Fantastic
publicity this week for Bristol
University Press author and one of Britain's most respected economists Simon Wren-Lewis;
when Theresa May was caught lying about him in parliament! The PM misquoted Wren-Lewis who wrote a chapter in John McDonnell's new book which
she was waving about and criticising. He then took her to task on Twitter which
created a buzz and then wrote an article for the New Statesman How
Theresa May Lied About My Views on Economic Policy which references his own
forthcoming book The Lies We Were Told. The story has now been covered by the Mirror
and the BBC. The Lies We Were Told: Politics, Economics,
Austerity and Brexit (£14.99, pb, 978
1529202137) presents some of Wren-Lewis’s most important work, telling the
story of how the damaging political and economic events of recent years became
inevitable. His widely-read blog Mainly
Macro has been a highly influential resource for policymakers, academics
and social commentators around the world, and this new title should sell very
well – especially given Theresa’s help with promotion!
Great
to hear historian Robert Grenville, the author of Amber’s Haunted Places (£19.99, hb, 978 1782745211) interviewed this week as
part of a Halloween special on BBC Radio
London. Five minutes of fascinating chat about the book! There was also a spooktacular
feature on the title in the Mail Online
which you can see here
headlined Bone-chilling images of the
world's most haunted places – this piece has had 1.8K shares which is terrific
promotion for this title! Have a look at
all the atmospheric pictures – they really are very evocative and frightening!
I
hope Halloween was good for you and your bookshop! If you enjoy the witching
season, then you will probably like these
- twenty five creative Halloween
costumes all inspired by books!
Big
congratulations to Lost Lives, New Voices: Unlocking the Stories of the Scottish
Soldiers at the Battle of Dunbar 1650
(£20, pb, 978 1785708473) which has just won Best Archaeological Book at the British
Archaeology Awards. You can also watch the video presentation from
the day here. This Oxbow title has had some superb reviews
– the Hexham Historical Society called
it a “fascinating reconstruction of lost
lives which does indeed give new voice to the potential of the human spirit to
transcend hardship, war, and banishment overseas.” and Medieval Archaeology said “this
important book fills a substantial scholarly gap.”
Self-healing
is a fast-growing trend, and for those confused about where to start, The Practical Encyclopaedia
of Self-Healing: A Mindful Approach to Holistic Fitness by Raje Airey and Jessica Houdret (£20, hb, 978 0754831525), published by Lorenz is ideal. This wide-ranging
guide to complementary healthcare is split into easy-to-follow sections, and
details all kinds of natural treatments and approaches for body and mind. Specific
treatments give fast, effective remedies for colds, allergies, muscular pain,
fatigue, depression and more. And over two thousand photographs and
illustrations show alternative healing in action, and will help you to achieve
optimum health and vitality in simple steps. It’s just had a great review from AHA Quarterly which says “Of course, I like this book! I always like
Houdret’s work. … a beautiful presentation that displays gorgeous photography…
offers a complete healing package… easily accessible to the reader.”
Want
to hear about the day Michael Winner left the queen standing in the rain? Or what
happened when Muhammad Ali went AWOL Or what it was like to be a guest at Joan
Collins' Dynasty-style wedding? It’s all here
in the fabulous Daily Mail two-page
serialisation from Jeremy Robson’s publishing autobiography, Undercover
(978 1785904097, £25, hb). Great stuff!
A
terrific review in the Irish Literary Times
here
for Dermot
Bolger's new novel, An Ark of Light (£12.99,
pb, 978 1848406971) “a tale of marriage,
the Big House and happiness” which has just been published by New Island. Calling it “expansive and empathetic” the review ends;
“this meshing of fiction and biography
adds a new and distinctive layer to what is in essence a homage to a life lived
fully. An Ark of
Light is an act of appropriation – of
a female voice, experience, and sensibility – offered to the reader in a form
that is as moving as it is distinctive and respectful.” An Ark of Light is a devastating portrayal of a mother’s anxiety for
her gay son in a world where homosexuality is illegal and explores a terse
relationship between a mother and daughter with nothing in common beyond love.
Remarkably affecting and gorgeously rendered, this is a towering achievement by
one of Ireland’s best-loved authors.
We’re
delighted that the Annual Rylands
Reading with Marilyn Hacker on 22 November has been featured in the Top Picks Literature Guide on CreativeTourist.com – you can read that piece
here.
The annual Rylands Poetry Reading
is a very grand affair, not just for attracting a literati audience but also
for its backdrop: the cathedral-esque surrounds of the John Rylands Library’s
Historic Reading Room. The prestigious programme of readings is run in
conjunction with the University of Manchester’s Centre for New Writing and every
year features a prestigious poet published by Carcanet. Marilyn Hacker has
published twelve books of narrative poems, lyrics and elegies; she is witty,
angry, traditional and experimental. Her new volume, Blazons: New and Selected Poems (£14.99, pb, 978 1784107154) will be published by Carcanet in March 2019.
What’s
it really like being a writer? Social media – of course – has the answer. Here are twenty-five of the best tweets on the
subject – from “Being a writer is just constantly googling synonyms” to “Me:
*writes for hours* Me: THAT MUST HAVE BEEN SO MANY WORDS. At least half a
million. Okay, okay, let's be realistic, it's probably only like ten thousand. Word
count: 247 words.”
Bestselling
author Chris
Lewis and superstar megatrends
analyst Dr Pippa
Malmgren were interviewed live on Sky News this week, talking about their
new book The
Leadership Lab (pb, £14.99, 978 0749483432),
which has just been published by Kogan Page.
Covering everything from how to build a new type of leadership trust when other
spheres of public power have been overturned, to robots overtaking companies
and worldwide indebtedness affecting business, this book explains not only why
the old rules no longer apply, but also how to blaze a trail in this new world
order and be the best leader you can be.
The Truth
Waits (£8.99,
pb, 978 1787198012) by Susanna Beard, has just been published by Legend, and is off on a month-long blog
tour including: Mad on Reading, Buttercup
Review, Crime Reads and Coffee, Quirky Bookwork Always, Great Reads and Tea
Leaves, Anne Bonny Book Reviews, Book in the Bag, Donna’s Book Blogs, Robin
Loves Reading, Read Along with Sue, Rich Reviews, My Bookish Blogspot, Amy’s
Bookshelf, Cennins Book Reviews, Short Book and Scribes, B for Book Review,
Book Reviews for U, Orchard Book Club and Booking Good Read . The title was launched at The Marlow Bookshop this week and there’s also an event coming up at
Daunts in Holland Park on 8th
November. There have been interviews with Susanna on BBC Berkshire and Marlow FM.
A recent review said of it “This novel bears all the hallmarks of a
great thriller. It not only deals with huge issues like greed, guilt, evil and
revenge, but with Anna’s deeply personal search for justice, reconciliation,
forgiveness and trust. Her journey takes her to the very limits of herself but,
at its heart, The Truth Waits is also a story about love in its best forms and
I defy anyone not to get swept up in it.”
I
think you will enjoy these
funny illustrations all about our love for books!
Quite
the social media buzz for Landscape Beneath the Waves, by Caroline Wickham-Jones (£29.95, pb, 978 1789250725) which has just been published
by Oxbow – with hundreds of likes
and shares for its post on Facebook. The study of the now submerged landscapes
that our ancestors knew represents one of the last barriers for archaeology and
only recently have advances in underwater technology reached the stage where a
wealth of procedures is available to explore this lost undersea world. This
volume considers the processes behind the rising (and falling) of relative
sea-levels and then presents the main techniques available using case studies projects
around the world. It is written for all archaeologists, whether they work on
land or at sea, and offers an easily accessible introduction to the exciting
realm of underwater archaeology.
Apparently
nearly half of Brits think we should be proud of our colonial heritage, and 43%
think the British Empire was a good thing. There’s a really thought-provoking article
here
on the reasons for that on Vice.com
which has been much commented on on social media! A good time to remind you about
two new titles: firstly, the Pluto book
Staying Power:
The History of Black People in Britain (pb, £16.99, 978-0745338309) which
is out now, and also Rule Britannia: Brexit and the End of Empire (hb, £12.99, 978 1785904530) by Danny Dorling and Sally Tomlinson
which is published by Biteback in
January. Both these brilliant books offer somewhat more nuanced views than
those you may find over on Twitter…
A
brilliant event coming up at Waterstone’s
Deansgate next Thursday for two Carcanet
authors: Claiming the Great Tradition:
Women Recalibrate the Classics. Chaired by Michael Schmidt, Jane Draycott will discuss her translation of the 14th-century poem
Pearl
(£8.99, pb, 978 1 784106 59 1) whose account of loss and consolation has
retained its force across six centuries, and Jenny Lewis will talk about Gilgamesh Retold (£12.99,
pb, 978 1 784106 14 0), and how she captures the powerful allure of the world’s
oldest poem giving it a fresh dynamic while creating a fast-paced narrative for
a new generation of readers. This sounds absolutely riveting and I’m sure it
will be super-popular!
An
excellent launch party in Cardiff recently for cricketer turned broadcaster Alan Wilkins’
book Easier Said
Than Done: A Life in Sport (£20, hb, 978
1902719610). “Good guy, fine sportsman
and the best TV sports presenter Wales has ever produced” said BBC presenter Phil Steele who hosted the
event, which included a question and answer session capturing highlights of Wilkins’
life and career. Alan was quite “bowled over” by the reaction as you can read here
on Expo Sport! Published by St David’s Press, Alan’s story is
written with great humility and humour, and should inspire anyone who has experienced
a set-back in life. As Clive Lloyd said “Alan
epitomises what sport is all about” and this super book would make the
perfect prezzie for any sports fan.
I
enjoyed Twenty Ways AI is Changing Our Lives,
here
on Expresso this morning. No
doubt at all that robots are clanking ever faster from the screens of science
fiction into our actual lives and Canbury Press has the perfect guide to our
robot future: Hallo
Robot: Meet Your New Workmate and Friend (978 1912454051, £14.99, pb).
It's illustrated, very readable and an ideal present for a techie teenager or a
curious adult.
This weekly blog is written
for the UK book trade. If you would like to order any of the titles mentioned,
then please talk to your Compass Sales Manager, or call the Compass office on
020 8326 5696. Every Friday an e-newsletter containing highlights from the blog
is sent out to over 700 booksellers – and if you’d like to receive this then
please contact nuala@compass-ips.london
thanks for sharing information....
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