The golden age of Peter and Jane: how Ladybird took flight

With their distinctive illustrations, Ladybird books offered millions of children their first taste of art. As a new exhibition opens, we pay homage to picnics, polyester and Pat the dog• A hundred years of Ladybird design – galleryA small boy in collar and tie teeters on homemade stilts made out of upturned flowerpots and bits of string, a stern-looking man in a nuclear facility barks something important into a red phone, a woodpecker perches on the side of a tree. For many of us who grew up between the 1960s and 80s, the images from Ladybird books were the first art we ever saw. And, without quite realising, we have loved it ever since.If you need reminding – or persuading – of the brilliance of Ladybird illustration, then head to Bexhill, East Sussex, where Ladybird By Design opens at the De La Warr pavilion on 24 January. Here you will find 200 pieces of original artwork from the “golden age” between 1958 and 1973 when the company was selling many millions of books every year. If you were aged between two and 12 during those decades, then the chances are you had several of those slender hardbacks on your bedroom shelves. Whether it was Things to Make, Florence Nightingale or The Story of Oil, the layout was always the same. On the left-hand side was text in a font and vocabulary appropriate to your reading age, and on the opposite side was a full-page illustration of near-photographic accuracy, packed with such colour and exuberance that, decades later, it is still... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2015-01-16 00:00:00 UTC ]

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Libraries as a Gateway to Forging Your Own Path: Jane Austen, Murder Mysteries, and Me

Jessica Ball, author of 'Miss Austen Investigates: The Hapless Milliner,' is hardly the only writer to profess a passion for libraries. Jane Austen, the heroine of her novel, adored them. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-23 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Jonathan Escoffery: ‘I was trying to write novels aged nine’

The If I Survive You author on the suspense of the Booker ceremony, Americans’ warped view of the Caribbean, and writing his next novel on the roadJonathan Escoffery, 43, was born in Texas and lives in Oakland, California. His debut, If I Survive You, about a second-generation Jamaican in Miami,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-01-27 18:00:42 UTC ]
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CALIBA Presents 2024 Golden Poppy Awards

On January 25, the California Independent Booksellers Alliance hosted a streaming award ceremony honoring “the most distinguished books written and illustrated by creators who have made California their home.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-26 05:00:00 UTC ]
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No charges laid after man in 'state of crisis' tries to open door mid-flight on Air Canada plane: police

Police said the passenger attempted to open a door, which can't be done at cruising altitude. He was restrained by Air Canada employees during the flight as part of their safety protocols and met with officers once the plane landed at Pearson International Airport shortly after 3 p.m. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2024-01-21 22:50:31 UTC ]
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Netflix and Hulu pick up TV Golden Globes as Succession dominates

The 2024 Golden Globes represented a return to normalcy after a year dominated by strikes in the entertainment industry. Streamers continued to get recognition for their shows, with Netflix, Hulu and Max picking up a combined 12 television awards. Max (formerly HBO Max) won the most awards,... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-01-08 10:25:14 UTC ]
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Jane Smiley on What It’s Like to Have Your Book Banned

Earlier this month, Jane Smiley’s A Thousand Acres was banned from the Iowa City Schools. Smiley is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of 17 novels, two collections of short fiction, five nonfiction books, and eight books for young adults. She spoke to The Little Hawk, the student newspaper of... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-12-19 09:59:29 UTC ]
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A. S. Byatt, author of Possession, has died at the age of 87.

Celebrated British author A.S. Byatt—a scholar and novelist whose 1990 novel, Possession, won the Booker Prize and brought her international renown—has died at the age of 87. A statement released this morning by her longtime UK publisher, Chatto & Windus, reports that Byatt “died peacefully... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-11-17 16:46:10 UTC ]
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The actors’ strike may be over, but Hollywood is still in trouble | Peter Bradshaw

After four months, the Sag-Aftra film and television union has reached a tentative deal, but we may be waiting a while for the art itself to triumphIt’s over. The stream of sweatshirted and placard-wielding Instagram no-filter/no-makeup posts from stars is at an end. The Sag-Aftra film and... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-11-09 12:08:06 UTC ]
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Jane Garrett, Book Editor With a Prizewinning Touch, Dies at 88

History books she shepherded over 44 years at Alfred A. Knopf won a raft of Pulitzers — seven in all — as well as Bancrofts, though one recipient set off a furious academic debate. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-11-03 21:36:32 UTC ]
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When a Book Deal Feels Like ‘Winning the Middle-Age Lottery’

Dann McDorman, the executive producer of “The Beat With Ari Melber,” gave up writing fiction in his 20s. Now, he’s publishing his first novel at age 47. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-10-24 09:02:04 UTC ]
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Why own a newspaper in 2023? Ask the very rich men trying to buy the Telegraph | Jane Martinson

With debts of £1bn, this isn’t some ordinary financial asset. The desire to own the papers says more about power than profitSo much has changed in the generation since the Telegraph newspapers and the Spectator magazine were last put up for sale in 2004, including how much money they make. Yet... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-10-19 11:00:20 UTC ]
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Hitting the Books: Voice-controlled AI copilots could lead to safer flights

Siri and Alexa were only the beginning. As voice recognition and speech synthesis technologies continue to mature, the days of typing on keyboards to interact with the digital world around us could be coming to an end — and sooner than many of us anticipated. Where... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-10-15 14:30:20 UTC ]
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Michael Gambon, star of Harry Potter and The Singing Detective, dies aged 82

The Olivier award-winning actor, whose major film roles included Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series, has died• ‘An actor who let his heart and soul crack open’: David Jays on Michael Gambon• A life in pictures – gallerySir Michael Gambon, whose extraordinary acting career took him from... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-09-28 11:39:05 UTC ]
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Indigo CEO Peter Ruis resigns

The up-and-down year at Canadian book retailer Indigo took a new twist on Thursday as newly minted CEO Peter Ruis abruptly resigned. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2023-09-07 13:48:13 UTC ]
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Suki Thompson, founder of Oystercatchers, dies aged 56

Thompson raised nearly £200,000 for Macmillan Cancer Research, and donations continue to come in. Continue reading at Media Week

[ Media Week | 2023-08-02 15:16:19 UTC ]
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10 Brilliantly Unexpected Jane Austen Homages

For anyone who's ever wanted to read about Elizabeth Bennett riding dragons and Elinore Dashwood solving murders, Julia Seales, the author of 'A Most Agreeable Murder', selects 10 inventive Jane Austen riffs. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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West Coast Publishing Fixture Peter Beren Dies at 75

After starting his career with San Francisco's And/Or Books, Beren rose to become publisher of Sierra Club Books and, following stints with Via Books and Palace Press, started his own consulting and literary agency. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Introducing Ad Age Leading National Advertisers 2023

Ad spending for the top 200 U.S. advertisers showed robust growth, powered my internet companies. Digital media grabbed the lion's share of budgets. Spending is growing this year, but a recession looms. Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2023-06-26 09:45:00 UTC ]
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'AudioFile' Magazine Announces 2023 Golden Voice Award Winners

'AudioFile' has named the three winners of its annual Golden Voice awards, which honors voice actors who have made significant contributions to audiobook publishing. The recipients are Kevin R. Free, Marin Ireland, and Nicholas Boulton. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-31 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Martin Amis, era-defining British novelist, dies aged 73

The celebrated author of Money and London Fields, whose works defined the 80s and 90s literary scene, died of oesophageal cancer on Friday at his home in FloridaMartin Amis, the influential author of era-defining novels including Money and London Fields, and the memoir Experience, has died at... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-05-20 18:53:35 UTC ]
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