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Books We Can’t Wait to Read This Month

By uczcrot, on 2 February 2018

Hello everyone, and happy February! With the onset of a new month comes an exciting new reading list to delve into, and the publishing world has truly been delivering lately. Continue on for a number of titles we can’t wait to read, be they new releases, recent award winners, or buzz-worthy crowd favorites. Enjoy!

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Though released in the middle of 2017, this charming debut novel has come to the forefront of publishing news as a recent winner of the Costa First Novel Book Award. This tale follows hilarious but  lonely Eleanor as her orderly, uneventful life transforms and she experiences new and unexpected relationships. Throughout its pages, Eleanor must confront her fears and learn to see the magic in others—and in herself.

Three Things About Elsie by Joanna Cannon

Joanna Cannon addresses sentimentality and the human spirit in this novel that centers upon 84-year-old Florence, a resident at Cherry Tree Home for the Elderly. The story opens as Florence collapses in her flat, and while awaiting rescue, she reflects upon the arrival of a mysterious new Cherry Tree resident, her lifelong friendship with best friend Elsie, and a secret she’s kept hidden for years. The Guardian describes this novel as ‘powerful and profound,’ and we think it’d pair perfectly with a rainy afternoon.

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

Fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train are likely to enjoy this new thriller by Daniel Mallory (pen name A.J. Finn). Dr. Anna Fox is a former child psychologist who spends her days tucked away in her townhouse, spying on and following the lives of her neighbours. On one seemingly ordinary day, Anna believes she has witnessed a murder. Mallory’s novel channels the eerie, unsettling mood of its literary thriller counterparts but also explores such themes as family, mental health, and the unreliable narrator.

The Jhalak Prize

By uczcwtu, on 31 January 2018

The second annual Jhalak Prize is upon us! The Jhalak Prize was founded in 2017, and celebrates the best books by British and British resident BAME writers, and awards one writer £1000. The first book to win the Jhalak Prize was Jacob Ross’ The Bone Readers.

Started by authors Sunny Singh and Nikesh Shukla and Media Diversified, with support from The Authors’ Club and a prize donated by an anonymous benefactor, the prize exists to celebrate the achievements of British writers of colour.

Excitingly, the 2018 longlist has recently been announced! It includes:

John Agard, Come All You Little Persons (Faber)

Nadeem Aslam, The Golden Legend (Faber)

Jeffrey Boakye, Hold Tight: Black Masculinity, Millennials and the Meaning of Grime (Influx Press)

Sita Brahmachari, Worry Angels (Barrington Stoke)

Kayo Chongonyi, Kumakanda (Chatto & Windus)

Yrsa Daley-Ward, Bone (Penguin)

Reni Eddo-Lodge, Why I ‘m No Longer Talking to White People About Race (Bloomsbury Circus)

Xialou Guo, Once Upon a Time in the East (Chatto & Windus)

Meena Kandasamy, When I Hit You: Or, A Portrait of the Writer as a Young Wife (Atlantic Books)

Kiran Millwood Hargrave, The Island at the End of Everything (Chicken House)

Leone Ross, Come Let Us Sing Anyway (Peepal Tree Press)

Preti Taneja, We That Are Young (Galley Beggar Press)

This longlist was chosen by the all-female judging panel, which includes writer Sunny Singh, YA author Catherine Johnson, novelist Tanya Byrne, writer and performer Vera Chok and travel writer and journalist Noo Saro-Wiwa.

Judge Vera Chok spoke about the prize: “An incredible thing about the Jhalak Prize is that it’s open across genres. I’ve been especially delighted to discover writers of colour beyond literary fiction and memoir, making their mark in the fields of non-fiction, children’s writing, and experimental forms.”

The shortlist will be announced on the 20th of February, and the winner will be announced on the 15th March 2018.

What’s Coming Up: February and Beyond!

By uczcwtu, on 25 January 2018

There are lots of events going on in the next few months – here’s just a couple of gems that we discovered!

29 JAN 2018: SYP AGM
The SYP meets every year in January in the beautiful Stationers’ Hall to say goodbye to old SYP UK and London committees and welcome in new. There will be a recap of the whole SYP year from different committee members, followed by our panel. To delve more into the creation and popularity of audiobooks, the impact of podcasts on our industry, and what might be next, we’ll be joined by Miles Stevens-Hoare of RB Media, the company behind audiobooks.com, and the team from the amazing Mostly Lit podcast.

8 FEB 2018: Bitch Lit
Bitch Lit is a monthly book club devoted to new feminist writing and cult classics by women. Join us for endless wine, cheese and irreverent, fun discussion led by literary critic Lucy Scholes and Gower Street’s Elizabeth Morris. On February 8th we will be discussing Diana Athill’s Stet: An Editors Life.

9 FEB 2018 – 11 FEB 2018: London Bookshop Crawl
Now in its’ third year it aims to bring booklovers together in a joyful celebration of all things bookish and give some much needed support to (mainly independent) bookshops in the otherwise fairly grim retail month of February. Over the course of the weekend we encourage you to visit as many bookshops as possible, post about how great they are on social media (using #LondonBookshopCrawl), buy some books and grab some of the amazing freebies and discounts on offer and meet some new bookish friends.

15 FEB 2018: The Hogwarts Curriculum Lectures: Divination with Marc Salem
A look at how we deduce, or divine, meaning from non-verbal signs with Marc Salem, performer, mind reader and expert in non-verbal communication. This event is aimed at an adult audience, although children are welcome to attend.

20 FEB 2018: Laura Bates – Misogynation: The True Scale of Sexism
Feminist, activist and bestselling author Laura Bates joins us to once again shine a light on the gender inequality lurking in the shadows of our society with her new collections of essays. At this exclusive London event Laura will be discussing her work with the freelance journalist and contributing editor at The Pool, Marisa Bate, followed by a signing of her books.

1 MARCH 2018: World Book Day
World Book Day is a celebration! It’s a celebration of authors, illustrators, books and (most importantly) it’s a celebration of reading. In fact, it’s the biggest celebration of its kind, designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and marked in over 100 countries all over the world.

7 MARCH 2018 – 11 MARCH 2018: Women of the World 2018
WOW – Women of the World festival celebrates women and girls, and looks at the obstacles that stop them from achieving their potential. This will include talks by Sandi Toksvig, the women behind the Black Lives Matter movement and a drag king performance of the story of Joan of Arc.

Let us know if you end up going to any of these events!

Independent Bookshop Alliance

By uczcmsm, on 24 January 2018

You may have heard of Simon Key: the Big Green Bookshop Twitter star? He is famed for his phrases ‘I am in a train’ and ‘My kids are asleep’ and his incredible customer service over Twitter. His refreshing openness about the trials and tribulations of being a bookseller and even honest sales numbers posted on Twitter are appreciated by his many followers.

Following the deep discounting of Philip Pullman’s Book of Dust, Simon proposed an ‘Indie Alliance’. Philip Pullman is a huge supporter of bookshops and sees deep discounting as ‘the true book lovers enemy’. Book of Dust, however, was being hugely discounted at 50% by Waterstones, Foyles, WHSmith and Amazon. Pullman was criticised for signing 5,000 copies of the title exclusively for Waterstones and therefore excluding the independent bookshops for whom he so often campaigns. For an in-depth commentary on the controversy, take a look at The Secret Bookseller.

Anyway, back to the ‘Indie Alliance’ (which, by the way,  I think would be a good movie title). Simon, the Big Green Bookshop man I’ve mentioned already, posted a call out to bookshops to express interest in his idea. He believes that independent bookshops can work together to negotiate better discounts and indie offers. Within 6 days Simon had an overwhelming response from more than 90 independent bookshops across the UK. Now that should make publishers listen.

Simon told the bookseller that the next stage is to set up a forum so independent bookshops can communicate and discuss what they’d like from the alliance. He is also meeting various trade members this week who have expressed interest in ways they can help. The alliance has also ‘tentatively’ received an offer of funding – so watch this space!

TEA

By uczcmsm, on 17 January 2018

If there’s one thing publishing students are known for other than reading, it’s for drinking tea! Here’s a couple of my favourite places to buy and drink tea – but be warned. Your wallets will be burning by the end of this post!

  1. Bluebird Tea

Bluebird Tea is without a doubt one of my favourite places to get tea. Their flavours are so unique! One of the best things about Bluebird is that they do a monthly subscription service where you get 3 sachets of some of their best tea! Themes have included cocktail-based teas, Christmas teas, and ones that make great iced teas!

Check out their website here!

 

  1. Teapigs

Teapigs is my go-to tea – they too have amazing flavours. I mean, matcha mint? Jelly and ice cream? What more could I possibly need? Their bags are also really nice, which somehow makes a difference to my tea experience.

More information about teapigs’ great flavours can be found here!

  1. Birdhouse

    Birdhouse is an independent tea company found in Sheffield. They have a TEA STUDIO where they blend all of the tea, and where you can go for tea consultations and advice on how to blend your own. How awesome is that?! They also have the most beautiful Instagram, which I highly recommend you check out.

Their website can be found here.

  1. Last but certainly not least is the London Tea Company.

    Situated right here in London, this is a FairTrade company that focuses on their love for London and tea! (I’m already a fan!)  Their packing is also A+, which is always a bonus. Gotta have your tea in cute tins and things!

Check them out at London Tea Company.

 

 

What’s Coming Up in December

By uczcrot, on 12 December 2017

We simply can’t believe this year has almost come to an end. Though 2018 is just around the corner, 2017 still has a number of exciting publishing and literary events to offer us. We’ve gathered some of December’s best events to round out the year, and we hope you enjoy!

December

13th(-21st): Late Night Shopping with Mulled Wine and Shortbread at Foyle’s –

http://www.foyles.co.uk/Public/Events/Detail.aspx?eventId=3521

13th(-22nd): Christmas Evenings at Waterstones ­ –

https://www.waterstones.com/events/christmas-evenings-at-waterstones

14th: Write and Shine: Early Morning Writing Classes with Gemma Seltzer –

https://www.waterstones.com/events/write-and-shine-early-morning-writing-classes-with-gemma-seltzer/london-piccadilly-33262

15th-16th: Harry Potter Quiz Night at the British Library –

https://www.bl.uk/events/harry-potter-quiz-night-15-december-2017 

15th-16th: The 2017 London Children’s Book Fair –

http://parasol-unit.org/whats-on/education-and-events/the-2017-london-childrens-book-fair/

18th: Elena Favilli in Conversation with Sarah Shaffi –

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/elena-favilli-in-conversation-with-sarah-shaffi-tickets-41212269006?aff=es2

19th: Keats House by Candlelight –

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/keats-house-by-candlelight-tickets-35661075236

22nd: A Christmas Carol with Professor Michael Slater –

https://dickensmuseum.com/blogs/all-events/72717827-a-christmas-carol-with-professor-michael-slater

24th: A Very Dickensian Christmas Eve –

https://dickensmuseum.com/blogs/all-events/72702979-a-very-dickensian-christmas-eve

Interview with Daniel Boswell

By uczcmsm, on 8 December 2017

The blog team thought it might be fun to use this opportunity to find out more about our lovely lecturers! So, first up: Daniel Boswell!

Favourite book.
Don Quixote de La Mancha – Of all the classics this is my favourite. Arguably the first ‘novel’, certainly one of the earliest examples of the form, I don’t really think it has ever been surpassed; themes of love, hope, ambition, ageing, class and comedy all seamlessly interlinked. It’s a book about a bibliophile who takes his passion a little too far. Publishing students take note. If you can read the original, not in translation.

How did you get into publishing?
Getting into publishing was as much about getting out of a series of successive industries I didn’t belong in after I finished my first degree. Life assurance was a low point. However, I’d always been around writers, my father was a journalist. The direct answer is that I attended a panel discussion at the Edinburgh Book Festival in the mid 2000s about changing trends in genre fiction and ended up having a very long and interesting conversation with, Marion Sinclair, the director of Publishing Scotland. She encouraged me towards some postgraduate study which led me to the Scottish Centre for the Book (SCOB) at Edinburgh Napier and the rest is (21st century) history.

How do you interact with your chosen field?
Publishing Studies is a small and developing field. This has pros and cons. The challenge is being able to draw diversely on a established body of contemporary academic sources. On the other hand, as a developing discipline, most academics working in this area know one another, at least in passing, and we have a wonderful, friendly network for collaboration. Over the past few years we have been gathering in Florence for a developing, publishing focused conference called ‘By the Book’, which is helping to ground this network. At the level of teaching, all of the UK Publishing courses are members of the Association for Publishing Education (APE) and we meet on a regular basis.

Favourite piece of research you’ve been part of?
Well, I should probably say my PhD thesis, a comparative analysis of industrial dynamics in Scottish and Catalan Publishing fields, but I also really enjoy the editorial and development side of journal and special issue publication, and have been involved with pieces for Book 2.0 and Scottish Comics that were fun. And a few MA dissertations that I’ve supervised stick in my mind as well.

What advice would you give a Publishing MA student?
Don’t Panic (That’s an SF joke)

A fun fact about yourself.
I collect pink elephant related paraphernalia.

A book that we might be surprised you have read?
Oh wow, that’s a doozy of a question. How am I to interpret this – would you be surprised because it’s not something you would expect me to like, or do we simply mean the sheer perseverance of a long, difficult text, or is this more about introducing the unfamiliar? Is the question designed to propel me towards confessing some inner shame or should I reinforce the idea that there is no such thing as a guilty pleasure? Hmm… I hope this will do…

As far as supervising dissertations go, when students want to consider particular genres or authors I do try to make sure (as far as possible) that I am familiar with the material as well (this does not stretch as far as Harry Potter, do not push me) I did read all of the Hunger Games, Maze Runner, and Divergent YA dystopian series in order to be more familiar with these for studies. I thought the Hunger Games series was quite good.

Shame confession – I managed 20 pages of fifty shades, what’s all the fuss about?

 

Thank you to Daniel for giving some time to these questions amongst a busy term and lots of marking! If any of his answers have interested you, I’m sure he’d be happy to talk about them further!

Finally, here are the answers to the literature quiz:

1) The Catcher in the Rye
2) 1984
3) Harper Lee
4) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
5) Stephen Hawking
6) Bridget Jones Diary
7) The Adventures of Pinocchio
8) Roald Dahl
9) A Hegdehog
10) Yann Martel

Literary London Spots to Visit This Holiday Season

By uczcrot, on 28 November 2017

The festive season is nearly in full swing, and there’s no place quite like London during the holidays. When most think of London at Christmas, classic holiday sights like sparkling Oxford Street and the glow of Hyde Park come to mind. As publishers, however, we’re seeking out holiday hotspots that are a bit more bookish. Read on for a few of our favorite festive and literary-inspired spots to visit this Christmas season.

Charles Dickens Museum

No Christmas sightseeing list would be complete without a mention of this quaint museum at 48 Doughty Street. The former home of the Man Who Invented Christmas, this museum is wonderful at any time of year but becomes particularly joyful during the holidays. Each room boasts holiday decorations and Dickensian relics, making the space heavenly for fans of both the author and the season. At this time of year, the museum also hosts special events like costumed walking tours, holiday-inspired lectures, and a Christmas Eve celebration.

Hogwarts in the Snow at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour

The Warner Bros. Studio Tour is the stuff of dreams for any Harry Potter fan, and it only becomes more bewitching in the November and December months. The film sets adopt a celebratory air as visitors encounter the tour’s Christmas experience, aptly titled Hogwarts in the Snow. Along with the tour’s usual sights, guests can also enjoy an ornately decorated Great Hall and a truly stunning Hogwarts model dusted in snow. Though it’s a bit of a trip outside of central London, the holiday-inspired magic is no doubt worth it.

Agatha Christie Statue Near Covent Garden

This memorial statue is a must-see for any fan of the murder-mystery maven, and it also happens to be located in one of London’s most festive neighborhoods. The statue, which is crafted in the shape of a large book and includes a bust of Agatha Christie herself, pays homage to the prophetic author and playwright. For a perfectly literary December evening, visit the statue and toast to the queen of mystery with a holiday drink in glowing Covent Garden, just next door.

Saturday Sanctuary

By uczcmsm, on 24 November 2017

Since 2015, bookshops across the country have relished Civilised Saturday – the antidote to the madness of Black Friday. In the lead up to the busy Christmas period, people rush to stores to speed along their present buying. Black Friday represents a huge commercial drive to encourage and entice buyers.

Civilised Saturday, however, spreads a different message. It is a day to celebrate all the bookshops have to offer and their calm and peaceful atmosphere in our hectic daily lives. Whilst browsing and purchasing of books is obviously not turned away (and hardly possible to resist), it is a day to remind booklovers why they love books. Not only can you escape the mayhem in a good book, you can escape the mayhem by simply relishing the atmosphere of your local bookshop.

This year, BAMB have replaced Civilised Saturday with Saturday Sanctuary. Creating an atmosphere much like the trending Hygge books, bookshops aim to treat their customers – with cosy reading corners, herbal teas and other relaxing activities.

Some Hygge-Inspired books to encourage this frame of mind are:

The Little of Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking

Hygge

Hygge: The Danish Art of Happiness by Marie Tourell Soderberg

The Danish Art of Happiness

The Year of Cozy by Adrianna Adarme

Raincoast-Year-of-Cozy-1

The Art of Hygge by Jonny Jackson & Elias Larsen

The Art of Hygge

Enjoy Sanctuary Saturday and best wishes for a peaceful, relaxed and bookish festive season!

Interview with Helena McNish

By uczcwtu, on 22 November 2017

We are very excited to announce that we have an UCL Publishing alumni here on our blog today! Here’s some of the questions we asked Helena McNish:

Why did you choose to do the Publishing MA at UCL?

I knew I wanted to be in Publishing but I had absolutely no idea where in the industry I wanted to go. Everyone knows the big three departments – Editorial, Publicity, Marketing – but I knew it was more complex than that. The best way to not go into it in the dark, I felt, was to do a master’s degree first. I also knew it would be a great way to make contacts, find work experience and internships, and the course itself sounded interesting beyond just being professional training. It has a bit of an academic dint too!

What was the main thing you learned from the degree?

The main thing I would say that I learnt was experience and exposure to the publishing industry. Having contextual knowledge and experience of how the industry works, like how they hire and what the market looks like is invaluable. You get immersed in that world which is the most useful thing about the degree, I think. I also met some really awesome people who are now doing cool things!

What was your dissertation about? Do you have any tips for us about writing 10,000 words?

I did my dissertation on medieval women and their access and usage of books, focusing on the period around the 15th century and two women specifically: Margaret Paston and Elizabeth Woodville (the one from ‘The White Queen’ by Philippa Gregory). I actually had a different idea in mind when I first started thinking about what I would like to do – an ethnographic study of bookshops based on what I’d done for Booksellers and Bookselling – but that’s the great thing about a publishing MA: you can be really creative with your topic choice. Publishing is a wide-ranging academic discipline with a long history, so don’t be afraid of pursuing something that might at first glance seem a bit irrelevant!

Another key tip I have, that has helped me through two 10,000 word dissertations, is to really enjoy the topic you choose. It’s really hard to work for four months on a project that you don’t enjoy and don’t want to constantly pursue around the other things you’ll be doing while researching and writing! And give yourself at least three days to edit before you hand it in. You will be super glad that you did.

What have you been doing since graduating?

After going through about three months of job applications and interviewing, I now work for a media company called Kantar Media as an Entertainment Researcher on their forward planning service. Every day I use skills that I gained from the Publishing MA (though I’m not technically in Publishing right now!) and the job itself acts as great experience. I’m hoping to move back into Publishing in the near future, but it’s definitely a tough industry that you have to work hard to get into. I took the job I’m in to help me towards that.

Other than that – and I only really finished my dissertation two months ago – I’ve been enjoying living in London, and considering what I’m going to do next. Currently I’m starting the process of applying for a part-time PhD in History, using my Publishing dissertation as a basis for a doctoral project. Sam is very kindly helping me out! That’s definitely some advice I would give here: stay in touch with your course friends and with the course itself. They provide great support, networking opportunities, and, let’s be honest, keep a twitter feed really amusing

Finally, do you have any advice about entering the publishing world?

First thing is not to being disheartened by rejection – it happens to everyone! Next is to be prepared for any cover letter or CV you write, or interview you attend. You need to know what the company you’re applying for does, what they want from candidates, how what skills you have apply to the role. Essentially, don’t batch apply! Tailor everything you submit to the specifics of the job advert, and prepare for each interview as specifically as you can. Also remember that every application and interview is practice, and you will get better at it! I definitely did.

Also, if you don’t follow @PubInterns you should be. They are fabulous advocates for people starting out in publishing and are a great resource for job adverts and advice! Twitter is also a valuable resource, so make sure you get really familiar with the key voices on there (the SYP accounts, publishers, and The Bookseller are good to keep an eye on too).

Helena can be found on Twitter @helenamcnish.