Polly Toynbee: what my privileged start in life taught me about the British class system

It wasn’t just luck that steered the Guardian columnist to Oxford and into a media career ... She reflects on the subtle mechanics of class (and an early encounter with a naked future PM)Children know. They breathe it in early, for there’s no unknowing the difference between nannies, cleaners, below-stairs people and the family upstairs. Children are the go-betweens, one foot in each world, and yet they know very well from the earliest age where they belong, where their destiny lies or, to put it crudely, who pays whom. Tiny hands are steeped young in the essence of class and caste. In nursery school, in reception they see the Harry Potter sorting hat at work. They know. And all through school those fine gradations grow clearer, more precise, more consciously knowing, more shaming, more frightening. Good liberal parents teach their children to check their privilege – useful modern phrase – but it swells up like a bubo on the nose. There’s no hiding it.I can summon up the childhood shame at class embarrassments. Aged seven like me, Maureen, with her hair pinned sideways in a pink slide, lived in a pebble-dashed council house by the water tower. They were at the other end of Lindsey, more hamlet than village, half a mile down the road from my father’s pink thatched cottage set in the flat prairie lands of Suffolk, where I spent half my time, the other half in London, shuttling between divorced parents. I envied Maureen for what looked to me like a cheerful large family... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2023-05-20 12:00:56 UTC ]
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Independent bookstores look to life after Borders

Jay Hancock: Is the death of Borders a bell that tolls for the book trade? Or a business opportunity? Continue reading at Baltimore Sun

[ Baltimore Sun | 2011-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #independent bookstores #book trade #business opportunity


British Newspaper News of the World Folds

After the latest controversy broke in a string of revelations concerning phone hacking conducted by editorial staff, British newspaper News of the World is folding. News International’s chairman deputy COO of News Corp. James Murdoch says that Sunday will be the last edition of the newspaper. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #editorial staff #james murdoch


British Library signs partnership deal with Google

Written By: Philip Jones Publication Date: Mon, 20/06/2011 - 09:43 The British Library has signed a deal with Google, which will see one of the largest collections of books and pamphlets in the world made available and searchable online for the first time. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers Starting to Name-Check iTunes "Top Grossing Apps"

From Yahoo's The Cutline: At a panel during the TechCrunch conference in New York last week, Greg Clayman, publisher of News Corp.'s Daily iPad publication, said the application had "almost a million downloads" since its launch in February. "This puts us in the large pantheon of large apps,"... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-05-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Yellow Jersey hat trick at British Sports Book Awards

Publication Date: Tue, 10/05/2011 - 08:24 Random House imprint Yellow Jersey Press has scored a hat trick of wins at the British Sports Book Awards, with W H Smith also taking home the best sports book retailer prize. Catrine Clay's Trautmann's Journey won best biography, while Promised Lane by... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple Brings Conde Nast Aboard the Subscription Bandwagon, Starting With the New Yorker [MediaMemo]

Apple is winning over the big publishers. Last week, Hearst Corp. said it planned to start selling its magazines using Apple's new iTunes subscription service. Now rival Conde Nast is actually doing it, via the publisher's New Yorker title. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2011-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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British Bookshops' creditors to receive less than 10% of money owed

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Mon, 09/05/2011 - 15:41 The administrators of British Bookshops and Stationers has said it can only pay back eight-10p in every pound owed and expects the level of claims to increase. A recent document published on Companies House said the former... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Strong year start for Quercus

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Fri, 06/05/2011 - 11:28 Quercus has enjoyed "strong double-digit growth" across both its trade and contract divisions in the first four months of 2011, chief executive Mark Smith announced today (6th May) at the publisher's annual general meeting in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sphere serves up Nadal life story

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Mon, 11/04/2011 - 15:45 Sphere believes it has a smashing winner with the acquisition of the autobiography of Rafael Nadal, the Spanish tennis ace and current world number one. Non-fiction publishing director Adam Strange bought UK and... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Weak start to 2011 for UK and US book trade

Written By: Benedicte Page and Philip Stone Publication Date: Mon, 11/04/2011 - 09:40 Book sales have slumped on both sides of the Atlantic as the British and American markets experienced year-on-year declines in the first quarter of 2011. Book sales in the UK were down 3.1% to £324m, with... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Osprey to expand British heritage range

Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Mon, 11/04/2011 - 14:34 The Osprey Group is to acquire Old House Books and Maps on 28th April, expanding its range of British heritage titles. Osprey previously acquired Shire in 2007 and Angry Robot in 2010. Rebecca Smart, Osprey Group managing... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pan Mac buys six from School of Life

Written By: Katie Allen Publication Date: Tue, 05/04/2011 - 15:10 Pan Macmillan has signed a six-book deal with London self-help bookshop The School of Life. Editorial directors Liz Gough and Cindy Chan bought world rights in the series directly from The School of Life. The “intelligent,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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"Upbeat" start to Bologna Book Fair

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Tue, 29/03/2011 - 08:51 Busy schedules and a strong presence from US publishers in an "upbeat" mood were reported on the first day of the Bologna Book Fair. Hodder Children's Books publishing director Anne McNeil said the fair was busier than it had... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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WH Smith reopens shops under British Bookshops deal

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Mon, 28/03/2011 - 08:54 Seventeen former British Bookshop & Stationers stores have held their first weekend of trade under WH Smith ownership. Nine venues opened their doors as WH Smith stores and eight re-opened under their original name of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sceptre to examine secret life of Christopher Marlowe

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 25/03/2011 - 11:56 Sceptre is to publish a début novel-in-verse which promises to put an end to one of the greatest literary mysteries, that of whether playwright Christopher Marlowe wrote Shakespeare's plays. Publishing director Carole... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hearst Offering Paperless Personal Account System

The Hearst Corporation has launched the beta version of Manilla, a free personal account management system. George Kliavkoff has been named CEO of the service that allows consumers to securely link bank accounts, view statements, pay bills and manage subscriptions through one account. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google Announces Payment System for Digital Content

A day after Apple stirred up online publishers with its digital subscription plan, Google announced a service that aims to be more publisher-friendly. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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British Bookshops to cease trading within a month

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Tue, 15/02/2011 - 17:04 All remaining 28 British Bookshops and Stationers stores will shut up shop within a month, unless a last-minute deal can be made with any interested parties. The programme of closure will begin over the next week, with around... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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WHS acquires 22 British Bookshops stores

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Tue, 08/02/2011 - 09:10 W H Smith has acquired 22 stores previously run by British Bookshops and Stationers in a £1m deal. The bookshops will continue to trade under BB&S until a "phased takeover" begins later this month in stores in Teddington... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Davis probes British industry for Little, Brown

Written By: Charlotte Williams Little, Brown will be examining Britain’s industries with a title by Evan Davis, “Dragons’ Den” and “Today” programme presenter. Made in Britain will be published on 5th May as an £18.99 hardback, tying-in to a three-part BBC2 series of the same name, fronted by... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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