Book Reviews Alan Levenson Ever since early Islam, Jews have been dubbed the people of the book. The title stuck in European lands too, a deferential nod to the role of the Hebrew Bible in the Western canon, the breadth of Jewish literacy (never universal, often gender-specific), and the sheer productivity of Jewish authors—or today, Jewish and non-Jewish authors writing about the subject. I prefer this paean to bookishness, bestowed by outsiders, to Ecclesiastes’ musing, “of the making of books there is no end,” which sounds like unwarranted kvetching. Elisabeth Gallas’s A Mortuary of Books: The Rescue of Jewish Culture after the Holocaust (NYU Press, 2019) and Lisa Moses Leff’s The Archive Thief: The Man Who Salvaged French Jewish History in the Wake of the Holocaust (Oxford University Press, 2015) confirm the verdict of Jorge Luis Borges, who called the book the most astonishing human instrument. It seems the desire for preserving books is also lodged deep in the human soul. These two volumes stem from the desire to recount the efforts to rescue books and scrolls and ritual items from the fires of the Holocaust. Both volumes chronicle the life-affirming response to the Nazis’ nihilistic intent to destroy not only Jewish lives but any vestige of Jewish learning. Gallas and Neff confirm the verdict of Jorge Luis Borges, who called the book the most astonishing human instrument. It seems the desire for preserving books is also... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'
[ World Literature Today | 2019-07-02 20:46:30 UTC ]
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In foreword to report into diversity in publishing, Booker prize-winning author rails against ‘ridiculous’ beliefsBernardine Evaristo, the first black woman to win the Booker prize, has hit out at “ridiculous” and “misguided” beliefs in the publishing industry, where “black and Asian people are... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-06-23 11:06:09 UTC ]
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Costa award-winning love story of Connell and Marianne takes top slot from David Walliams’ bestselling children’s book SlimeSally Rooney’s Normal People has flown to the top of the UK’s book charts more than two years after it was published, thanks to the release of the TV adaptation starring... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-05-13 15:44:19 UTC ]
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'Rights departments of publishing houses invariably seem the poor relation of the sales team,' says Richard Charkin. The pandemic is a prompt to reconsider. The post Richard Charkin: Let’s Hear It for Book Rights Sales People Worldwide appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-04-24 14:43:14 UTC ]
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Sarah Walden, the former chief operating officer of the Book People, has launched a new creative consultancy and book packager called Noodle Fuel. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-23 12:15:49 UTC ]
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Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio, French author and laureate of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Literature, is commonly known as J.M.G. Le Clézio, an abbreviation he rather fancies. His numerous works complement his life’s many journeys, reflecting the injustice and beauty of near and far-away lands. He has... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-04-13 08:48:38 UTC ]
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The Book People made 155 of its staff redundant on Friday (10th January) after failing to find a buyer. The company will continue to trade online with retained staff "for as long as possible" and "whilst any remaining interest is explored", its administrators have said. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-01-10 16:53:47 UTC ]
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Former US president Barack Obama has revealed Booker Prize-winning Girl, Woman, Other (Hamish Hamilton) and Normal People (Faber) were among his favourite books in 2019. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-30 06:49:34 UTC ]
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Magazine and newspaper executives may beg to differ, but our love affair with print media has been surprisingly resilient in the digital era. E-book sales have flattened, and physical book sales continue to outstrip the “disruptors” by a wide margin. In fact, as our annual review of “Books for... Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2019-12-18 21:53:27 UTC ]
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Editors say it was pressured into printing an edition of Ducks, Newburyport for the discount retailer but now may not see the returnsGalley Beggar Press, the tiny literary publisher behind acclaimed novels including the Booker-shortlisted Ducks, Newburyport and women’s prize for fiction winner A... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2019-12-18 13:22:39 UTC ]
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News of The Book People going into administration has been met with dismay by publishers, who still hold out hope that a buyer for at least part of the business can be found. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-17 20:40:19 UTC ]
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A Galley Beggar Press fundraiser has raised £20,000 within an hour of launching, as the indie faces a £40,000 "black hole" from The Book People’s administration status. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-17 20:00:20 UTC ]
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Our photographer caught up with the five finalists for the Young People’s Literature prize, along with their editors, and also captured the award announcement at Cipriani Wall Street in Manhattan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-11-21 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Astrophysicist Raman Prinja and artist Chris Wormell’s book Planetarium: Welcome to the Museum (Templar Publishing), about the wonders of space, has scooped the Royal Society’s Young People’s Book Prize. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-12 19:41:46 UTC ]
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Illustrator Sarah McIntyre calls on the BBC to allow physical copies of children's books on its programmes. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-01 12:36:28 UTC ]
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The National Book Foundation has unveiled the 2019 National Book Award longlist for young people's literature. Contenders tackle major sociopolitical issues. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-09-16 18:19:57 UTC ]
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The National Book Foundation has announced the ten books longlisted for this year’s National Book Award in Young People’s Literature, chosen from a total of 325 books submitted to the foundation by publishers. The judges for YPL are An Na, Elana K. Arnold, Kristen Gilligan, Varian Johnson, and... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-09-16 14:45:12 UTC ]
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Karen Tomlinson, head of adult books at The Book People, will retire in September after 13 years with the company. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-08-30 01:43:54 UTC ]
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Malorie Blackman laments the lack of BAME children’s characters. I know – it’s a real battle to get writers of colour publishedMy daughter, like me, is of mixed heritage. She has wildly curly hair, as have I. When she was born four years ago I was given five copies of the same kids’ picture book... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2019-08-17 07:00:41 UTC ]
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Claire Bayliss has been appointed as group c.e.o. of The Book People, and has promised to spearhead a transformation at the company, saying it has become “invisible” in recent years. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-08-05 14:16:31 UTC ]
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On June 28, the Poetry to the People tour wrapped up its 4,000 mile round-trip journey from Brooklyn to New Orleans and back. It was exhausting and exhilarating. There’s nothing like putting a free book into the hands of someone who will obviously love it. The enthusiasm for story was palpable... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-07-08 14:50:37 UTC ]
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