Compass Points 18

Compass Points 18

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

Imagine you’re on a train. Think about all the other people on the train with you, what their lives are or have been, and the different experiences you've all had. But there is one more thing that you undoubtedly all share: you have all been in love at one time or another. Trains and Lovers, the new novel by bestselling author Alexander McCall Smith is a surprising and poignant story; four strangers meet on a journey from Edinburgh to London. Each has a tale of love and of railways: all very different experiences, but throughout them all runs a deep current of love. Sandy McCall Smith is a global phenomenon and the publicity plans for this book are mega – just to give you a taster: the Sky Book Show has interview broadcasting on 15 November; there is a BBC Radio 3 documentary; Classic FM, Radio 4, Radio Scotland, Radio 2, Radio 3 and BBC World Service also all have interviews. There will be features, interviews and articles in the Telegraph, the Guardian, Woman & Home, Sainsbury’s Christmas Magazine, the Times, the Herald, the Express and the Scotsman. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that Alexander McCall Smith’s readers are all of a certain age or type – his Facebook page now has over 23,000 fans. If you haven’t tried his books I really urge you to give them a try – he will be doing a UK wide tour in October and November 2012, covering festivals, and bookshops from Brighton to Paisley!

Order Trains and Lovers here

And talking of trains and lovers – who cannot be reminded of the most famous trains and lovers story of all – click here to have a little watch and a weep at the last five minutes of this fabulous film.

Who’s doing a bit of a home decoration at the moment? Well, has it ever occurred to you that rather than going down to IKEA or B&Q and spending a fortune – you could simply find everything you need in a nearby skip, salvage yard or dump? Reclaiming Style by Adam Hills and Maria Speake, the partners behind architectural salvage and design business Retrouvius; combine their salvage work with one of the most sought-after interior design practices in Britain. The book takes you from the demolition site to the warehouse giving an insight into the process of designing with reclaimed materials. It’s getting a lot of publicity – there will be a big feature in the Telegraph Magazine tomorrow, and also prices in Country Life, Easy Living, Marie Clare, the Independent, Living Etc and Grand Designs Magazine.

Order Reclaiming Style here

F in Retakes by Richard Benson, which has just been published, continues to get some good publicity as rants about educational standards  are never far away from the front pages of the “things ain’t what they used to be” harrumphing of the broadsheets and tabloids.  The Daily Mail ran a great piece this week, entitled Education Secretary Michael Gove may have a bigger task on his hands than he thought, if these genuine examples from exam papers are anything to go by! which you can look at  here to enjoy some more classroom clangers!

Click here to order the book

Are you in the mood for a bit of online shopping – but wants something a bit different from ASOS or Amazon? Click here to go to SupermarketSarah.com which is a really fun website; it features different “walls” – all decorated with cool stuff where you can just click on anything you like the look of to buy it – careful, it can become a bit addictive! The site’s become a real platform for young talent and has been featured in a wide range of media, including the Guardian, Evening Standard, Sunday Times Style, British Vogue, Elle and the BBC News. And now Supermarket Sarah has a book out too!  She has travelled the globe, offering up inspiration and variety as she illustrates novel ways in which people use their own walls to display themselves and their “treasures.” She visits the homes and studios of designers and collectors, viewing the displays of minimalists and hoarders. The walls range from the quirky to the romantic, from vintage to brand new. They are all revealing, amusing and thought-provoking – Supermarket Sarah is becoming a bit of a sensation – so don’t let your customers miss out on this fast growing trend!

Order the book - which is called Wonder Walls - here

And now let’s go back in time see what the Norwegians make of our ongoing eBooks versus real books debate…

Watch The Medieval Helpdesk here!

This newsletter is sent weekly to over 550 booksellers. If you would like to order any of the titles mentioned, then please click here to go to the Compass New Titles Website.