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

Other Publishing stories related to: 'The Art of the Publisher by Roberto Calasso review – a timely insight into the identity of a publishing house'


Publishers jailed overnight in campaign for prisoners' right to read

Six publishers have volunteered for a night in the cells, fundraising for campaign against limits on prisoners' entitlement to booksThere's more than one sort of porridge, as any lag would tell you. Profile Books publisher Andrew Franklin opted for the lumpier kind when he volunteered to spend... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-06-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishing world #raise money #howard league #london offices


Play the literary World Cup: nominate your all-time top team

Which authors would form your literary XI? Penguin have created a literary World Cup and we're joining the fun. Nominate the writers you would pick, and explain which positions you would place them in. We will unveil the Guardian readers' definitive team soonEverything is about football these... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-06-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #writes book


First Melville House UK titles set for autumn

Melville House UK will launch its first titles this autumn, starting with a novel by Goldsmiths... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-06-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


German publishers start legal action against Google over news snippets

German news publishers are escalating their fight to get a cut of the ad revenue that Google makes when it republishes parts of their news articles.The publishers’ society VG Media has started legal proceedings against Google after the search-engine giant refused to negotiate with the collecting... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2014-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ad revenue #news articles #collecting society #vg media #search engines #advertising revenue #aggregators generate #republishing parts


Four Questions for...Coffee House's Caroline Casey

Caroline Casey, Coffee House Press managing director, talks to PW about Eimear McBride's debut novel, "A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing," which recently won this year's Baileys Women's Fiction Prize. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #coffee house #eimear mcbride #half-formed thing #recently won #baileys women #fiction prize


Publishers Dealing at Licensing Expo 2014

The debut of Dreamworks' Awesomeness Ink imprint and a deal between Brand Bar and St. Martin's to represent a number of SMP's women fiction authors were some of the highlights coming out of the first day of Licensing Expo 2014. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Amazon vs. Hachette: The Battle for the Future of Publishing

The outcome of the current Amazon/Hachette pricing war has implications for the entire publishing industry, Wharton experts and others say. Continue reading at Knowledge@Wharton

[ Knowledge@Wharton | 2014-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Working-class fiction has been written out of publishing

Everyone is the poorer for publishers' widespread assumption that nobody wants to read about this part of societyI have spent the last 25 years selling and then publishing books, so I read with interest Melvyn Bragg's recent comments on working-class characters in fiction being stereotyped and... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-06-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishing books #recent comments #working class


JMP to publish 'Plants' tie-in title

John Murray Publishers is to publish a book accompanying a major new BBC Radio 4 series on plants... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-06-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book accompanying


6 Reasons Why English Writers Should Self-publish in Germany

The German ebook self-publishing market is exploding and here are 6 reasons why smart English-speaking writers should take advantage of the opportunity. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-06-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Live Q&A: Ask ourexperts about the self-publishing industry

Are you an aspiring writer or editor? Wondering how the self-publishing industry works? Our panel will be here on 18 June between 1pm and 2.30pm to offer advice and answer your questionsSelf-publishing is becoming an increasingly popular way for authors to get their work into print. While the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-06-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #aspiring writer #offer advice #increasingly popular #viable alternative #gain revenue #rising popularity #ebook titles


Dan Brown Interviewed by NPR at Mark Twain House Benefit

Dan Brown, author of “The Da Vinci Code” and current bestseller “Inferno,” was interviewed June 7 by NPR's John Dankosky at a benefit for the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, Conn. The conversation turned to religion and science, topics Brown has dealt with in his novels. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #dan brown #conversation turned


Book publisher Hachette brings down the ax

Hachette Book Group, publisher of James Patterson and Malcolm Gladwell, has shut down its Business Plus imprint as part of a round of layoffs and restructuring that has also claimed several longtime... To view the full story, click the title link. Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2014-06-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #james patterson #malcolm gladwell


Norwegian publishers say no to Google

The big Norwegian publishers will not allow Google to sell their ebooks. On June 4th, Google... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Publishers Making Progress on the Environment, RAN Says

The Rainforest Action Network has given 10 leading children’s book publishers generally high marks for the actions they have taken to protect the Indonesian rainforest and other endangered forests. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Has digital publishing changed everything? post your questions now

The digital publishing boom of the last few years has changed the book business for ever, or has it? As a three-day conference begins to debate 'literary values in a digital age', we'll be reporting, live from 9.40am on Friday June 12, the views of editors, activists, writers, doubters and... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book business #digital age #literary consultancy #mixed fortunes


Self-publishing boom lifts sales by 79% in a year

18m titles bought by readers in 2013, to a value of £300m, as print sales' decline continuesSelf-published books' share of the UK market grew by 79% in 2013, with 18m self-published books bought by UK readers last year, according to new statistics.With print sales falling by 10% last year, and... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #statistics released #uk consumers #print sales #book purchases


Can Narcissus Bring Digital Self-Publishing to the Arab World?

The Italian ebook self-publishing platform Narcissus has launched in Arabic, but finds authors in the Arab world face a steep digital learning curve. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-06-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #arab world


Hillary Clinton's 'Hard Choices': Here's what the reviews are saying

Hillary Clinton's memoir 'Hard Choices' was released on June 10. What are critics saying about the book? Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-06-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hillary clinton #hard choices


Former Time Warner Cable CEO and industry leader Glenn Britt dies

Glenn Britt, a former chairman and chief executive of Time Warner Cable and a leader in the pay-television industry for many years, died of cancer Wednesday at his New York City home at the age of 65. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2014-06-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |