I read a thought-provoking article the other day in Stylist, on a crime writing prize judged by grande dame herself Ruth Rendell. What was fascinating to me were the trends that evolved from the entries. Firstly, many of the protagonists were red-haired (or flame-coloured, crimson, ruby, scarlet, auburn, burgundy – depending on the thesaurus to hand.) […]
Whilst some cover designs get replicated across editions worldwide (as in the case of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, which was sold in over 30 countries, most of which published their edition using the same cover image) every country tends to have its own style. So it’s always interesting to see how […]
Finf out if you were one of the two lucky winners!
Given the amount of time I spend trying to think of blog topics, I can’t believe I forgot National Poetry Day the other week. One of my favourite features was from The Guardian: a question and answer session entitled Poetry Prescriptions, where those writing in with the usual agony aunt complaints were prescribed some apt […]
It’s 5.30pm and I’ve probably only spent about one hour at my desk today – just long enough to have a quick scroll-down and speed-read of my always-bulging inbox, post our Today’s Pick (did you see? Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, By Jamie Ford has been shortlisted for the Book of the […]
A lot can change in a decade. Back in 2002 it’s fair to say that the Royals were at something of a low ebb: the Queen Mum had passed away and the interview process for their next National Treasure™ (a.k.a. Kate Middleton) had only just begun. The shiny, new, and optimistic Euro was in the […]
Celebrate the Thames Balley Festival of History by joining novelists D E Meredith, Essie Fox and Lynn Shepherd at Windsor Guild Hall as they talk about murder and mystery and their passion for the Victorian era on Tuesday 13th November, 7.30pm.
Wednesday 12th December, 7.00pm – 8.00pm, £2, TEDDINGTON LIBRARY Come and meet, crime writer D E Meredith who will be giving a fascinating talk entitled Blood, Butterflies and Beasts about 19th Century science, forensics, evolution and the Victorian imagination! It all ties in with her novel Devoured, the first book in a brand new crime […]
Come and meet debut novelist D E Meredith, who will be talking about Devoured, the first book in a brand new Victorian crime series set in London at the dawn of forensic science at Kew Library on Tuesday 4 December, 6.30pm.
Come and enjoy a coffee morning with author Catherine Law who will be talking about and signing copies of her new book The September Garden, at Chesham Library on Wednesday 12th December, 10.00 am.
Autumn has come around so quickly this year – it seems incredible that we’re already in October. And with the recent heavy downpours, storms and flood warnings, it doesn’t look like we’re going to get that Indian summer everyone’s been hoping for. But don’t worry – particularly if you’re in the city of London, there […]
Spotted in Kingston a few days ago…. the font we used for our fabulous Morganville Vampire covers also used for the brand name of a cupcake shop, Sweet Revenge. The swirly Gothic ‘n’ and ‘g’ are the dead giveaway. Perhaps the shop will see an influx of customers who also happen to be Morganville Vampire […]
Following the very successful launch of D E Meredith’s Devoured, our lovely author popped in last week to drop off a positively drool-worthy box of posh chocolates. It’s safe to say they didn’t last long. And now, still with chocolate on the brain, and just when the days are becoming more grey and miserable, here’s […]
In these challenging days of publishing there are some seriously interesting marketing ideas afoot. Not least so that of Random House, US who, in the spirit of Open House London are hosting an exclusive event in their New York offices this coming November. For $25 those who’ve always wondered what happens behind the scenes in […]
We’re approaching the end of 2012 and I’m already thinking ahead to buying Christmas cards (yes I still write them, yes it doesn’t seem such a great idea in practice), then there’s wrapping paper and ribbon for bedecking presents before I get started on the compulsion to buy 2013 diaries, calendars etc. My name is […]
It’s amazing the things you come across accidentally online. I don’t even read The Telegraph, but somehow I stumbled upon this on their website – the nine circles of hell from Dante’s inferno, recreated in Lego. It’s pretty impressive, although of course my first thought was that the guy has too much time on his […]
As we busied ourselves unpacking crates filled with books from the A&B archive, (see pic from yesterday’s post) we pulled out a copy of our 1993 edition of Behaving Badly, by Catherine Heath. Originally published in 1984, the book apparently inspired the 1989 TV series starring Judi Dench which is why we were delighted to […]
Hello again blogosphere! We have survived The Great Office Move (just) and are now finally back up and running at 12 Fitzroy Mews. And I can tell you, it was not a feat for the faint-hearted! (A view that will be shared by one particular gentleman from the removals company who nearly passed out bringing […]
Bring the proud publishers of Ted Lewis’ cult novel Get Carter (about a ruthless gangster who was immortalised on screen by Michael Caine), today we must pay tribute to the great illustrator Arnaldo Putzu, renowned for painting book and magazine covers and, most famously, film posters, including the one for the 1970s Get Carter movie […]
Books, fax machines, photocopiers are all being packed up around us as we prepare for the Great Office Move. I’m hesitating over what to pack up and what not to. Is that file important? Will I need that dictionary? Can those samples be packed up? As my office stationery dwindles I’ve come to the conclusion […]
I spent a few nights in Oxford last week and the city certainly was enjoying a healthy business in the its literary connections. There were Alice in Wonderland books, tea towels, chess sets, river cruises, sweets and tea cups among other items. And while stopping in at the Eagle and Child pub I raised a […]