Latham, a bookseller for 35 years, has put together a heady mix of history, philosophy, anecdotes and entertaining factsWhat most people know about the American librarian Melvil Dewey is his phenomenal classification technique, the Dewey decimal system, which is still used in 135 countries. Less well known is how he liked to classify people, too. In a chapter entitled “Dubious Dewey”, Martin Latham describes how the great librarian created groups from A to D, banning all in the D group – Jews, African-Americans, Cubans and the “new rich” – from his Lake Placid resort. He was also a prolific groper of women. Latham speculates that Dewey’s hypocrisy, and his “obsessively domineering persona”, were what caused his lifelong constipation and piles.This is a book that is down on banning, rigidity, abuse of power and all kinds of snobbery, bookish and otherwise. It celebrates stories, scribbling in margins and the collecting, cherishing and even kissing of books – something done with surprising frequency, apparently. Latham, a bookseller for 35 years, currently runs Waterstones Canterbury, where he proudly filed the biggest petty cash claim in the chain’s history to pay for the excavation of a Roman bath house under its floor. But this is not one of those funny “anecdotes from a bookshop” books that have recently been popular – though anecdotes there are aplenty. It is rather a history and celebration of all things bookish, from Alexander the Great’s unusual habit of reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2020-12-19 09:00:45 UTC ]
This morning, in a press release, Sarah McNally of McNally Jackson announced the launch of McNally Editions, a new paperback reprint series “devoted to hidden gems.” “As any bookseller knows, recommending books is the most rewarding part of our job—especially when you get to take the reader off... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-08-26 14:41:45 UTC ]
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Jack Covert, founder of the business book bookseller and distributor Porchlight Book Company (originally known as 800-CEO READ), died on August 13. He was 77. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-08-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
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David Whitaker, a former editor of The Bookseller, has died. Whitaker died peacefully in his sleep overnight on 4th August, his widow Maggie Van Reenan has confirmed. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-08-05 11:21:27 UTC ]
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UCLan Publishing has acquired the “funny and heart-warming” first teen novel from author and bookseller Katie Clapham. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-08-01 09:31:26 UTC ]
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The Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) has appointed author Elly Griffiths to the role of booksellers champion, as National Crime Reading Month begins across the UK. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-06 06:52:44 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House and Waterstones say they have returned to “business as usual” following a dispute that saw the bookseller limit the visibility of PRH titles in its stores. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-04 12:14:36 UTC ]
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I have known plenty of failure in my writing life. Inspired partly by Henry David Thoreau, I set out to be a writer after college. Which effectively meant that I worked part-time as a carpenter and bookseller for the next dozen years without publishing a word. My current day job is as a teacher... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-06-04 08:49:40 UTC ]
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What is the International Literature Showcase?The International Literature Showcase is a partnership between the National Centre for Writing and British Council. It aims to showcase amazing writers based in the UK to programmers, publishers and teachers of literature in English around the world.... Continue reading at British Council global
[ British Council global | 2021-06-03 11:39:08 UTC ]
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Mya-Rose Craig is a Bristol-based ornithologist who has been blogging about birds as Birdgirl since she was 11. She first gained fame after being featured on the 2010 BBC Four documentary “Twitchers: A Very British Obsession”, and has appeared on “Springwatch”, “Countryfile” and “The One... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-05-28 04:43:18 UTC ]
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Cairo publisher and bookseller Ahmed Rashad on how the pandemic makes the digital transformation more urgent than ever. The post In Egypt, Publishers Are Moving to E-Commerce appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-05-27 14:54:26 UTC ]
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Finished before his death in December, le Carré gave his blessing to publish the novel, which follows a bookseller who becomes embroiled in a spy leakSilverview, a final full-length novel by John le Carré, in which the late author delves into “the soul of the modern Secret Intelligence Service”,... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-05-19 13:00:09 UTC ]
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Writer Kirstin Innes talks to The Bookseller about some of the most exciting and experimental Scottish female voices being published today. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-05-15 00:01:08 UTC ]
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Mark Chandler, previously senior reporter on The Bookseller, has been promoted to the position of news editor, effective from today (Friday 7th May). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-05-07 22:17:08 UTC ]
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Publishing director of Gallery UK, Holly Harris talks to The Bookseller about Simon and Schuster's new commercial non-fiction imprint. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-04-30 14:53:56 UTC ]
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A bookseller talks about the surprising rewards of discussing books virtually with kids. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-04-30 12:00:00 UTC ]
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The Ontario-based publisher and independent bookstore has soft-launched a series of chapbooks by booksellers, for booksellers, aimed at sparking discussion and debate about important issues in the trade. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sales and marketing director Julie Atkins of outdoor sports publisher Vertebrate talks to The Bookseller about their first carbon negative book. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-04-15 22:42:47 UTC ]
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“The Bookseller of Florence,” by Ross King, tells the history of Renaissance bookmaking through the story of Vespasiano da Bisticci, who rose from humble roots to dominate the trade. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-04-13 09:00:07 UTC ]
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People want stories and that means cultivating a publishing ecosystem where big and small can flourishThis week both the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority and the Department of Justice in the US announced investigations into the planned $2.2bn acquisition of the publisher Simon &... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-03-28 17:25:47 UTC ]
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A survey conducted by The Bookseller reveals that 12 months after lockdown began, many feel low and isolated, with views on a return to ‘normal’ life decidedly split. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-03-19 15:22:20 UTC ]
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