Will browsing be allowed, or will we have to judge a book by its cover? With Waterstones and some indie shops set to open on 15 June, Alison Flood finds out what the plan isMelissa Davies had planned to fulfil a lifelong dream and open her independent bookshop, Pigeon Books, in Southsea, at the beginning of April. Those plans were put on hold by the coronavirus pandemic, but with a relaxation of lockdown rules from next week, bookshops will be able to open to customers – for the first time in over two months. Davies and her husband are now preparing for a very different sort of opening. “We had to quickly rethink our entire business plan and how we could operate, and now we’re gearing up to open our doors for the first time under really different circumstances,” she says. The tiny Pigeon Books will ask its browsing customers to use hand sanitiser, or wear gloves, before and after touching books, and will restrict the number of customers in the shop to two at a time.“We’re excited about opening but also worried about how we’re going to make it work and how we can keep ourselves and our customers safe,” Davies says. She continues to work full time in customer service, and to write (her first poetry collection, Pineapples in the Pool, was published by Unbound in 2018). “We’ll be opening with reduced hours for a few weeks to see how things go. We’re so nervous about it though. Who opens a bookshop in a pandemic?” Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2020-06-12 06:00:14 UTC ]
While startup accelerators are working to ensure existing companies stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic, they're also shepherding in the next generation of businesses. The Tampa Bay Wave revealed its latest TechDiversity cohort, which is comprised of startups from across the world that... Continue reading at Silicon Valley Business Journal
[ Silicon Valley Business Journal | 2020-06-05 18:43:57 UTC ]
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It’s never too early to learn that racism is wrong and we should be doing something about it. These books will help show our kids how, writes publisher and bookseller Aimée FeloneDo the work: Layla F Saad’s anti-racist reading list The weight of the world seems heavier than ever right now. The... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-06-04 07:00:00 UTC ]
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The coronavirus pandemic has seen a “huge swing” towards print on demand (p.o.d.), Ingram's senior vice-president David Taylor has said. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-03 09:42:17 UTC ]
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When libraries around the US began closing their doors due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Internet Archive (IA) responded by creating a “National Emergency Library,” a collection of 1.4 million books from its free e-book repository Open Library. Pu... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2020-06-01 19:33:58 UTC ]
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On June 1st, a group of book publishers—Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, John Wiley & Sons, and Penguin Random House, all member companies of the Association of American Publishers—filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against the Internet Archive, whose “National Emergency... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-06-01 17:48:23 UTC ]
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The latest live event to shift its plans in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic: the National Book Festival. Organizers announced Thursday that the festival, which was originally set to take place Aug. 29 at the Washington Convention Center will now run online from Sept. 25-27. The event... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-05-28 16:22:19 UTC ]
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Lockdown Lit @ Lunch with Mary South and Erin Somers Tuesday, May 26, 2pm EDT Lockdown Lit @ Lunch, a new weekly salon that spotlights books published during the coronavirus pandemic, hosts Mary South (You Will Never Be Forgotten) and Erin Somers (Stay Up with Hugo Best) for brief readings and... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-05-26 16:02:55 UTC ]
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Little Tiger is to publish a picture book celebrating the work of key workers, to raise money for the NHS during Independent Bookshop week. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-26 01:38:15 UTC ]
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University Presses need to make sure their institution's senior management teams think of them as part of the solution to the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, a University Press Redux Online webinar heard last week. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-25 18:15:39 UTC ]
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At BookExpo Online, the APA's executive director, Michele Cobb, will be joined by Chris Lynch from Simon & Schuster, Cathy Forrest from HarperCollins, and Michael Anderle from LMBPN to discuss the state of the audio industry and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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BookExpo Online's first full day of programming begins with a panel featureing five library leaders who will take stock of how libraries are handling the coronavirus pandemic thus far and how the public library might change in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Nestled in the heart of Melbourne's city laneways, Leonardo Art Shop - also known as Nibbi's - provided inspiration and education to a generation of young artists. Continue reading at The Conversation
[ The Conversation | 2020-05-21 20:00:41 UTC ]
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Bloomsbury Publishing reported a 10% profit increase in the fiscal year ended February 29, 2020, over fiscal 2019. The publisher said its business in the current fiscal year has suffered "significant disruption" because of the coronavirus pandemic, but said it is "well placed to benefit from... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-20 04:00:00 UTC ]
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We are living through an unprecedented time in global history. The coronavirus pandemic has hit every industry, and – this is not news to any of you – publishing is no exception. This week is Mental Health Awareness Week, the theme is ‘kindness’, chosen because we need to reach out to those... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-17 22:41:35 UTC ]
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The Virus, first published in 1982, will be reissued this summer after the PM’s father shrugged off accusations of cashing in on the coronavirus crisisA long out-of-print novel about a deadly virus by Stanley Johnson, the father of UK prime minister Boris Johnson, is to be reissued this summer,... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-05-11 14:45:10 UTC ]
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Clean Prose, the London-based writers' co-working space, has announced it is to close as a result of "social distancing and the economic downturn" caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-11 07:15:50 UTC ]
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The pandemic has thrown publishing and booksellers into crisis – and left customers struggling to obtain books when they most want them. But some in the industry sense an opportunity to drag it into the 21st centuryOn 18 March, Emma Corfield-Walters received the news that for the second year... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-05-10 08:00:20 UTC ]
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For poets, springtime is especially sacred. With big book releases, National Poetry Month, and the conclusion of the slam season, there is so much for readers and writers to look forward to. Then came the coronavirus pandemic. We’ve seen readings canceled, book tours halted and budgets slashed.... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2020-05-08 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Survey shows 60% expect the impact of the pandemic may put them out of business, prompting calls for concerted helpMore than half of the UK’s small publishers fear they could be out of business by the autumn as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, according to research by the Bookseller, which... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-05-07 15:02:20 UTC ]
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The Booksellers Association annual conference and Gardners Trade Show have been postponed until November owing to the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-03 07:50:39 UTC ]
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