The Art of the Publisher by Roberto Calasso review – a timely insight into the identity of a publishing house

An important riposte to digital culture, these essays by the Italian publisher and author argue that a publisher’s list is a literary work in its own rightThis collection of essays by the Italian author and publisher Roberto Calasso, translated by Richard Dixon, is a paean to publishing. Calasso argues that the art of the publisher lies in nurturing a distinctive literary vision. Publishers like Kurt Wolff, who published authors such as Kafka and Robert Walser, understood that being a publisher was not just about marketing books but creating a “form”: all the books produced by a publisher are part of a “self-sufficient composition”. Blurbs, covers, layout, paper, typeface: all serve “to give form to a plurality of books as though they were the chapters of a single book”. In effect, the list of a publisher becomes a literary work in itself. But in an age of corporate mergers and digitisation, this is an endangered ideal.In part, these essays are memoirs of Calasso’s own experience creating the Biblioteca Adelphi and of the authors and publishers he has known. But what makes this slim text memorable is his sheer passion for books – not digital texts but physical objects, in which every part is designed to enhance the experience of reading. An important and timely book. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2016-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #single book #digital texts #physical objects #timely book

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Book Review: What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

Here is a book review of Randall Munroe's What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Questions. Overall, a great book. I recommend it. The post Book Review: What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions appeared first on WIRED. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2014-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Second Story Press Celebrates 25 Years of Feminist and Social Justice Publishing

When Toronto-based Second Story Press celebrated its 25th anniversary this month, the room at a community center in downtown Toronto was filled with authors and illustrators who have helped the press pursue its goal of publishing important feminist and social justice books for young readers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The 2014 Art Director Salary Survey

Art directors have been lucky recently when it comes to pay. Over the last five years, average salaries have gone up by almost 30 percent, according to FOLIO:'s 2014 Art Salary Survey, outpacing raises for almost every other job in the magazine industry. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2014-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin acquires publishing rights to Hey Duggee

Penguin has acquired the publishing rights to "Hey Duggee", a new pre-school children’s TV programme created by Studio AKA for Cbeebies and BBC Worldwide. The TV showis set at a children's playgroup called the Squirrel Club and is run by a big friendly dog called Duggee, who teaches children... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Unbound to publish Briggs’ The Oldie columns

Unbound is publishing a collection of Raymond Briggs’ writing and illustrations from The Oldie magazine. Notes from the Sofa is a collection of a decade’s worth of articles and illustrations and traces Briggs’ life from growing up to growing old. Subjects include being evacuated during the war,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Google News Shutdown in Spain Is An Empty Victory for Publishers

Trying to stick it to Google is an understandable impulse, a resentment fed by the company's monolithic influence over the web. But all the Google News shutdown in Spain really shows is how powerless traditional publishers really are. The post The Google News Shutdown in Spain Is An Empty... Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2014-12-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Trinity University Press Buys Maverick Publishing

Trinity University Press has acquired the assets of Maverick Publishing. The purchase includes over 40 titles which will form the basis of a new Trinity imprint, Maverick Books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-12-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Spain’s Google News Shutdown Is a Silly Victory for Publishers

Trying to stick it to Google is an understandable impulse, a resentment fed by the company's monolithic influence over the web. But all the Google News shutdown in Spain really shows is how powerless traditional publishers really are. The post Spain’s Google News Shutdown Is a Silly Victory for... Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2014-12-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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5% uplift for US publisher revenues

US publishers have reported a sales revenues rise of nearly 5% across 2014, mainly fuelled by the success of children's and young adult. Figures released by the Association of American Publishers (AAP), covering the first nine months of the year, show that across publishing as a whole,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Time Inc. Begins Accepting Bitcoin Payments

A large magazine publisher is trying to stay on the digital cutting edge.   On Tuesday, Time Inc. announced that it would accept payments in Bitcoin for certain subscriptions. Like many companies that have started accepting Bitcoin, Time Inc. ha ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2014-12-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Top 12 Articles on Publishing in Latin America of 2014

Latin America is a dynamic book publishing region. Read our top articles from 2014 about publishing in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and other Latin American countries. The post Top 12 Articles on Publishing in Latin America of 2014 appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-12-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New York Times to Fire 21 Union Employees Starting Today, Union Says

The New York Times will fire 21 union employees starting today, according to the union, exceeding the total number of job cuts the newspaper publisher had originally said was needed to reduce costs.New York Times Co. had accepted the buyout applications of 57 union employees and almost 30... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-12-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mark Smith to join Bonnier Publishing

Mark Smith, the founder and former c.e.o. of Quercus, is to join Bonnier Publishing as c.e.o. of its fiction department. Smith left Quercus after the formerly independent publisher was bought by Hachette UK’s Hodder & Stoughton earlier this year. He will now become c.e.o. of Bonnier... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Books of the Year: Newspaper review round-up

Last year marked our first round up of the numerous “books of the year” features across the media. It saw a total of 660 books being touted by various critics, writers and celebrities. This year, our spreadsheet collating the reviews boasts 910 titles that have been recommended across several... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Dear Reader by Paul Fournel review – an elegy for the printed book

A charming French novel about an old-school publisher trying to get to grips with the digital ageAt more than one point in this novel I found myself asking: could this be any more French? Early on we meet a character described thus: “She used to be incredibly good-looking and now at... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Spanish publishers demand the return of Google News

Google removed its news aggregation service from Spain a few days ago, but the Spanish Newspaper Publishers’ Association (AEDE) is already asking the government to bring it back. AEDE claims the removal of Google News will be bad business for the publishing industry overall and will have more of... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2014-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Purcell looks to propel Amazon Publishing UK

Amazon Publishing plans to grow its list of UK titles and authors “substantially” in 2015, Eoin Purcell, UK head of Amazon Publishing, has told The Bookseller. The publisher is also “constantly looking to create new platforms to connect authors and readers”, Purcell said. Amazon Publishing UK,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Headline to publish fan edition of Turner's memoir

Headline is to publish a special fan edition of musician Frank Turner’s touring memoir The Road Beneath My Feet. The publisher has teamed up with PledgeMusic, a direct-to-fan music platform, to offer the £30 hardback. Fans are being asked to provide their own personal reminiscences of seeing... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Senate's 'torture report' will be published as a paperback aimed at a wide audience

Melville House will publish the Senate Intelligence Committee's 'Study of the Central Intelligence Agency's Detention and Interrogation Program,' otherwise known as the 'torture report,' in paperback format by Dec. 30. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-12-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Facebook Gives Publishers New Tools, Hopes They’ll Use Them to Give Facebook More Stuff

Facebook has been courting content companies for years because it wants content companies to bring more of their content to Facebook. Here’s a new example: A set of tools that will make it easier for publishers to share their stuff ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2014-12-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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