Bookseller who transformed the perception of sports writing and set up the William Hill Sports Book awardJohn Gaustad, who has died aged 68, was a quietly spoken New Zealander who revolutionised the British sports books industry. In 1985 he opened Sportspages, a small shop in Caxton Walk, off Charing Cross Road in London; and for two decades it played an extraordinary role – part-conventional bookshop, part-social club, part-shrine – that transformed the perception of sports writing within publishing. Though Sportspages itself has gone, Gaustad’s other brainchild, the William Hill Sports Book award, lives on as testament to his vision.Born in Wellington, John was the son of Robert, an accountant, and his wife, Nancy (nee Bennett), a legal secretary. He travelled to Britain in 1974, with a philosophy degree from the Victoria University of Wellington, where he had worked in the bookshop. That experience helped him get jobs at Dillons in London and Heffers in Cambridge, where he began to think about the possibilities of niche bookselling. He settled on sport.A good sports book was a good book that happened to be about sport Related: Guardian writers nominated for William Hill Sports Book of the Year award Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2016-06-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
This time of year has a lot of merry and bright things to be excited about, but it can be stressful if you’re stumped on what to get your mom, dad, best friend, coworker or kids’ teacher as a holiday gift. Whether you enjoy or dread buying gifts for people, it’s safe to say we all want to give... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-15 15:12:30 UTC ]
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There are few things better in life than getting lost in a good book — as any book lover will tell you. We have a few heavy readers on staff at Engadget and we all have opinions on the gadgets and subscriptions we think make the experience of reading even better. There are gift ideas here for... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-15 13:01:25 UTC ]
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A funny spy thriller, a classic album, a blockbuster feminist exhibition, a good book about a bad childhood and the end of our summer of sport Continue reading at The Conversation
[ The Conversation | 2024-09-06 15:43:26 UTC ]
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It might be a bad year in the world, generally speaking, but it has been a great year for books—especially genre books! I love some good literary fiction as much as anybody but I’m a sucker for a good book of magic, dragons, spaceships, monsters, slashers, ghosts, etc… and so I’ve been combing... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-07-03 08:56:04 UTC ]
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Just as Engadget was hitting publish on its first posts, I was putting a freshly minted English degree to use working at an indie bookshop in Los Angeles. In seemingly unrelated news, Amazon had just reported its first profitable year after switching from selling books to selling “everything”... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-03-08 14:15:57 UTC ]
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If you're looking for a new tablet to keep track of all your 2024 goals on (or just for fun), now is a great time to buy. A range of Amazon Fire Tablets are currently on sale, including the new Fire HD 10 tablet. A 42 percent discount brings the 64GB Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet to $105 from $180 —... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-01-15 12:05:32 UTC ]
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Good book criticism is booming right now. I have at least some degree of confidence in saying this because for the past six years, I’ve been keeping track of my favorite reviews to prepare for these annual roundups, and my 2023 longlist was by far the biggest and most difficult to narrow down.... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-12-11 12:47:20 UTC ]
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While so much has been asked about what the Bible says, Hebrew Bible scholar Jacob L. Wright explores ‘Why the Bible Began’ in his new book, arguing that the Good Book is much more than a moral code. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Share that link right now or ruin your reading life! Do it, do it now! Or, a brief history of chain letters. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-08-07 10:36:00 UTC ]
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Hi Barbie! Are you looking for a good book to read? Maybe to take to the Beach? And/or to bring with you when you go to the movies this weekend? I promise, it’s going to be right up your alley. And also pink, for outfit coordination purposes, of course. You’re welcome. Bye Barbie! Stereotypical... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-08-02 16:49:03 UTC ]
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Few things bring as much bliss as a good book. It’s just you, the story, and plunging into a whole other world for hours at a time. And thanks to Amazon Prime Day, Prime members can get a whole three months of Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited service for free—even if you’re a previous Kindle... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2023-07-11 13:34:14 UTC ]
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We get it, new dads (like new moms) just need a break. Aside from volunteering for babysitting duties, there’s an easy way to help: Get them some new gear. Perhaps some wireless earbuds to listen to podcasts as they put the baby to sleep, or something that could help to distract the youngins so... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-06-02 13:15:04 UTC ]
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Some in the book industry have already begun exploring automation of its pitches to readers. We took this functionality for a test drive“Blurb writing is a mini art form,” Iris Murdoch once wrote in a letter to former Penguin blurb writer Elizabeth Buchan. And like many other art forms,... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-05-16 09:00:05 UTC ]
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Let's talk about great book titles. But in order to find out what makes a good book title, let's first explore the worst book titles. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-01-03 11:36:00 UTC ]
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As Christmas came to be celebrated in the home, choosing the right volume was a way to show intimate understanding of the person opening the package. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-12-02 15:52:40 UTC ]
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What makes for a good book club question? Here are some tips to consider before your next book club meeting. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-09-09 10:37:00 UTC ]
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Okay, maybe I say this every Tuesday, but I really, really mean it today: we’ve got a good book bounty this week, folks. * K-Ming Chang, Gods of Want (One World) “Relationships between women—familial, beloved, strange, imagined—dominate queer Taiwanese American Chang’s explosive and bizarre... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-07-12 12:00:03 UTC ]
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While we celebrate queer literature and history all year long at Lit Hub dot com, we also love a good book list. This year, in honor of Pride, we reached out to some of our favorite librarians, booksellers, and authors and asked them about the queer books they find themselves recommending over... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-06-24 08:52:38 UTC ]
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Amy Winehouse was an avowed bookstore browser and book-lover—in a 2007 interview, she told The Guardian that she never traveled without a good book. “I read a lot when I’m travelling and always have a couple of books on the go.” If you’re interested in perusing the late singers collection, you... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-04-13 19:15:56 UTC ]
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The myth of the ‘First TikTok War’Kaitlyn Tiffany, The AtlanticThe Russian invasion of Ukraine is playing out over social media, with varying degrees of facts depending on who is delivering the information. Through the lens of previous conflicts, Tiffany examines if the label of "The First... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2022-03-12 15:15:48 UTC ]
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