Did you take part in the Books are My Bag campaign this year? And did
you see an upsurge in your sales as a result? According to a report in today’s
Bookseller, which you can read here; book sales through shops
participating were up by 3.9% in the week of the campaign, with footfall up by
15%. The second annual BAMB campaign kicked off on Super Thursday (9th
October)—the day that 315 hardback titles were published, including major
Christmas contenders and many of you indies across the UK and Ireland took part
in this year along with chains Waterstones, W H Smith, Blackwell’s and Foyles. A
survey of Booksellers Association members reported that 61% of bookshop
customers were aware of the campaign this year and those shops running specific
events said their sales increased by an average of 19.5%. Peter Donaldson, owner
of Red Lion Books in Colchester , said
BAMB was a “great opportunity” to involve the community in a celebration
of books. He said: “We wrapped up proofs that publishers had given us and
invited customers to take a ‘lucky dip’ for free. We had a great response to
that, people came back afterwards to say they would never usually have chosen
that title but really enjoyed it.” Dame Gail Rebuck, Penguin Random House
chair and BAMB’s co-chair, said: “Last year Books Are My Bag was a campaign;
this year it’s a phenomenon . . . the bookshop remains a cultural destination
where the majority of book discovery takes place. In the UK
1 December is World Aids Awareness Day, an
opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their
support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. This
event usually gets plenty of media coverage – so don’t forget to stock Aids: Don’t Die of Prejudice (978 849547048,
£14.99, trade paperback) which was published this summer by Biteback. Its
author Norman Fowler was heavily involved
in setting up World Aids Day, and of course he was also the Government Health
Minister responsible for coordinating Britain Russia and the Ukraine to the United States , Fowler shows that the problem is
not limited to Africa , and that the threat
often lies closer to home than we might think. Norman Fowler joined the House of Lords in 2001.
He is the longest-serving British Health Secretary since the Second World War,
and has devoted much of his life to raising awareness about
HIV/AIDS.
Well, things certainly seem to be hotting up for Ed
Miliband; goodness knows what’s going to happen with David Cameron’s fight with
the EU – and do we really want Nigel Farage as our next Prime Minister??!
In the run-up to the most unpredictable election in a generation; Sex, Lies and the Ballot Box: Fifty Things You Need To Know
about British Elections seeks to explain some of the more surprising facts about Britain’s
politicians and voters. This book is accessible, lively and provocative. Topics
include: why people lie about voting; how being good looking can get you elected;
how emotions drive our voting, why people support non-existent legislation and
how dogs can reveal whether voters are racially prejudiced! The book is made up
of fifty chapters, each written by a leading expert in the field, for the
general reader. Each chapter focuses on a particular statistic or trend that,
whilst eye-catching in itself, also serves to illustrate a broader issue about
elections and voters. Sex, Lies and the Ballot Box:
Fifty Things You Need To Know about British Elections edited by
Philip Cowley and Robert Ford (pb, 978
1849547550, £15.99) has just been published by Biteback. It is
aimed at the large market of politically interested and curious general readers;
is genuinely fascinating and amusing – and has a terrific
cover!
Sounds good to me but has British politics really
changed that much over the years? Have a look here at the moment when the Prince of
Wales meets the prime minister in Blackadder to confirm that maybe
schoolboy humour has been part of our British political scene for quite some
time!
Beauty queen Miss Earth Australia
Have you heard of 5
Seconds of Summer? I expect the answer to this will depend on a) how
old you are b) which section of your bookshop you work in c) how much time you
spend on YouTube and d) whether you are a One Direction fan. Formed
in Sydney US and the
UK
And if you are totally unfamiliar with the oeuvre of
5 Seconds of Summer – then Compass Points
as always is here to help: here’s their hit single She Looks
So Perfect and here’s the latest one: Good
Girls.
Hmm, I wonder how many other bands have decided that
having a number in their name is a wacky funster thing to do? In fact it seems
to me that the number 5 is already somewhat over used! OK in order; first comes
1D who we’ve already mentioned, then I guess next would be U2,
Boyz 2 Men, Maroon 5, 5 Star, Take 5, Jackson
5, 5ive, S Club 7, 10CC, East 17, Heaven
17, UB40, Level 42, 50 Cent, The B52’s, Sham
69, Haircut 100, then we seem to reach a bit of a hiatus until we
get to 10,000 Maniacs! Any more
out there?
And finally, speaking as someone whose kids don’t
seem to care much about 1D or 5 Seconds of
Summer; but who do have the soundtrack to Frozen on a
permanent loop; I must admit I laughed a lot at this rendition of Love is
an Open Door.
That’s all for now
folks, more next week!
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