Could a bespoke book subscription service break you out of your reading rut or encourage you to explore new genres?Heywood Hill bookshop has stood on the same spot since 1936. It inhabits a Georgian townhouse at 10 Curzon Street in Mayfair, London, a blue plaque outside commemorating its most famous employee, Nancy Mitford. Behind its heavy wooden door, a customer explains that she is visiting the UK from Australia, and would like to speak to someone about the shop’s subscription service. The word has clearly travelled far.From chocolate to coffee to beer to grooming products, subscription boxes are big business, and books are no exception. There are countless online companies that ship out a monthly read, some adding artisan teas, hot chocolate, or an adaptation on DVD of the book. But Heywood Hill’s subscription is as bespoke as possible: each package is individually tailored to the reader’s tastes following a conversation between the subscriber and a bookseller. Camille Van de Velde, one of Heywood Hill’s five booksellers, takes me down a rickety staircase into the basement from where the scheme is run. Staff are at work in a series of pokey interlocking rooms, stacking titles on shelves, ready to be wrapped, packed and shipped. They won’t be specific about numbers, but each has hundreds of people to choose for each month, and it has, by all accounts, transformed the business.Suddenly I realise just how intimate a simple question like ‘What is your favourite book?’ can... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2020-02-13 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Fri, 04/11/2011 - 10:58 HarperCollins Children's Books has bought world rights to the original Bugsy Malone book, which was later adapted into the much loved musical. Publisher Ann-Janine Murtagh bought rights to the novel and graphic novel directly... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-11-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Wed, 02/11/2011 - 08:25 The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has joined the UK's Office of Fair Trading in giving the go-ahead to Amazon's acquisition of the Book Depository. In its ruling, it said "the proposed acquisition was... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-11-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Mon, 24/10/2011 - 09:30 Northern Lights author Philip Pullman has launched an attack on the government's library policy, telling campaigners they were fighting a "war against stupidity", and criticising Brent council for "political bullshit" over... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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When Penguin began the restructuring of DK Publishing in 2009, it had two main objectivesto reduce the size of its list and to cut editorial costs to improve the profitability of its illustrated book group. What it hadnt counted on was the phenomenal success of its publishing partnership with... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-10-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Thu, 20/10/2011 - 11:19 The Poetry Book Society has obtained three-year sponsorship for the prestigious T S Eliot Prize from private investment management firm Aurum Funds. There had been concern for the prize, which goes to new collections of... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Thu, 20/10/2011 - 08:30 Publishers and booksellers will soon be able to swap a working day in the life of each others businesses in a new joint initiative soon to be launched by the Booksellers Association and the Publisher Association. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In July, Meredith Corp. launched its Engagement Dividend program, a guaranteed ROI investment partnership for select advertisers. Already, Meredith has met with over 100 companies (which equates to even more brands) about a possible partnership in the program. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-10-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Mon, 17/10/2011 - 14:00 Wednesday (17th October) is the last day for entries to The Bookseller's Reader Survey. The survey aims to discover what readers expect of The Bookseller's coverage of trade issues across news, features and profiles, both... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Thu, 13/10/2011 - 12:50 Brent library campaigners have vowed to fight on despite losing their judicial review claim against the closure of six libraries in the High Court this morning (13th October). Campaigner Samantha Warrington said Mr Justice... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 30/09/2011 - 17:05 Harry Potter fans will have to wait until the first half of 2012 for the series' ebooks as the opening of the Pottermore shop postponed from its planned October launch. In a posting on the site's blog, it said: "As our... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Caroline Horn Publication Date: Wed, 21/09/2011 - 09:10 This years Bookseller Childrens Conference will focus on the range of digital opportunities now available to publishers for developing book brands into online spaces and for engaging with readers online. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Caroline Horn Publication Date: Fri, 09/09/2011 - 08:30 Independent children's publisher Catnip is using Twitter and bloggers to source original and out-of-print titles for its list. It will publish Katherine Roberts' out-of-print fantasy Song Quest in February 2012. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Fri, 26/08/2011 - 07:13 A coalition of "left-leaning political bookshops" is to launch in October, creating a support network for independent booksellers. The Alliance of Radical Booksellers (ARB) will officially begin on 6th October and so far has... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Tue, 23/08/2011 - 15:00 Waterstones supply chain director Tim Owrid is leaving the company on Friday. Owrid joined Waterstones in April 2010 and will begin a new job as the head of logistics at SuperGroup Plc, the retail brand comprising Superdry,... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 11/08/2011 - 09:30 Bloomsbury has said sales have bounced back significantly from a "soft" spring thanks to ebook downloads and greater sales through the high street. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Wed, 10/08/2011 - 09:07 The judge handling the Brent libraries High Court judicial review case will give his judgment in October, it has been confirmed. Mr Justice Ouseley had initially indicated the judgement might come as early as this month.... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Tue, 09/08/2011 - 14:24 The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals has added its voice to criticism of the report issued following the first year of the DCMS-backed Future Libraries programme. The report, "Future Libraries:... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In 1985, Nintendo released Super Mario Brothers, Commodore launched the Amiga personal computer, Steve Jobs founded NeXT, and Bill Gates issued the first version of Windows. It was also the year PW launched the first report covering the Asian printing industry, of which you are now holding the... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-08-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Much has been made about the importance of bricks-and-mortar bookstores as showrooms, places that will help prevent the book business from going the way of the music industry as the sales of digital books grow. But hundreds of showrooms and thousands of square feet of book retail space are about... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-08-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Tue, 19/07/2011 - 09:15 The Bookseller has added its voice to calls for Amazon's acquisition of The Book Depository (TBD) to be referred to the Competition Commission. The Office of Fair Trading's deadline for submissions about the merger ended at... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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