There’s no doubt that most of us would dearly love to
escape from this somewhat dreary January, so why not take a journey into the
Venezuelan rainforest via a stunning new voice in Latin American fiction; Miguel Bonnefoy? You can read an extract of Octavio's Journey (£7.99,
pb, 978 1910477311) here
which has sold more than 25,000 copies in France. The gorgeously vibrant cover
alone is enough to warm you up; Le Figaro called it “magnificent”,
it was shortlisted for the Goncourt First Novel
Award, and this short but epic fable is both a hymn to Venezuela and
the magical story of an extraordinary hero. It’s published by Gallic in
March.
The Old King in His Exile by Arno Geiger (pb, 978 1908276889, £8.99) is already getting some
excellent review coverage – it was published on Thursday by And Other
Stories. The Times Literary Supplement said “The Old King in His
Exile balances the poetic, the military and the idea of performance. There is a
lathe-like precision to Geiger’s writing, all straight lines and pared
exactitudes . . . poignantly rendered.” It was featured in the Sunday
Express Magazine yesterday and there will also be a piece in the Financial
Times on 21 January and it will be reviewed on BBC Radio 4’s Midweek
on 25 January. Translated into nearly 30 languages; The
Old King in His Exile will offer solace and insight to anyone coping
with a loved one's aging. In it, the author sets out on a journey to get to
know his father; never an easy man, and when he developed Alzheimer's, Arno
realised he was not going to ask for help. Born in 1926 in the Austrian Alps,
into a farming family who had an orchard, kept three cows, and made schnapps in
the cellar, his father was conscripted into World War II as a 'schoolboy
soldier' - an experience he rarely spoke about, though it marked him. Striking
up a new friendship, Arno walks with him in the village and the landscape they
both grew up in and listens to his words, which are often full of unexpected
poetry. Through his intelligent, moving and often funny account, we begin to
see that whatever happens in old age, a human being retains their past and
their character.
Pakistan is proud of its culinary heritage and its dishes
are becoming increasingly popular. The Food and
Cooking of Pakistan (hb, 978
0754832393, £14.99) has just been published by Lorenz – and as you’d
expect from this publisher, the production quality is very high, with beautiful
full colour spreads on every page, easy to follow photographed instructions as
well as sumptuous pics of all the mouth-watering classics included in this
collection of 85 recipes by expert Shehzad Husain.
Traditionally based on ancient Mughlai recipes, modern Pakistani cooking
embraces the ingredients and techniques of nearby countries, creating richer,
more elaborate food that is often referred to in the West as being Lahori or
Peshawari. Delectable biryanis, nehari, haleem, kebabs, gol gappay …
as one reviewer said “Great to see a new book from Shehzad Husain after a
long time. As with her previous books the recipes are super easy to follow and
the images are top quality. We get a background into what Pakistani cuisine is
and … the illustrations are beautiful, I love the fact the paper is glossy so
you can get a real feel to the food, the photography is really sharp and a lot
of the focus is on the food.” There was an interview with Shehzad Husain in this Saturday’s (14th January)
issue of Waitrose Weekend and also an extract feature in the Independent
online and there will be more PR to come for this gorgeous book – there is
nothing comparable in the market.
Big congrats to Urbane author Tom Hocknell who
has been selected as one of the "diverse and original" authors
with his debut novel The Life Assistance Agency (pb, £8.99, 978 1911129035) in the WH Smith Fresh Talent Promotion which launched on Thursday. It will
run until 30th March across W H Smith
Travel's key locations at airports in Heathrow, Gatwick and
Manchester and train stations in Victoria, Liverpool Street, Paddington and
Euston. You can see all 12 titles here. The
selection, which "encourages readers to take a risk on a new
author”, described Hocknell's book as "a welcome inclusion to
the list" and a "vivid tale with a wry wit and sharp
eye".
“I was so immersed in this utterly bonkers reading experience
I greedily devoured it in one sitting. There's a cracking turn of events and
it's walloped in some brilliant one liners too. Undoubtedly, considerable
attention has been paid to merging the past and the present which are brought
alive by the frantic finesse of mystic mayhem, and a constant stream of
curiosity that I found impossible to ignore. Unquestionably quirky. Brilliantly
barmy. Absolutely recommended.” said the Little Bookness Lane Blog.
WH Smith isn’t the only place where this will sell – order it for your
shop too!
Years of watching The Apprentice means we all think
we’re marketing experts now, and publishers and agents sometimes do talk of
authors in term of “brands”. But what exactly does that mean, and does author
branding really help books to sell? Have a look here at
this interesting piece on author branding from The Book Machine and see
if you agree,
Lots of bloggers have been getting very excited about Vintage Secrets: Hollywood Beauty by Laura Slater (978
0859655088, pb, £14.99) which is published by Plexus; and I’m not
surprised – the retro styling it espouses is bang on trend at the moment and
this stylish guide is filled with glam pics and top tips.
Talking of the styling in the blockbuster Hollywood films
– here is
an entertaining collection of costume and make up errors that have occurred in
some of the very biggest!
Congratulations to Freight, whose wonderful and wry
short story collection Treats by Lara Williams (pb, £8.99, 978 1910449707) which
has been chosen for the inaugural shortlist of eight titles for The Republic of Consciousness prize; designed
to reward “brave, bold and brilliant” literature from small presses. You
can find out more and see the whole shortlist in the Guardian here.
More publicity this week for the excellent Can I Tell You About Gender Diversity? with a much
more measured article in the Guardian that you can read here
where the book’s author CJ Atkinson
calls the fury over the book from the Mail on Sunday and Tory grandees a
“trans-panic” adding: “This mud-slinging has to stop. It causes
active harm. When you have a group of transgender young people, one in two will
consider suicide, one in three will attempt it.” Can I Tell You About Gender Diversity? (pb, £8.99, 978
1785921056) has just been published by Jessica Kingsley.
This is very beautiful and atmospheric; a short 5 minute film celebrating
the poetry of Paul Celan whose poetry is
published by Carcanet – you can find out more about him here. Paul Celan (1920–1970) is among the most important
German-language poets of the century, and, in George Steiner’s words, “almost
certainly the major European poet of the period after 1945.” He was born
Paul Antschel into a Jewish family in Bukovina, a German enclave in Romania
which was destroyed by the Nazis. His parents were taken to a concentration
camp in 1942, and did not return; Celan managed to escape deportation and after
settling in Paris in 1948, he gained widespread recognition as a poet with the
publication of his first collection of poems in German in 1952.
Lots in the papers this January about The Bad Boys of Brexit by
Arron Banks (978
1785901829) from Biteback. Arron Banks enjoyed a life of happy anonymity flogging car
insurance in Bristol until he dipped his toes into the shark-infested waters of
politics - and decided to plunge right in! Charging into battle for Brexit, he
couldn't believe how Westminster types behaved, and resolved to fight for the
country's future his own way. Have a look first at this great piece on The
Guardian, Politics Blog entitled Thirty Things You Didn’t
Know About the Referendum and the book is also featured in Reuters, the
Daily
Express, The
Guardian the Telegraph , Vanity
Fair
and The Economist.
And finally – who’s seen La La Land? Here's a
trailer to whet your appetite – and whatever you do, don’t forget to stock up
on truckloads of 100 Reasons to Love Ryan Gosling
by Joanna Benecke
(pb, £12.99, 978 0859655019) from Plexus – which I can guarantee
will fly off your shelves as effortlessly as Ryan and Emma Stone fly around in
the film! Packed with trivia, jokes, and over 100 full-colour photos that
graphically illustrate his physical perfection, 100
Reasons to Love Ryan Gosling provides
scientifically irrefutable evidence of exactly why Ryan is so damn loveable. Is
it because he takes his mom to film premieres? Plays in a hip indie band?
Carries his dog through airports? Breaks up street fights? Furthered the
feminist cause without even trying? Has no problem with nudity even when the
script doesn't strictly require it? It's all these things and more – just order
the damn book!
That’s all for now folks! More
next week!
This newsletter 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 talk to your Compass Sales Manager, or call the office
on 020 8326 5696.
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