Well, how was the eclipse for you this morning? Many
of us in London
Genuine excitement however comes this morning in the
form of the announcement from Gallic Books that they will be publishing
the next book by Muriel Barbery – author
of The Elegance of the Hedgehog. The Life of Elves (translated by Alison Anderson) has just been published in
France and will be published
in the UK UK Burgundy , and Clara, a
gifted pianist who moves from her village in Abruzzo to Rome
We love authors getting out on the road and doing
signing sessions – and boy can it help to shift those books. A mention this week
to David Rosenberg author of Rebel
Footprints: A Guide to Uncovering London’s Radical History (pb, 978
0745334097, 10.99) and also Nearly Reach the Sky: A
Farewell to Upton Park by Brian
Williams (pb, 978 1849548052, 12.99). Two very different titles – but
both with strong local interest, and both authors have recently been into the
Newham Bookshop for successful signing sessions.
Talk to your Compass
account manager if your want to fix up an author signing for your bookshop – or
you can email Nuala at Compass Towers
Rebel Footprints by David Rosenberg is published
this month by Pluto Press and you can find out more and order it
here.
Nearly Reach the Sky: A Farewell to
Upton Park by Brian Williams was published in February by
Robson Press and you can find out more and order it
here.
I hope today finds all of you in excellent health!
And if by any chance you aren’t, you’ll pop into hospital, and our superb NHS
will make you better right? Well, after reading Life
Blood by Gill Fyffe (pb, 978
1910449165, 12.99) published this month by Freight you might want to
think again on that one. This is the heart-breaking true story of one woman’s
fight for justice in the wake of one of the biggest medical scandals in the last
30 years. It is a shocking story of the consequences of medical malpractice and
a remarkable example of one woman fighting against the odds. In 1983 Gill Fyffe experienced a traumatic birth and a
medical blunder resulted in severe blood loss, requiring transfusion. Aware of
the spread of HIV, Gill was reluctant, but, with her life in danger, changed her
mind. Weeks later, Gill’s moods became irrational and she started to experience
blackouts. Many years later and she received word from the authorities they she
may have contracted hepatitis C during the transfusion. Treatment was prescribed
and after several years she is pronounced cured. However, the drug left Gill
with crippling side-effects. Her short-term memory is permanently damaged,
making her unfit for work, her eyes are now highly photosensitive and her skin
blisters in sunlight. Legal enquiries reveal that due to the delay in being told
of her infection through contaminated US UK
Book Festivals. Are they a) a right old jolly for
authors (who, let’s face it, don’t get out much) where they can meet their fans,
and eat and drink a lot at their publisher’s expense – and generally have a
grand old time or b) a professional and time-consuming engagements for which
writers should be paid accordingly. An interesting question methinks – and one
that is debated today in the Bookseller here.
The serialisation of Backstairs Billy: The Royal Life of William Tallon
by Tom Quinn (hb, £20, 978
1849547802) starts this Sunday in the Daily Mail – sure to attract
attention among royal watchers! You will
remember this is the highly entertaining new royal biography showing us the
royal family in a whole new light, through the eyes of one of its most extrovert
characters. William Tallon, who died in
2007, was a shopkeeper’s son from the Midlands
who worked for the Queen Mother for more than fifty years and became her most
trusted servant. Known as’ Backstairs
Billy’, he was charming, bitchy— and extremely promiscuous.
Outrageously funny, scandalous, sometimes shocking, but always fascinating, this
is the life story of one of the most original characters ever to have graced the
royal household. It is out this week from Robson Press and you can find out more and order it here
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The Last Pier by Roma
Tearne continues to garner terrific pre- publicity quotes. Jo
Brand recently wrote “The Last Pier is an intriguing book which absorbed
me right up to the final page. Beautifully written and difficult to stop
thinking about." And the quote on the front cover from Fay Weldon is
equally glowing. “Exquisitely
written… Once read, not easily forgotten”. The story behind this novel
coming from Hesperus Press in April is fascinating –
there was a big piece last week in the Independent on Sunday's Review all
about the inspiration for it and Roma’s current residency at the Imperial War
Museum Archives which you can read here. This focuses on a collection of long forgotten
historical photographs lying in the Imperial War
Museum Europe .
Roma is currently looking at them, and she will
take inspirations from her findings to create an on-line project called Wish
You Were Here (www.romatearne.co.uk) and ultimately an exhibition
which will be hosted at the museum. The link here with The Last Pier is that it was inspired by her
finding two bundles of photographs of the same family in different second-hand
shops. The photographs had names and dates scribbled on the back which helped
her conceive of her fictional family. And of course her book is set just before
the outbreak of the Second World War. Roma
Tearne will be up and down the country promoting The Last Pier – her first event is this Saturday
at the Essex Literary Festival and she’ll also be doing events at the
University of Winchester on 24th March, Blackwell's Oxford on 23rd
April, Chipping Campden Literary Festival on 6th May, Winchester
Writers' Festival on 20th June and The Aldeburgh Beach Lookout
Gallery on 24th October. The book will be on BBC Radio 4 Open Book on
9th April and there will also be reviews and features in the Independent,
the Times and the Telegraph.
The Last Pier is published by Hesperus on 10 April, and
you can find out more and order it here.
Now that spring is definitely in the air, don’t
forget about Still in Slippers: New Poems for Garden
Lovers by Liz Cowley (hb,
£9.99 978 1783340750) published in May (to-coincide with the Chelsea Flower
Show) by Gibson
Square
Congratulations to both Carcanet and
Biteback who are shortlisted as Independent Publisher of the Year in the
forthcoming Bookseller Industry
Awards – which will be announced at a ceremony on 11 May. You can see
all the award shortlists if you visit the awards website
here.
Heat Magazine is not a publication that features often in Compass
Points – but, today we see that George’s Grand
Tour is a new entry in Heatworld’s Top Five books!
Hurrah! George's Grand Tour by Caroline Vermalle (£8.99, pb, 978 1908313737) has
just been published by Gallic Books and is a poignant yet joyful tale of
how life can surprise us, at any age.
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If you haven’t got copies yet, have a look
here to read the first chapter – this is the story of
retired butcher George Nicoleau who sets on the greatest adventure of his life
when he and his neighbour Charles go on their long dreamed of road trip, driving
the 3500 kilometres that make up the Tour de France. Will the journey prove to
be everything he had hoped for? Wimbledon Books says it is “perfect
for fans of The Hundred-Year-Old Man who Climbed out of the Window and
Disappeared” and we couldn’t agree more!
And here are some of the week’s best
Tweets – remember you can see them all first hand by following us
@CompassIPS or click here
if you are a Twitter virgin!
'Is poetry a revolutionary act? I will
let you know the answer…'
*exciting news fanfare* Third Voice, the
chilling sequel to @WorldBookNight title Spring Tide, is published today!
Pluto
Press @PlutoPress ·
REBEL FOOTPRINTS is published today.
Very pleased to see it at #3 on the @Guardian_Bkshop bestseller list!
Thanks to everyone who has helped to
promote The Wedding Cake Tree as @ChocLituk book club read of the month. It is very much
appreciated xx
Thanks @NewhamBookshop 1 great shop + 2 great authors: @BrianWill26 and David Rosenberg @PlutoPress
= lots sold!
"You must stay drunk on #writing so reality cannot destroy you." Ray Bradbury
Is today's #Budget2015 one of the 101 Ways to Win an Election @BitebackPub? Great display - thanks @BlackwellEdin
Getting very engrossed by proof of For
Those Who Come After by @GaryRaymond_ from @parthianbooks in Oct - intriguing!
finished the peculiar life of a lonely
postman and wow. I have never read more beautiful 90 page
book.
To finish, a Friday riddle for
you…
That’s all for now
folks, more next week!
This blog is taken from a newsletter which is sent weekly to over 700
booksellers as well as 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
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