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 ]
News tagged with: #nick cave #good friend #gillian anderson #spencer tracy #benedict cumberbatch #neil gaiman

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15 Small Press Books to Read This Fall

As we move into the fall reading season, deeply imagined short stories and inventive linked essays are having a moment alongside novels. What’s thrilling about the books coming out from small presses is the breadth of range—there are intentional and accidental murders, family drama and... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-09-26 11:15:00 UTC ]
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There’s never been a better time to listen to comic books

Superhero movies are a dime a dozen, but the comic book podcast is about to hit its stride. We’ve had a nice, long run of comic book movies and television shows. One after the other, with big actors and even bigger action sequences. Before the end of the year we’ll get Loki Season 2, The... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2023-09-26 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Letting the Unspoken Speak: A Reading List of Historical Trauma in Fiction

My sophomore novel, Evil Eye, follows Yara Murad, a Palestinian American woman who begins to confront the psychological and interpersonal aftermath of her emotionally volatile childhood as her carefully constructed life begins to fall apart. In drafting this novel, which explores post-traumatic... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-09-22 08:35:35 UTC ]
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Read the Winners of American Short Fiction’s 2023 Insider Prize, Selected by Nickolas Butler

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[ Literrary Hub | 2023-09-22 08:15:30 UTC ]
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‘It could have me read porn’: Stephen Fry shocked by AI cloning of his voice in documentary

Actor warns about dangers of artificial intelligence after discovering version of his voice based on Harry Potter audiobooksStephen Fry has issued a warning about the potential dangers of AI, after claiming that a history documentary faked his voice without his knowledge. Speaking at the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-09-20 16:05:11 UTC ]
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Mystery, Mayhem, and Trauma: A Reading List for India’s 1947 Partition

Because we never spoke of it, I’ve had to imagine the conversation: Me: “Why have you never told me anything about Partition?” My grandfather: “What is there to know?” My grandfather’s reply would indicate both a lack and a surplus—a surplus of memories and visions of vehicles big and strong,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-09-20 08:24:56 UTC ]
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Peace Is What Our Hearts Seek: Kalpna Singh-Chitnis’s Love Letters to Ukraine, by Candice Louisa Daquin

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[ World Literature Today | 2023-09-19 21:07:47 UTC ]
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These drag performers say protests, threats won't stop them from reading to kids at storytime events

Drag performers who read stories to children at libraries across Canada have faced an increase in protests calling the events destructive for kids, and in some cases, even threats of violence. But the king and queens say they won't let that stop them, because storytimes are about joy and literacy. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2023-09-16 08:00:00 UTC ]
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Want to understand Elon Musk (and America)? This is the book to read—and it’s fiction

‘Kill the Rich’ by Jack Allison and Kate Shapiro is a lacerating satire of America’s gonzo culture—and no one comes out unscathed. A provocative book title doesn’t always telegraph to readers what awaits inside. When it comes to those self-help books that include a naughty little swear on the... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2023-09-16 03:00:00 UTC ]
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13 Book Clubs New September 2023 Picks, From Reese’s Book Club To Mocha Girls Read

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[ Book Riot | 2023-09-15 10:36:00 UTC ]
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Making Formulas Fresh Again: A Reading List of Fantasy Tropes Reimagined

Quests are a true bedrock of fantasy: the hero’s journey, the wandering hero. From Odysseus to Gawain, to Don Quixote to Bilbo Baggins, to Genly Ai to Geralt of Rivia. Generally a male-coded trope, episodic in format. When I began turning the concept of Godkiller over in my head, I knew I wanted... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-09-15 08:30:21 UTC ]
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ALA Seeks Member Input on 'Freedom to Read Statement' Revision

In the midst of a historic attack on the freedom to read, the American Library Association has announced a series of "listening sessions" which could lead the first revision of the landmark Freedom to Read statement since 2004. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-09-08 04:00:00 UTC ]
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8 Amazing New Nonfiction Books to Read in September 2023

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[ Book Riot | 2023-09-07 10:32:00 UTC ]
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A Reading List of Realistic Portraits of Mothers and Daughters in Literature

When reading about mothers and daughters, we might feel grateful we didn’t have to endure such conflict and trauma. We might long for what we, ourselves, never had. But then again, we might feel seen. More often, literature reflects troubling, toxic, or estranged mother-daughter relationships... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-09-01 09:35:26 UTC ]
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10 books to add to your reading list in September

Bethanne Patrick's recommended reads for September include novels from Ben Fountain and Anne Enright and nonfiction on mental illness, AR-15s and doppelgangers. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-08-31 15:00:47 UTC ]
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Big Indie Books That Booksellers Want You to Read

Independent booksellers from across the country highlight eight independently published books they're excited to sell this fall. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The season’s most anticipated releases run the gamut, from rediscovered literary gems to spine-tingling suspense to candid memoir. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

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