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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Amazon Prime to screen Good Omens in May

Amazon Prime will screen its original TV adaptation of Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman on 31st May with a tie-in edition of the book due to be published to coincide with the show.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This Week's Bestsellers: November 26, 2018

Following the release of Amazon's first official trailer for its adaptation of 'Good Omens,' based on the 1990 novel by Terry Pratchet and Neil Gaiman, sales of the 2006 mass market edition have spiked. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-11-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gaiman and Murakami shortlisted for Nobel Prize substitute

Neil Gaiman and Haruki Murakami have been shortlisted for a substitute Nobel literature prize, created by cultural figures in Sweden after the Academy, rocked by a sexual assault scandal, was forced to postpone the awarding of 2018's prize. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-09-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gaiman, Smith and Ishiguro to feature in British short story anthology

Penguin is publishing a new anthology, The Penguin Book of the Contemporary British Short Story, "a literary treasure trove" of "30 great short stories published in the last 20 years", featuring contributors such as Zadie Smith, Irvine Welsh and Neil Gaiman. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-08-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Juno Dawson's memoir optioned for TV

TV rights to Juno Dawson’s memoir The Gender Games (Two Roads) have been optioned by Benedict Cumberbatch's production outfit SunnyMarch.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors and publishers donate thousands of books to Oxfam

Paula Hawkins, Margaret Atwood, Neil Gaiman and Robert Webb are among the authors donating thousands of books to Oxfam in a bid to boost sales in the charity's shops and raise money for its work. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Headline publishes art book by Gaiman and Riddell

Neil Gaiman has written a book about art for Headline, with illustrations by Chris Riddell. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-05-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Blake and Gaiman help raise £160k for House of Illustration

  Quentin Blake and Neil Gaiman were among the authors and illustrators who helped to raise more than  £160,000 for the House of Illustration on Monday evening (11th December). Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BBC reveals festive literary radio line-up

An all star radio adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Anasi Boys (Headline), a reading of David Attenbourgh's memoirs and a performance of "Scrooge - The Musical" are among the literary highlights from BBC Radio for the festive period. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-11-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gaiman, Pullman and Trollope in 'yoga challenge'

Neil Gaiman, Philip Pullman, Joanna Trollope, Lemn Sissay and Joanne Harris are throwing their weight behind a five day yoga challenge next week, organised by The Society of Authors. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-08-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Piatkus to publish 'Bridget Jones meets Neil Gaiman' love story

Piatkus has signed debut author Nicola Mostyn’s first novel - a fantastical story about love, pitched as "Bridget Jones by way of Neil Gaiman", to publish on Valentine's Day 2018. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-07-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Headline to publish Gaiman's Neverwhere sequel, The Seven Sisters

Neil Gaiman is writing a sequel to Neverwhere, 20 years after it first published, called The Seven Sisters, for publication with Headline.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-02-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gaiman and Pratchett's Good Omens to premiere with Amazon Prime in 2018

Neil Gaiman's TV adaptation of Good Omens (Transworld), written with Sir Terry Pratchett, has been picked up by Amazon Studios for worldwide release in 2018. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Terry Pratchett documentary to air on BBC next month

The BBC plans to air a “poignant and humorous” documentary about author Sir Terry Pratchett as well an Imagine programme on Maya Angelou. A 50-minute documentary entitled "Terry Pratchett: Back in Black" will run in early to mid February (yet to be confirmed), telling the bestselling author’s... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-01-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Rushdie urges Chinese authorities to release jailed writers

Salman Rushdie has put his name to an open letter, alongside J M Coetzee, Margaret Atwood and Neil Gaiman, calling on Chinese president Xi Jinping to reverse his state crackdown on dissidents. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gaiman to retell Norse myths in new title

Bloomsbury has acquired the UK and Commonwealth rights to Norse Mythology, a retelling of the Norse myths by Neil Gaiman. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon to screen Gaiman's American Gods in the UK

The TV adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods will launch for Amazon Prime members in the UK, Germany, Austria and Japan in 2017. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-08-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gaiman and Jemisin among Hugo award winners

Neil Gaiman and N K Jemisin were among the authors announced as winners at the 2016 Hugo Awards for science fiction. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-08-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gaiman, Pullman support Cover Kids Books campaign

Neil Gaiman, Philip Pullman, Chris Riddell and Malorie Blackman are amongst more than 500 people who have signed an open letter calling for more children’s book coverage in newspapers. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-08-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Headline plans 'bumper year' for Neil Gaiman

Headline Publishing Group is planning a "bumper year" for Neil Gaiman with eight titles publishing in 2016, plus a live broadcast event scheduled in London for the publication of The View from the Cheap Seats. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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