Compass Points 46

Your weekly round up of publishing news, publicity information and trivia!

A new title from Alexander McCall Smith is always a publishing event to look forward to, and in August, in hardback from Polygon comes Bertie’s Guide to Life and Mothers. This is the ninth of the hugely successful 44 Scotland Street series – which has now sold over 120,000 copies. If you want to find out about a little more about this series, then why not take a look at Sandy talking about it in a two minute interview here.  In this new title we catch up once more with the delightful goings-on in the fictitious street from this enormously popular author. With customary charm and deftness, Alexander McCall Smith gives us another installment where anything could happen to Bertie and the gang! Alexander McCall Smith is one of the world’s most prolific and most popular authors. For many years he was a professor of Medical Law, then, after the publication of his highly successful No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series (which has sold over twenty-five million copies) he devoted his time to the writing of fiction and has seen his various series of books translated into over forty-six languages and become bestsellers throughout the world.

Order Bertie's Guide to Life and Mothers here

And while we’re on the subject of heart warming authors, they didn’t come much more cockle heating than Maeve Binchy. When she died on 30th July 2012, she did so as Ireland’s best-loved writer. In books such as Circle of Friends, Tara Road and Scarlet Feather, no one else told stories like Maeve Binchy. Humane, down-to-earth, funny, her novels captured imaginations on both sides of the Atlantic in a way that most authors only dream of. Maeve Binchy: A Reminiscence by Piers Dudgeon is the first biography of Maeve Binchy – but more than a biography, this is an intimate portrait of one of the world’s most successful writers. Have a look at Maeve talking about here philosophy of life below on YouTube. This extraordinary book visits Maeve Binchy in the land of her birth (which is the environment of her novels) and in the company of the author and her fictional characters sets out to discover the emotional contours which define her as a writer and person. Maeve has millions of readers worldwide, and this biography is sure to be popular with all of them – a good present for someone you know to be a fan. If you want to get a flavour of Maeve’s books then you could do worse than watch this short trailer for Tara Road – a film of one of her most popular books – which gives you a pretty good idea of her huge appeal! Maeve Binchy: A Reminiscence is published in hardback this August from Robson Press and it’s £20 with 18 pages of photographs.

Order the Maeve Binchy Biography here

The horizon is a blue streak across the pale sea, giving the trick of land close enough to sail to. Pearl imagines a packet ship surging to another world with two passengers safe in the bows, their hands joined together. Cornwall. 1880. Pearl, Jack and Nicholas play among the fishing boats of Skommow Bay, not understanding the undercurrents beneath their games. As they grow older, the choices they make shape the pattern of their lives. By 1936 everything has changed. The fish have stopped coming and the Pilchard Palace is abandoned. Pearl, exiled in favour of holidaymakers, turns to the memory of her great love, and her greatest loss. She’s waiting for her own visitor. Will he come for her? The Visitor by Katherine Stansfield is a novel steeped in the coast and people of Cornwall which shivers and flashes with visions as elusive as the fish at the centre of its story. This is intelligent women’s fiction which will appeal to readers of Helen Dunmore, Hilary Mantel, Sarah Hall, and Kate Morton and it’s coming in paperback from Parthian in September. This is the debut novel from an exciting new talent and we’re all really loving it here at Compass! We have ten proof copies to give away – so the first ten of you to send an email to Pat@compass-dsa.co.uk can soon be enjoying it too!

If there’s one subject that seems to always arouse intense interest, sympathy and media attention; it’s that of the quest to get pregnant. Trying: Love, Loose Pants and the Quest for a Baby by Mark Cossey is a rare look at this subject from a humorous male perspective; which will appeal to the same audience as The Bloke’s Guide to Pregnancy, and to couples trying for a baby, especially the increasing number going through fertility treatments, who will be relieved that they’re not the only ones. In four years of baby-making boot camp, Mark and Martha face The Calendar, the anti-walk chair, hostile cervical mucus, IUI, IVF and the possibility of being childless. Through a combination of ignorance and outrage, Mark survives ejaculating into a small jar, stabbing his wife, having his sperm turned pink and group sex with whales. Written with laugh-out-loud humour and outrageous honesty, Trying is a no-holds-barred welcome to the world of the infertile, written by a man who has lived through it all and come through with his ultimate dream realised – his own family. Mark Cossey is an executive producer for the BBC, who has put everything from The Royal Family to Doctor Who on your TV screen, and his wife is a screenwriter for Holby City – so it’s fair to say they have plenty of media contacts! Look out for big features on Trying in The Guardian and The Mirror, which Mark is writing, and will be out shortly.

Order Trying here

Listening to an absolutely fascinating programme last Sunday about the Lindisfarne Gospels on the BBC (which you too can listen to here if you have a spare 45 minutes) reminded me to draw your attention to From Holy Island to Durham: The Contexts and Meanings of The Lindisfarne Gospels edited by Richard Gameson. This lavishly illustrated £25 hardback is published in July to accompany the major Lindisfarne Gospels exhibition in Durham this summer. This book explores the early history and significance of the Lindisfarne Gospels, widely regarded as the finest surviving Anglo-Saxon manuscript of the early Christian era in England, and an unquestioned masterpiece of medieval calligraphy and illumination. The book is written by Professor Richard Gameson, the UK’s leading expert on early medieval manuscripts and illumination. 

This magnificent book contains superb colour reproduction on images of all of the illuminated folios from the manuscript and is published to the highest standards of international fine art publishing. It would appeal to general readers interested in medieval calligraphy, early Christianity and history and tourists and those looking for gift books.  In this important book Professor Gameson examines the spirituality and culture of the community on Holy Island that created the Lindisfarne Gospels around the year 700. He recounts the challenges that the community faced in response to Viking raids and persecutions from the late eighth century, until it eventually settled in Durham as a permanent home in the late tenth century. Throughout these travels, and after their final arrival in Durham, the Lindisfarne Gospels were preserved, glossed and above all treasured - for themselves and for their connection to St Cuthbert, who increasingly came to be regarded as the greatest saint of the North. This publication brings their remarkable story and beauty fully to life. It is published by Third Millennium Information - and you can find out more and order it here.

Who has been thinking about moving somewhere warmer and sunnier recently, with this tragic weather we’ve been having? Falling in Honey: Life and Love on a Greek Island is by Jennifer Barclay who decided to act on her dream of moving to a tiny Greek island – because life is too short not to reach out for what makes us happy. Funny, romantic and full of surprising twists, Falling in Honey is a story about relationships, tzatziki, adventures, swimming, Greek dancing, starfish… and a bumpy but beautiful journey into Mediterranean sunshine. I fancy almost all of the above – and so it seems do the British media, because there is lots of publicity coming up for this charming title. You Magazine (circ 1.4m) in The Mail on Sunday are featuring the book on 14 July 2013 and the piece will include lots of pictures. Falling in Honey was published in March in paperback (£8.99 ISBN: 9781849532716) by Summersdale, and you can find out more on their website here. Here’s a nice video of Jen talking about the book – with some great shorts of sunny Greece – just the thing to cheer you up on a dreich Friday afternoon in the UK!

Have you discovered Dumb Ways to Die yet? This cheery little ditty was originally part of a public service campaign to promote rail safety by Metro trains in Australia – devised by McCann advertising agency who aimed to engage an audience that really didn't want to hear any kind of safety message. Within two weeks it had generated at least $50 million worth of global media value in addition to more than a thousand media stories and contributed to a more than 30% reduction in "near-miss" accidents. And now of course it has had gazillions of downloads of the ensuing video, app and game! It’s cute, it’s funny, it’s clever and you can watch it on YouTube below! 

This blog is read weekly by over 600 booksellers, publishers and publicists. If you would like to order any of the titles mentioned, then please click here to go to the Compass New Titles Website or talk to your Compass Sales representative.

That’s all for now folks, more next week!

Compass Points 45

Your weekly round up of publishing news, publicity information and trivia!

“Is the great British Dandy an endangered species? “ The Independent asked this week. What do you think – do you have one strutting around your bookshop as we speak – resplendent in his floral waistcoat and velvet jacket? A new book – The Dandy: Peacock or Enigma? by Nigel Rodgers – discusses this very question. You can read the Independent article here and there was also a great piece on the book in last week’s Daily Mail asking “Would you dare to be a Dandy?” This new hardback will intrigue and entertain the general reader as well as those fascinated by history and fashion and is an intriguing look at history through the lives of extraordinary men. The ‘Dandy’ is not just the well or even eccentrically dressed male – nor is he an exclusively English phenomenon. He is much more. Dandies hold a notable place in history. Not because they have made any major contribution to politics, economics or warfare, but because they were, and continue, to be figures of huge cultural significance – iconic and yet enigmatic. The Dandy – Peacock or Enigma? is an entertaining and erudite look at the elusive qualities that have made the Dandy so remarkable. Perhaps the best-known is Beau Brummell, acknowledged as the very first Dandy. What made him memorable was an odd mixture of qualities – wit, savour-vivre and independence as well as elegance. The book is out now from Bene Factum, and is priced at £25. It would make a very good gift for that difficult to buy for uncle or father – as well as anyone interested in style and fashion.  The big pieces in the Independent and Mail are sure to have created interest and you can order it here.

Competitive authors Titus Jensen and Eddie X are racing against each other to write the best-selling book of all time – but to what lengths will they go to outdo each other…? Welcome to The Best Book in the World – funny, gripping and a little bit crazy! This is a wonderfully quirky and hilarious novel in a similar vein from Hesperus: the publisher who brought you The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared. It is already a big bestseller in Sweden – and is published in the UK in September. It’s by Peter Stjernström, and has been described as “Spot on satire” and “Insanely funny and easy to read”. We have ten proof copies to give out – who want to be first to read the next big thing?! The first ten booksellers to send their details to pat@compass-dsa.co.uk will get one!

There’s no doubt that the historical novel is definitely having a bit of a moment. After Flodden by Rosemary Goring  from Polygon is an unputdownable story of political intrigue and romance set in the 16th century which will appeal to fans of Philippa Gregory, Rose Tremain and Hilary Mantel. It is a novel about the consequences of the Battle of Flodden (which this year has its 500th anniversary) as seen through the eyes of several characters who either had a hand in bringing the country to war, or were profoundly affected by the outcome. There have been very few novels about Flodden, despite its significance, and none from this perspective. It’s a racy adventure, combining political intrigue and romance, and is vivid evocation of a violent, pitiless era – a modern take on the lyrical and harsh border ballads of old. The author is an extremely well-know and respected journalist and there will be widespread reviews and features including the Daily Express (5.7.13) and a radio interview on BBC Culture Show (25.6.13). Andrew Miller, Costa-winning author of Pure called it “A well-told tale of a violent time; fast-moving and packed with incident.”

Order After Flodden here

Coming in August is Game of Battleships: the fourth instalment of The Chronicles of Isambard Smith by Toby Frost. This series is definitely gaining momentum, and Smith and his erudite alien sidekick, Suruk the Slayer are enjoying cult celebrity status among a growing and dedicated army of readers. The three previously published three titles were re-released with new jackets and are selling well and there are lots of fans out there eagerly waiting for this new title! Game of Battleships is set in the 25th Century when the actions of one man could save the British Space Empire, or leave Earth at the mercy of deadly legions of ant-people. Smith finds himself in hot pursuit of a mysterious vessel that can pass through dimensions, incurring the wrath of the dreaded Grand Witchfinder of New Eden –which would be so much easier if his pilot wasn’t cowering under the dashboard and his ship wasn’t infested with man-eating toads. Meanwhile, the Empire is gathering its allies to form a united front against alien tyranny. Unfortunately, the delicate negotiations have been entrusted to Major Wainscott, a man who knows no fear and very little about diplomacy or trousers. Once again, Captain Smith must summon all his courage to unite humanity behind the Empire. If this is the sort of stuff you love then you can find out more on www.spacecaptainsmith.com and on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and there will be plenty of reviews on the specialist mags and online forums. Order Game of Battleships here

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk’s mum they’d send her mother to jail. So seventeen year old Beth protects her mum at all costs. Until the day she can’t. Suddenly sent to live with her uncle in a small town Beth’s now stuck with an aunt who doesn’t want her, and at a school that doesn’t get her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn’t go anywhere near a girl like Beth. . . . Ryan Stone is gorgeous, a popular jock and the town golden boy – with secrets he can’t tell anyone. Even his friends. As Ryan and Beth dare to let each other in, they’re treading on dangerous ground – and the consequences could change their worlds forever. Cor – sounds pretty gritty, steamy and dreamy – and even if this young adult stuff is not for you , there are plenty of teens out there who love it. Dare You To by Katie McGarry is just out from Mira Ink and is edgy, unique and deeply affecting. If you need more convincing, then watch this short trailer on YouTube here. Katie’s debut novel Pushing the Limits has sold over 42,000 eBooks to date so there’s no doubt she has plenty of fans. The teen magazines went crazy for the first book, calling it “The love story of the year” (Teen Now) “A real page-turner” (Mizz) and “A romance with a difference” (Bliss).

Order Dare You To here

And lastly – Compass Points has now been going for over a year! Yay – as they young folk say – and Happy Birthday! If you looked back at the very first Compass Points you’d see that we were hyping up a forthcoming book by an unknown Swedish author – which of course then went on to sell gazillions of copies – that book being of course The Hundred Year Old Man who Jumped Out of a Window and Disappeared! See what happens when books get mentioned in Compass Points! And the very first featured video was the fabulous Julian Smith – always good to watch again, which you can do below!

  

This blog is read weekly by over 600 booksellers, publishers and publicists. If you would like to order any of the titles mentioned, then please click here to go to the Compass New Titles Website or talk to your Compass Sales representative.

That’s all for now folks, more next week!

Compass Points 44

Your weekly round up of publishing news, publicity information and trivia!

Oooh – it’s always very exciting when publishers produce a cinema advert for one of their books – and this week we have one such event to tell you about! A trailer for the colourful thriller Lucknow Ransom by Glenn Peters is going to hit cinema screens in July to coincide with the publication of this evocative paperback. You can watch this trailer for Lucknow Ransom here on You Tube. With a cast of fascinating characters and an immersive sense of the sights, sounds, smells and especially the tastes of 1960s India, this novel by is inspired by Glen Peters’ youth in the dwindling Anglo-Indian community, no longer at home in the newly independent nation, and gives a fascinating insight into their world. It is a witty, vivid tale of intrigue set in a hybrid culture on the verge of disappearing forever. The story begins with beautiful widow Joan D’Silva who is at Howrah Station, fleeing Calcutta with her 11-year-old son Errol. Also on the same train is Laxhimi, a notorious hijira prostitute: charismatic, sensual and powerful. They are both running away to Lucknow to escape danger, but soon their lives will become entangled in a web of corruption and blackmail. Who is responsible for the poisoning at the factory? Is it the Workers Revolutionary Movement, the Children of God under the sway of the charismatic SwamiNaik, or someone else entirely? If only the police could help. But Detective Inspector Mallothra has based his investigative style on Mickey Spillane novels so it’s down to Joan, her hijira friends, and of course Errol, to unmask the perpetrator. This is the second title in Glen’s series of Mrs D’Silva novels. Book Quarterly said of the first title (Mrs D’Silva and the Shaitan of Calcutta) “This novel wonderfully evokes time and place, and gives a sense of the betrayal and loss that change can cause.” You can find out more and order Lucknow Ransom which is published by Parthian Books here

Comedian, mod and professional grump Ian Moore has had enough. Tired of being unable to park anywhere near his cramped house in a noisy town he doesn’t like, he hatches a plan to move his wife and young son to a remote corner of the Loire Valley in search of serenity and space. Several years later, Ian finds himself up to his neck in bilingual offspring, feral cats, promiscuous horses, dysfunctional spaniels and needy hens; he’s wrestling with electric fences, a foreign language, a mountain of animal waste and a wife who collects livestock like there’s a biblical flood on the horizon, all while trying not to dirty his loafers. But despite the ups, downs and increasing demands of Ian’s showbiz career, the Moore family persevere in true Brit style to create a unique, colourful and ultimately rewarding life in their new home. À la Mod: My So-Called Tranquil Family Life in Rural France (published by Summersdale) is a unique take on the `new home in France’ narrative, including insights into the life of a comedian, as well as the ins and outs of country living. The public seems to have an almost insatiable desire to read stories of those who upped sticks and left Britain to start a new life – and this book will thoroughly appeal to all those dreaming of chucking it all in and beginning again. The author is a professional comedian with an established public profile and big online presence, with his own website and a blog which you can read at www.ianmoore.info. There is quite a bit of publicity for this book in the various property magazines as well as lots of local press as well! And this week Ian Moore was once again a pundit on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Fighting Talk. Find out more and order A La Mod here

OK, from bucolic France, to something rather darker. All the Little Guns Went Bang Bang Bang is a blackly comic tale of two eleven year-old psychopaths who go on a murderous rampage in their small Northern Irish town. This brilliant debut novel by award-winning journalist Neil Mackay is utterly gripping, shocking, often moving high quality literary fiction which will appeal to fans of Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman, The Butcher Boy by Patrick McCabe, Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre and We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver. Neil MacKay has meticulously researched the causes of violence in children and through his blackly comic and often visceral prose; he not only demonstrates his deep understanding for his subject but also an extraordinary empathy for children damaged by society’s neglect. A veteran of twenty years of reporting on children who kill, as well as many of the biggest stories during The Troubles in Northern Ireland; Neil Mackay has created a shocking, pitch black debut novel. It has just been published by Freight, and as you might expect, there has been a lot of press attention! In the last few days we’ve had great review on BBC Radio Scotland where Janice Forsyth said "I read it from start to finish in one go. I couldn't put it down... You really believe in these children. It's exquisitely written." And there’s also been a big feature and four star review in The Skinny who wrote “You won’t forget this pair in a hurry... their games and stories have a dark, violent inevitability that Mackay portrays with an assured touch” Coming up is a double page feature and extract in the Herald this Saturday and big reviews in the Observer and New Statesman to come. This is a very newsworthy topic – so there’s sure to be more.

You can order All the Little Guns went Bang Bang Bang here

Who’s going to see the new Superman film tonight? And while we’re on the subject – which superhero is the most super – who’s your favourite? Let’s have a look at one of the Epic Rap Battles of History to see two of them fight it out… watch Batman vs Sherlock below! 

This newsletter is sent weekly to over 600 booksellers, publishers and publicists. If you would like to order any of the titles mentioned, then please click here to go to the Compass New Titles Website or talk to your Compass Sales representative.

That’s all for now folks, more next week!

Compass Points 43

Your weekly round up of publishing news, publicity information and trivia!

Good afternoon! Compass Points is back this week after a short holiday – I do hope that anyone else who had a little break enjoyed it!

  

Well – it’s always good to see one of our books mentioned on prime time TV in front of millions of viewers – and such a moment occurred on Wednesday evening when Dara O’Briain suggested that the latest candidate on The Apprentice to be booted out by Lord Sugar might enjoy reading The Buffer’s Guide to Wine! What a great plug for this book – and indeed the whole Bluffer’s Guide series. There are three more must-have guides coming in August –  where you can find out all the information you will ever need on Football, Opera and Rock Music – and all without having sit through Match of the Day, Wagner’s  Ring Cycle or a Stone Roses concert – what a result!

The Bluffer's Guide to Football

The Bluffer's Guide to Opera

The Bluffer's Guide to Rock Music

Big summer blockbuster films – love them or hate them – the season is definitely upon us. One of the biggest is going to be The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. This is the first instalment of a movie franchise based on the multi-million-selling series of supernaturally-themed Young Adult books. Have a little watch of the trailer below – even if you are not a fan of this particular genre, I defy you not to jump about 10 feet up in the air at one point! One thing is for sure – it is about to make a mega star out of the male lead - Jamie Campbell Bower. This young chap already has a big fan base with the laydeez after vamping it up and casting spells in the Twilight and Harry Potter franchises; and he is now poised to become a household name. So – what a bit of luck that coming in July is The Jamie Campbell Bower Album from Plexus. Filled with facts and trivia, this full colour paperback reveals all about the young actor’s formative years at an English boarding school and early forays into youth theatre; his first major role opposite Johnny Depp in Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd; his short-lived engagement to Harry Potter co-star Bonnie Wright, and subsequent romance with Mortal Instruments leading lady Lily Collins. Also covered is his bohemian personal style; his life as front man of indie-rock band the Darling Buds; his experiences shooting and promoting the Twilight films, and his on-set adventures everywhere from Ireland to Canada to Africa. Illustrated throughout with full-colour photos, this visual biography tells you everything there is to know about Jamie – from his least favourite thing about working on Breaking Dawn to the one item of clothing he’ll never leave the house without – and why he’s about to hit the big time. This book is £12.99, make sure it’s well displayed – you know you’ll sell loads to all those swooning teens!

Order The Jamie Campbell Bower Album here

Now – another topic that provokes a love/hate reaction: footie. I actually thought the football season was over; but no – it still seems to be going on and on … and on. One man certainly much in the news recently is Sir Alex Ferguson – who co-incidentally has written the foreword to a major new biography of Denis Law – King and Country. Sir Alex says “He was the finest player that Scotland has ever produced and one of the greatest the world has ever seen. He was my idol as a player.”  Top praise indeed. If you are not familiar with the legendary goal scoring brilliance of Denis Law, then have a quick watch of a short YouTube film below.  In this unique portrait; the first book solely devoted to Denis Law’s illustrious international career; Alex Gordon interviews a vast array of former teammates such as John Grieg and international opponents such as Gordon Banks, George Best and Bobby Charlton. Denis Law was the showman supreme. He was more than a mere goal scorer whose cavalier thrusts and menacing darts brought panic to opposing defences. Law was an inspiration to those around him at club and country level and to younger generations of fans everywhere. Team-mates adored him, opponents feared him, fans revered him. He was a free spirit, an extrovert, a complete one-off, a rare combination of impudence and intelligence, class and clout. Denis Law is, was and always will be The King. He is undoubtedly one of football’s favourite sons and there will be a big market for this book from Man Utd fans, Scottish fans – in fact all footie fans in general! It is published by Arena Sport in August.

Order Denis Law King and Country here

 Now – click here is the instantly recognizable trailer for a film that has become one of the most talked about of a generation. 

It still looks totally modern, so it is very hard to believe that it is in fact 20 years since Trainspotting burst into the world. It has now sold over one million copies in the UK alone, has been translated into thirty languages, was long listed for the 1993 Booker Prize, was number 10 in Waterstone’s Top 100 Books of the Twentieth Century,  tenth in the BFI’s 100 Best British Films and voted Best Scottish Film of All Time. Lust for Life: The Trainspotting Phenomenon by Neil Munro is published to coincide with the novel’s twentieth anniversary, has been officially approved by Irvine Welsh and contains rare, unseen photographs.  The book takes us back to the mid-1980s, when Irvine Welsh’s life was going nowhere fast. His teenage dreams of being a footballer or a rock star were over, and he was stuck in a series of white-collar jobs which he loathed. With the last throw of the dice, he started to write. In 1993 his debut novel – which centred on the desperate day-to-day struggles of a group of Edinburgh junkies – was published. Even Irvine’s publisher, Secker &Warburg, didn’t hold out much hope. Only 1,000 copies were printed and the word was that Irvine might become a cult author. But, as the rave reviews increased, the book rapidly achieved global success. It was followed, in 1996, by Danny Boyle’s raw, high-energy film, which received worldwide critical acclaim and launched the careers of several young Scots actors such as Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner and Kelly Macdonald. So, how did an unknown Edinburgh writer pen this extraordinary story?  Lust for Life: The Trainspotting Phenomenon is published by Birlinn in August at £12.99.

Order Lust for Life here

As sunshine and warm weather finally seems to have hit the UK; it’s hard to imagine what it would be like to be in one of the coldest and most desolate places on earth – Antarctica. What would it feel like to be out there alone in that empty vastness?  Only three people in the world have crossed Antarctica alone. The first two were men and both Norwegian. At the age of 34, British woman Felicity Aston became the third – and unlike her predecessors, she didn’t use kites or parasails to assist her. Alone in Antarctica is a gripping and inspirational account of personal endurance shows what you can achieve when you grit your teeth and decide just to get through today in one piece. Felicity Aston has spent over a decade travelling, working and living all over the Polar Regions. In 2009 she led the first international team of women ever to ski to the South Pole; which became the subject of her first book, Call of the White. Outside Magazine, the leading adventure-travel magazine in the US, named her one of their 2012 Adventurers of the Year and Felicity’s achievement was reported around the globe: the volume and breadth of media interest indicates the human interest value of the story. During the 59-day journey, Felicity was able to send text messages, and her openness and humour earned her a following of 10,000 people on Twitter, with more than 130,000 listening to her ‘phonecasts’. Alone in Antarctica is a unique account of an adventurer’s emotional and psychological journey and with the approaching centenary of Shackleton’s ‘Endurance’ expedition in 2014; this is an ideal time for a fresh, modern perspective on Antarctic exploration for a new generation. You can find out more about Felicity on her website www.felicityaston.co.uk and you can order Alone in Antarctica here.

“Amazon: the destroyer of bookshops”? Strong words – and they’re not mine but those of the France’s Culture Minister Aurélie Filippetti. Her attack coincided with her announcement of a €9m joint plan with French publishers to support independent booksellers. Her ideas make interesting reading – and you can find out all about it in an article in this week’s Telegraph here.

And finally – if you’re looking for some new display ideas for your bookshop; then have a look here for 35 suggestions as to what to do with all those books!

This newsletter is sent weekly to over 600 booksellers, publishers and publicists. If you would like to order any of the titles mentioned, then please click here to go to the Compass New Titles Website or talk to your Compass Sales representative.

That’s all for now folks, more next week!