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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A Time-Traveling Graphic Novel and More Great Books We’re Reading This Month

It's like the phrase "curl up with a good book" was invented for the month of December. Here's what we're reading by the fire. The post A Time-Traveling Graphic Novel and More Great Books We’re Reading This Month appeared first on WIRED. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2014-12-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Best Books Fast Company Read This Year

Relive the year in reading with the Fast Company staff.As the year wraps up, the Fast Company staff remembers our year in reading with our favorite books of the year. The list above is by no means comprehensive, or even the best new titles, but just some of the works we spent the last 12 months... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2014-12-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Open Letter Book’s Chad Post on the State of Translation

Three Percent and Open Letter Books publisher Chad Post talks with Caitlyn Christensen at Sampsonia Way about the contemporary literary scene, publishing and translation. The post Open Letter Book’s Chad Post on the State of Translation appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In Agra, Literature and Reading is “Dying a Slow Death”

Writing for the Times of India, Ishita Mishra describes the declining literary landscape in Agra as fewer people visit libraries and bookstores in the city. The post In Agra, Literature and Reading is “Dying a Slow Death” appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-12-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Reading Post bids a print farewell and welcomes an online future

Final issue of a paper that Trinity Mirror is transforming into a digital-only publicationSo it’s farewell to the Reading Post, which has just published its final issue after its owner, Trinity Mirror, decided to stop publishing its newsprint version.The paper marks its inky end with a front... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-12-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jeb Bush Wants You to Read His Email

Jeb Bush announced this weekend that he is releasing 250,000 emails from his two terms as Florida’s governor. North Korean hackers may be dismayed that he beat them to it, but Bush 2016 boosters are happy. This move, along with a planned ebook incorporating the emails, was taken as the surest... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2014-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Forget Your Preconceptions About Teenagers and Reading

The children's book market has grown 44% in the last decade. Why? Because, as Nielsen's Children's Book Summit detailed, kids and teens still read — a lot. The post Forget Your Preconceptions About Teenagers and Reading appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Young Mexicans set to drive reading surge

Enthusiasm for reading among Mexico's younger population, and the country's fondness for US and UK writers, are reasons for foreign publishers to take note of the country, according to Roberto Banchik Rothschild, c.e.o. of Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial for Mexico, Central America and the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Haven’t Finished Reading that Bestseller? You’re Not Alone

Kobo has released data about how many people finish ebook bestsellers and data indicates that purchasing a book is no indication of willingness to read it. The post Haven’t Finished Reading that Bestseller? You’re Not Alone appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-12-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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William Heinemann to publish long lost love letters

William Heinemann has acquired a “significant” collection of erotic letters from a young woman to her lover dating from the 1920s. Selina Walker, publisher at Century and Arrow, bought UK and Commonwealth (excluding Australia New Zealand) rights to the collection, edited by Jean Yves Berthault... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kobo reveals its UK bestsellers and 'most read'

Romance is the main genre which Kobo platform users in the UK read all the way to the end, an inaugural Kobo Book Report on e-reading trends in the UK has found. Kobo has revealed both its top purchases, and which books readers actually completed. It found that romance was the most thoroughly... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children's socioeconomic status 'affects digital reading preference'

Print books are more popular with three to five-year-olds than reading on devices, but children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds spend more time reading on devices than their wealthier peers, according to a new report from the National Reading Trust (NLT) and Pearson. For the report... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kinew Named New Host of Canada Reads Competition

Wab Kinew will be the new host of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s annual battle-of-the-books competition, Canada Reads, replacing Jian Ghomeshi. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-11-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pelican’s new browser-based reading website takes flight with grace

With subtle interactive features and simple, bold design, Penguin’s resurrected non-fiction imprint places the focus on the reading experienceAfter reading Economics: The User’s Guide by Ha-Joon Chang, published by Pelican Books, I feel confident enough to explain the word “disintermediation”.... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-11-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Harvill Secker holds Murakami reading event

Actor Julian Rhind-Tutt (pictured) will read the entirety of Haruki Murakami’s 88-page The Strange Library (Harvill Secker) at an event to celebrate the book’s launch. The Strange Library will be released in English for the first time on 2nd December, and to celebrate Harvill Secker has... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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To 'read' this fashion magazine, you'll need a smartphone app

Persona is one of the latest fashion magazines in Tokyo. It’s printed on heavy stock paper and is full of photos of models and clothing. The only thing missing is text.You “read” Persona with a smartphone camera.An app recognizes the images, queries a cloud database and then downloads related... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2014-11-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Summer Reading Challenge participation up 3.6%

The Reading Agency said that 839,622 children took part in the 2014 Summer Reading Challenge, a 3.6% increase compared to 2013. Sue Wilkinson, chief executive of The Reading Agency, said she was pleased that the numbers were up despite cuts to library services. “Library budgets are very tight... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This Comic Book Makes Important, Boring Data Fun To Read

Terms of Service ingeniously harnesses the power of comics to keep readers engaged.Terms of Service is a newly published digital graphic novel from Al Jazeera that explores the turbulent relationship technology users today have with services provided by big data companies.Read Full Story Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2014-11-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Random House Kids Acquires Now I’m Reading! Platform

Random House Children's Books has acquired Now I’m Reading! a step-by-step series that guides beginning readers through to independent reading. The post Random House Kids Acquires Now I’m Reading! Platform appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-11-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Scribd Rolls Out the Internet’s First All-You-Can-Listen Audiobooks Service

The rise of the Subscription Economy continues. Little more than a year after launching its all-you-can-read ebook service, the San Francisco startup Scribd has announced that the service now offers more than 30,000 audiobooks, including titles from big-name publishing houses HarperCollins and... Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2014-11-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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