What We're Reading – February 2020

Sensible Footwear: A Girl’s Guide by Kate CharlesworthMy favourite place to be is partway through a book that I have just realised is becoming an all-time favourite. This month, it happened with Kate Charlesworth’s graphic memoir, Sensible Footwear: A Girl’s Guide, a political history of gay rights in the UK and a personal history of her place in the struggle.Born in 1950, Charlesworth left for university as a not-yet-out lesbian in the year that homosexuality was decriminalised. She renders her childhood home, cramped yet somehow empty, with stark precision, then offers sweeping full-page drawings of her first gay bars – or rather, spaces coded as gay because of their dingy corners, daring clientele, and raucous singalongs of Gilbert and Sullivan. Gay rights marches, Section 28, the AIDS crisis, second-wave feminism and the journey towards civil marriage all appear, threading in and out of Charlesworth’s life in traditional comic book panels, or captured in colourful spreads like a dreamed scrapbook.Beyond the fight for rights and recognition, Sensible Footwear also celebrates the joyful community spirit of queer culture, where a single kiss on television, or a shared passion for a poet, can have a deep emotional resonance for LGBTQ+ people to connect over. From the overlapping dialogue balloons as Kate and her friend Jacky both dance around coming out to one another – each trying to admit their sexuality in subtle, abstract ways – to the page on Drew Griffiths of the... Continue reading at 'British Council global'

[ British Council global | 2020-02-14 09:49:28 UTC ]
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Eight thrillers and mysteries to read this summer

‘Blacktop Wasteland’ author S.A. Cosby recommends books that will keep you on the edge of your lawn chair. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-05-27 13:00:00 UTC ]
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Sheikh Zayed Book Award Winner Iman Mersal: ‘Reading the Past’

A lost novelist, 'her whispering voice, fleeing depression,' led this Egyptian poet to one of the biggest literary prizes in the world. The post Sheikh Zayed Book Award Winner Iman Mersal: ‘Reading the Past’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-05-25 18:35:10 UTC ]
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Marie Claire owner reports record profits on back of Covid reading boom

Future’s share price soars as it says full-year results will be ‘materially ahead’ of expectationsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageFuture, the owner of magazines from Marie Claire to Metal Hammer and sites such as TechRadar and GoCompare, has reported record revenues... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-05-19 12:15:47 UTC ]
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At this reading festival, kids pick the winners and authors are rock stars

The Forest of Reading book festival in Ontario, where kids pick the winning authors, is more important than ever during the pandemic. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2021-05-13 18:23:27 UTC ]
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Hachette Book Group Announces Diversity Progress in 2020

The Hachette Book Group workforce in 2020 was 3.9 percent black, the company says, 6.7 percent Asian, 20 percent Hispanic or Latinx. The post Hachette Book Group Announces Diversity Progress in 2020 appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-05-13 15:32:17 UTC ]
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Hachette Book Group Saw Diversity Gains in Staff, Book Acquisitions in 2020

BIPOC employees represented 47.8% of new hires by the Hachette Book Group in 2020, and the percentage of titles acquired from BIPOC authors and illustrators increased to 29%, from 22%. CEO Michael Pietsch acknowledged that despite the improvement, much more work needs to be done. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Now you can recapture the joy of Reading Rainbow with LeVar Burton’s new book club.

Generations of readers who fondly recall Reading Rainbow are in luck: LeVar Burton can be your reading guide once again. Burton is launching his own book club (for adults!) in partnership with the new book club platform Fable, a social platform that “deliver[s] the world’s best social experience... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2021-05-12 15:37:28 UTC ]
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Report: Bible Usage Rose in 2020

The American Bible Society finds the turmoil of 2020 prompted more people to open their Bibles, seeking comfort and wisdom, but they didn’t always get the message. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Is Academic Research Too Hard To Read? The Academics Say Yes

In a survey conducted by Emerald Publishing, researchers say they're not satisfied with how academic publishing presents their work. The post Is Academic Research Too Hard To Read? The Academics Say Yes appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-05-11 21:34:16 UTC ]
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Kakao Entertainment Acquires Radish Reading App

Radish, a mobile reading app offering serialized bingeable genre fiction, has been acquired by Kakao Entertainment in a transaction valued at $440 million. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
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My to-read list exploded thanks to free books through the Libby app

Kris Naudus describes how the Libby library app helped restore her sanity during lockdown. Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2021-05-03 13:30:53 UTC ]
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AAP StatShot February Report: US Audiobooks and Ebooks Maintain Strength

In January and February, ebooks were up 20.4 percent and downloadable audio was up 23.7 percent over 2020. The post AAP StatShot February Report: US Audiobooks and Ebooks Maintain Strength appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-04-28 15:55:41 UTC ]
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The New SDG Book Club African Chapter Releases Its First Reading List

Selections for the African chapter of the Sustainable Development Goals Book Club include two titles in Indigenous African languages. The post The New SDG Book Club African Chapter Releases Its First Reading List appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-04-27 20:25:57 UTC ]
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Publishing Industry Sales Up 16% Through February

Higher sales of print and digital books and a decline in returns contributed to a solid net sales increase in the first two months of 2021 over the comparable period in 2020 for publishers that report to AAP. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-04-27 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The UK’s Publishers Association 2020 Report: ‘In the Face of COVID’

Amid the challenges of the pandemic year 2020, the United Kingdom's overall publishing market rose 2 percent. The post The UK’s Publishers Association 2020 Report: ‘In the Face of COVID’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-04-26 23:05:27 UTC ]
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UK book sales soared in 2020 despite pandemic

New figures from the Publishers Association show fiction and audiobooks did particularly well, with value of consumer sales up 7% on 2019 despite bookshop closuresFiction sales in 2020 soared by more than £100m for UK publishers, as readers locked down at home made their escape into books, with... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-04-26 23:01:49 UTC ]
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UK publishing income up 2% in Covid-hit 2020 despite print decline

Total publishing income hit record levels in 2020, rising 2% to £6.4bn, buoyed by a digital surge that helped offset a 6% decline in print sales, a report by the Publishers Association shows. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-04-26 10:50:38 UTC ]
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As a kid, I loved Judy Blume’s books. As an adult, I wonder: How do they read today?

Blume’s novels educated — and entertained — generations of readers. In today’s culture, it’s more complicated. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-04-19 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Mixed Bag for HBG on the Environment in 2020

The pandemic resulted in a steep drop in electricity use and business travel last year, but "significantly" higher demand for print books led to a 2% increase in Hachette Book Group's carbon footprint in 2020. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-04-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
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With Two New Imprints, Quarto Is Ready for Summer Reading

The revival of Ivy Kids and the launch of Happy Yak see Quarto embracing sustainability and joyful reading. (Sponsored) Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-04-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
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