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 reader considers public fascination with iconic and celebrity readers, including attention paid to their personal libraries and book lists. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-11-25 11:40:14 UTC ]
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Circe by Madeline Miller is really. freaking. good. In this reading guide, you'll find 10 Circe book club questions covering all the most important topics. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-11-24 11:31:48 UTC ]
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The Reading Agency has reported 722,731 children took part in public libraries’ Summer Reading Challenge this summer, representing a 2.64% increase on last year’s participation. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-22 10:29:12 UTC ]
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Read on for our suggestions for THE HATE U GIVE book club questions and a reading guide for book club or class discussions. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-11-21 11:39:27 UTC ]
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Trade bodies, including the Publishers Association (PA), have sent a letter to the political parties ahead of the release of their election manifestos calling for them to commit to removing "unfair and illogical" VAT on digital publications. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-20 05:24:16 UTC ]
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Delve deeper into the series as we do a close reading of the first lines and last lines of each Harry Potter book in this iconic and magical series. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-11-15 11:37:59 UTC ]
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Audiobook sales have rocketed in 2019, and look set to achieve another record year, as the sector continues to attract first-time listeners. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-15 08:43:01 UTC ]
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Preaching second chances: L.A. Times Book Club's next read is 'Barking to the Choir' by Gregory Boyle Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-11-14 19:38:58 UTC ]
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A social enterprise promoting literacy, Reread in Doncaster, has raised £12,000 in five days after hundreds of thousands of its books were damaged or destroyed by major floods. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-13 06:52:31 UTC ]
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"If you could only read one book per country, make it this one": A Reddit post that offers an incredibly rich reading list to great global literature. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-11-05 11:38:04 UTC ]
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From “Checkpoint Charlie” to Jenny Slate’s “Little Weirds” and the new edition of “Joy of Cooking.” Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2019-10-31 15:55:41 UTC ]
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Konnie Huq has delivered a letter to 11 Downing Street which demanded that Sajid Javid scrap VAT for e-books. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-31 15:02:48 UTC ]
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TV star joins delegation to the chancellor of the exchequer demanding an end to VAT on digital books, which traditional publications escapeChildren’s laureate Cressida Cowell and former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq have joined 90 MPs calling on the government to scrap the “reading tax” on... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2019-10-31 15:01:27 UTC ]
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While you're perusing the literary fiction shelves, create a haunting atmosphere with these eerie literary fiction titles for Halloween and beyond. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-10-31 10:40:16 UTC ]
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The Reading for Pleasure Prize Competition has launched to find "compelling, disruptive and innovative" ideas that encourage people in the UK and beyond to read for pleasure throughout the year. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-31 03:13:56 UTC ]
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On this All Hallow’s Eve eve, let Benjamin Percy, who has the most notable voice in American letters (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, smash that play button), lull you to sleep with a reading of the surprisingly controversial classic children’s book Goodnight Moon, which he posted on... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-10-30 15:15:53 UTC ]
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Scribe UK staff are taking a reading day on 7th November, the anniversary of the Russian Revolution, to celebrate and immerse themselves in a 1000-page translated epic: The Eighth Life by Georgian novelist Nino Haratischvili. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-30 10:49:04 UTC ]
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Whether you’re meeting your book club or you’re talking about this book with your friends, these BECOMING book club questions get the conversation going. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-10-30 10:38:18 UTC ]
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Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine EvaristoSince studying Lara as a student, I have been a fan of Bernardine Evaristo’s work, and am delighted to see her win the Booker Prize this year. Girl, Woman, Other follows the lives of twelve black characters with different backgrounds and experiences, most... Continue reading at British Council global
[ British Council global | 2019-10-30 09:49:28 UTC ]
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Get your cozy on with these incredible book sweatshirts, ranging from fandom-based to general book lover appreciation. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-10-29 10:41:36 UTC ]
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