authors know writing is a rich person’s hobby | Letters

Stephen Carver, Guinevere Glasfurd, Brian Needham and Jo McMillan respond to Joanne Harris’s article about horribly low pay in the publishing worldRegarding Joanne Harris’s article (Horribly low pay is pushing out my fellow authors – and yes, that really does matter, 7 December), I guess I’m a... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-12-11 17:07:25 UTC ]
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The Critics’ Picks: A Year in Reading

New York Times book critics discuss their favorite books and memorable reading experiences of 2022. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2022-12-09 20:04:15 UTC ]
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What to Read Before and After The Adventures of Saul Bellow

Rejoice, Bellowheads: on December 12th, PBS is premiering the first-ever major documentary on Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winner Saul Bellow. Directed by Asaf Galay and featuring rare archival footage and interviews with Philip Roth, Salman Rushdie, and others, American Masters: The Adventures of... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-12-09 09:54:28 UTC ]
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Libraries are not interested in hosting readings of Kirk Cameron’s “faith-centered” kids’ book.

Amid all the stories of shitbag Proud Boys shutting down drag queen story hours at libraries, here’s a nice bit of news about libraries saying a very polite “fuck off” to Kirk Cameron, former Growing Pains star and current Christian film mogul whose latest effort was the anti-abortion... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-12-08 17:19:04 UTC ]
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Amazon Kindle Scribe Review: Read and Write on this Pricey Ebook Reader

You can read ebooks, write notes, or mark up PDFs on this new slate, but your wallet will feel a lot lighter. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2022-12-08 14:00:00 UTC ]
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The Best Audiobook Thrillers to Listen to This Winter

Listen for the twists, turns, and secrets in ten of the best audiobook thrillers to listen to this holiday season! Continue reading at Book Riot

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New Historical Fiction to Read

There’s something for everyone in this season’s bumper crop of novels set in other times and places. Continue reading at The New York Times

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6 Winter and Christmas Manga to Read This Holiday Season

Let’s make Christmas an opportunity to explore some manga as part of that stack you curl up with by checking out these Christmas manga! Continue reading at Book Riot

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10 books to add to your reading list in December

Bethanne Patrick's December standout books include a Gen X caper, a wild adventure tale and surprising new novels from Jane Smiley and Cormac McCarthy. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-12-01 18:52:48 UTC ]
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Comics and Graphic Novels to Read When You’re Under the Weather

These comics are perfect for your next sick day, from a nonfiction comic about the 1918 flu to a comforting graphic novel about tea dragons. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-12-01 11:34:00 UTC ]
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More than 150 Literary Agents Sign Letter to Support HarperCollins Workers’ Strike

More than 150 literary agents signed a letter promising to stop submitting new books to HarperCollins to support striking workers. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-11-30 17:34:23 UTC ]
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10 Must-Read Novels About Asian American Politics

Ryan Lee Wong, author of the novel 'Whose Side Are You On,' recommends 10 novels that break the 'model minority' stereotype. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

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The Annotated Nightstand: What Anna Moschovakis is Reading Now and Next

Anna Moschovakis is one of those unicorns in the literary world who manages not only to do it all, but do it well—more than well. She is a poet, translator, novelist, critic, publisher, professor, and community organizer. Her translation from French of David Diop’s At Night All Blood Is Black... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-11-17 09:51:50 UTC ]
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Freedom to Read Advocates Warn of Proposed ‘Book Rating’ Bill in Texas, Rising Book Bans in Missouri

While still in the early stages of the legislative process, the proposed bill in Texas would require publishers to develop a new rating system for books, and would give Texas state officials the power to bar schools from doing business with publishers who do not comply with the state’s directives. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-11-17 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Royal Reads: Honoring the Life of Queen Elizabeth II

To mark the passing of Queen Elizabeth II and the coronation of King Charles III, we highlight some vital books that explore the queen’s legacy and look to the future. (Sponsored) Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

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Reading the Power Dynamics of Gender in Ovid’s Metamorphoses

“In all creation there is nothing constant,” says Pythagoras in the final book of the Metamorphoses. All things are subject to the power of change: bodies, landscapes, cities, nations—even the cosmos. Ovid announces his epic’s main theme as metamorphosis in its first two lines: “My spirit moves... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-11-08 09:53:56 UTC ]
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Review: The biggest, most intricately ambitious little story you'll read this year

Irish author Claire Keegan is one of those U.S. 'discoveries' who have been known back home for years. With 'Foster,' she earns that acclaim and more. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-11-01 14:00:17 UTC ]
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Literacy Focus: Reading Across Genders

We asked four teachers and librarians about the ways they encourage students and patrons to read books featuring protagonists of diverse gender identities. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

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Review: 'Still No Word From You,' a memoir that redefines the experience of reading

Peter Orner's 'Still No Word From You' melds memoir and criticism and, in the process, brings reading to life as a multi-sensory, communal experience. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

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10 books to add to your reading list in November

Bethanne Patrick's November highlights include musings from Dylan, Tarantino and Jerry Saltz, the returns of Russell Banks and Katherine Dunn and more. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

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