Meet-cute at Mansfield Park: can modern covers turn young readers on to Jane Austen?

New editions of her novels are aimed squarely at the BookTok demographic – but will this make these classics appeal to fans of “spicy” romance?What will get young people reading classic literature? Better blurbs? Changes in the school curriculum? Flashy new biographies of dead authors? Or might it be pastel pink covers emblazoned with characters that look as if they just got back from Comic-Con?Publisher Penguin Random House (PRH) is trying its luck with the latter: its youth imprint, Puffin, has announced a series of new editions of Jane Austen novels pitched at young romance readers. Although Austen’s stories will remain the same, the covers of these editions feature cartoonish illustrations of the characters, and are being marketed as “full of meet-cutes, missed connections and drama”. This description makes it sound as if these classic works are akin to the kind of contemporary romance novels that are hugely popular on TikTok with teenagers and young adults. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2025-02-06 17:56:34 UTC ]

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Justice Department Sues to Block Penguin Random House Acquisition of S&S

The Department of Justice has sued to block Penguin Random House’s proposed acquisition of Simon & Schuster, arguing that it "would result in substantial harm to authors." Lawyers for PRH said that they expect the case to go to trial sometime in 2022. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-11-02 04:00:00 UTC ]
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FutureBook Awards shortlists revealed

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Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is curating a series of classic works by Black playwrights.

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[ Literrary Hub | 2021-10-22 18:01:30 UTC ]
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Dohle Promises Competitive Bidding Between PRH, S&S

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-09-21 04:00:00 UTC ]
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