http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/02/25/boowen.xml
Also an interesting profile of Martin Scorsese where Silence is again mentioned as an imminent movie
http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/film/features/article2308738.ece
Wednesday 28 February 2007
Tuesday 27 February 2007
The reason that we've been so insanely busy over the past few days
PRESS RELEASE
Peter Owen Translated Fiction, 2007–2008
In recent years, Peter Owen have published such important contemporary novels in translation as Arto Päasilinna’s The Year of the Hare, recently filmed in Canada, and Angels on the Head of a Pin by Yuri Druznhikov, who was nominated for the Nobel Prize in 2001. Already planned for publication in 2007 is a novel in Catalan, La Magnitud de la Tragedia by Quim Monzo, who worked on the highly successful arthouse movie, Jamon Jamon.
In 2007/2008, Peter Owen is setting up a brand new programme of translated fiction and with the help of funding bodies such as Euclid, Insitut Ramon Llul and others, hopes to produce its most ambitious series of translated fiction in years. Here are the highlights.
Two Days in July (To dage i juli) by Stig Dalager (Denmark)
A literary thriller about the 1944 plot to kill Hitler by one of Denmark’s foremost authors of novels, poems and short stories. This book and its subject is already generating considerable interest among film agents.
The Glass Eye (Lasisilmä) by Johanna Sinisalo (Finland)
Johanna Sinisalo is a rising star of the international literary scene. Her previous work of literary fantasy Not Before Sundown, was critically acclaimed, and this ingenious thriller is a chilling and timely exposé of the dark side of TV culture.
The Seven Churches (Sedmikostelí) by Milos Urban (Czech Republic)
Milos Urban made a huge impact on Czech literature with his second novel Sedmikostelí (The Seven Churches). A unique mixture of Gothic horror and crime noir, it has achieved cult status and is already a best-seller in Spain and Latin America.
Of Dolls and Angels (Des Poupeés et des Anges) by Nora Hamdi (France)
Nora Hamdi is an exciting young French writer of Algerian descent. Her first novel, Des Poupées et des Anges, received spectacularly good reviews and won the Yves Navarre literary award. Of Dolls and Angels deals with the problems of a young girl of Algerian descent growing up as a second-generation immigrant in the Parisian suburbs at a time of social unrest.
For further information on this programme contact Kit Maude or Michael O’Connell
at Peter Owen Publishers, or visit our website www.peterowen.com
Peter Owen Translated Fiction, 2007–2008
In recent years, Peter Owen have published such important contemporary novels in translation as Arto Päasilinna’s The Year of the Hare, recently filmed in Canada, and Angels on the Head of a Pin by Yuri Druznhikov, who was nominated for the Nobel Prize in 2001. Already planned for publication in 2007 is a novel in Catalan, La Magnitud de la Tragedia by Quim Monzo, who worked on the highly successful arthouse movie, Jamon Jamon.
In 2007/2008, Peter Owen is setting up a brand new programme of translated fiction and with the help of funding bodies such as Euclid, Insitut Ramon Llul and others, hopes to produce its most ambitious series of translated fiction in years. Here are the highlights.
Two Days in July (To dage i juli) by Stig Dalager (Denmark)
A literary thriller about the 1944 plot to kill Hitler by one of Denmark’s foremost authors of novels, poems and short stories. This book and its subject is already generating considerable interest among film agents.
The Glass Eye (Lasisilmä) by Johanna Sinisalo (Finland)
Johanna Sinisalo is a rising star of the international literary scene. Her previous work of literary fantasy Not Before Sundown, was critically acclaimed, and this ingenious thriller is a chilling and timely exposé of the dark side of TV culture.
The Seven Churches (Sedmikostelí) by Milos Urban (Czech Republic)
Milos Urban made a huge impact on Czech literature with his second novel Sedmikostelí (The Seven Churches). A unique mixture of Gothic horror and crime noir, it has achieved cult status and is already a best-seller in Spain and Latin America.
Of Dolls and Angels (Des Poupeés et des Anges) by Nora Hamdi (France)
Nora Hamdi is an exciting young French writer of Algerian descent. Her first novel, Des Poupées et des Anges, received spectacularly good reviews and won the Yves Navarre literary award. Of Dolls and Angels deals with the problems of a young girl of Algerian descent growing up as a second-generation immigrant in the Parisian suburbs at a time of social unrest.
For further information on this programme contact Kit Maude or Michael O’Connell
at Peter Owen Publishers, or visit our website www.peterowen.com
Monday 26 February 2007
Part of a letter that I find myself writing too frequently
'Hi John,
Sorry not to have been in touch, very busy goings on here. I saw the pagan review too and let those interested know. I don't think that it's right to say that we've sunk without a trace - Sycorax is still selling, not fast but new orders are popping up from all sorts of different places and it hasn't been officially released yet in the States I don't think. The sudden drop off in reviews was a surprise, after such a good start in the Big Issue and Independent I thought it'd go on and on. Christmas was a problem too with all the space being taken up by the blockbusters, best ofs, reviews of the year etc. Weirdly another book that we sent out at the same time as Sycorax only got reviewed in the second week of December after most of the 'best of' features had gone. I honestly don't know what goes on at these newspapers/magazines, I fear that a book's fate lies increasingly in the hands of the work experience kids who sift the mail at these places. Of course having said that my own few writerly contacts who indicated that they'd give it a read haven't said anything yet either, maybe something will come of that in time. Part of the problem might have been that people misunderstood the nature of book - thought it to be less 'literary' fantasy writing rather than the sophisticated novel it is.
Don't get pessimistic, remember that Sycorax it is a great book and that as we speak people are buying, reading and recommending it to others. It does take a little time for word to spread.'
http://www.peterowen.com/pages/fiction/Sycorax.htm
Sorry not to have been in touch, very busy goings on here. I saw the pagan review too and let those interested know. I don't think that it's right to say that we've sunk without a trace - Sycorax is still selling, not fast but new orders are popping up from all sorts of different places and it hasn't been officially released yet in the States I don't think. The sudden drop off in reviews was a surprise, after such a good start in the Big Issue and Independent I thought it'd go on and on. Christmas was a problem too with all the space being taken up by the blockbusters, best ofs, reviews of the year etc. Weirdly another book that we sent out at the same time as Sycorax only got reviewed in the second week of December after most of the 'best of' features had gone. I honestly don't know what goes on at these newspapers/magazines, I fear that a book's fate lies increasingly in the hands of the work experience kids who sift the mail at these places. Of course having said that my own few writerly contacts who indicated that they'd give it a read haven't said anything yet either, maybe something will come of that in time. Part of the problem might have been that people misunderstood the nature of book - thought it to be less 'literary' fantasy writing rather than the sophisticated novel it is.
Don't get pessimistic, remember that Sycorax it is a great book and that as we speak people are buying, reading and recommending it to others. It does take a little time for word to spread.'
http://www.peterowen.com/pages/fiction/Sycorax.htm
Peter's 80th
So did everyone see the piece? Peter at his best. He's still very upset about the caviar, talks about it as though it were yesterday. It's not yet been posted on the internet, that seems to happen on the Wednesday at the Telegraph.
Friday 23 February 2007
Daunt launch report
Right, Blogger no.1 here, apparently. Better than being no.2 I suppose . . .
Well, I'd have to start by saying how great the people at Daunt books were. Organized, helpful, enthusiastic, very knowledgable and patient. The latter because sneakily I made the start time an hour later than I was supposed to - I just don't think that any civilized indoor party should begin when there's a chance of daylight. (Speaking of civilized the wine people were just as good, whisping in like pixies, leaving the wine and whisping out and to date there has been no mention of a bill.) This was also to allow Miranda to turn up at five thirty, do a little monologue into the camera (To be posted on the internet soon), sign some books etc. Of course she thought it was six thirty and there was an hour of my sitting around making smalltalk to an increasingly worried Daunt manager as we tucked into the booze having one of those conversations about how sure we were that people would turn up but we did get the date and the address right didn't we . . ?
Of course she did eventally turn up, shortly preceded by a long lost nephew which made for a fun and appropriate beginning given there's a lot of family comings and goings in the novel. After seven people did indeed start filing in and there was mingling and laughter and eminent folk like Christopher Priest, Bidisha and Duncan Fallowell who teased us mercilessly about what he had written in an interview with Peter (Owen to be printed tomorrow). For me it was rather a strange evening, consistently punctuated by phrases like 'I thought you'd be older, and fatter and balder' and 'how can you possibly have done it? You're so young!'. It transpired that the population of the shop was split between the half who thought that all those in publishing, at least those who are male, are old, fat and bald, and the half who simply thought that I was Peter Owen himself. Again, a not inappropriate mistake given the book in question and one that caused much merriment amongst the P.O.P. staff. At the end of the evening Blogger no1 was heard declaring as he wandered off into the West London night: 'I've been commisioning books since long before I was born!'.
Should you like to know what Peter Owen really looks like then you'll have to buy a copy of tomorrow's Telegraph.
Well, I'd have to start by saying how great the people at Daunt books were. Organized, helpful, enthusiastic, very knowledgable and patient. The latter because sneakily I made the start time an hour later than I was supposed to - I just don't think that any civilized indoor party should begin when there's a chance of daylight. (Speaking of civilized the wine people were just as good, whisping in like pixies, leaving the wine and whisping out and to date there has been no mention of a bill.) This was also to allow Miranda to turn up at five thirty, do a little monologue into the camera (To be posted on the internet soon), sign some books etc. Of course she thought it was six thirty and there was an hour of my sitting around making smalltalk to an increasingly worried Daunt manager as we tucked into the booze having one of those conversations about how sure we were that people would turn up but we did get the date and the address right didn't we . . ?
Of course she did eventally turn up, shortly preceded by a long lost nephew which made for a fun and appropriate beginning given there's a lot of family comings and goings in the novel. After seven people did indeed start filing in and there was mingling and laughter and eminent folk like Christopher Priest, Bidisha and Duncan Fallowell who teased us mercilessly about what he had written in an interview with Peter (Owen to be printed tomorrow). For me it was rather a strange evening, consistently punctuated by phrases like 'I thought you'd be older, and fatter and balder' and 'how can you possibly have done it? You're so young!'. It transpired that the population of the shop was split between the half who thought that all those in publishing, at least those who are male, are old, fat and bald, and the half who simply thought that I was Peter Owen himself. Again, a not inappropriate mistake given the book in question and one that caused much merriment amongst the P.O.P. staff. At the end of the evening Blogger no1 was heard declaring as he wandered off into the West London night: 'I've been commisioning books since long before I was born!'.
Should you like to know what Peter Owen really looks like then you'll have to buy a copy of tomorrow's Telegraph.
Bless 'Em All launch report
Before Miranda Miller's launch, we did, of course, have a launch last week (15/02/2007) for Allen Saddler's Bless 'Em All and before we give you the lowdown on how Miranda's went, we should do the same for Allen. In sharp contrast to the metropolitan setting for the Mephistopheles launch, yours truly, blogger no 2 ( no 1 is 'me' pictured with Miranda Miller below) found himself tearing down the M4 and M5 last Thursday afternoon/evening.
Allen Saddler left his native London over thirty years ago to move to Devon and, from there, built up his writing career still further, while, no doubt, Bless 'Em All was germinating. For a long while, he was the regional theatre critic for The Independent and was often driving in the opposite direction along the M5 from me, reviewing in places like the Bristol Old Vic. It's sometimes forgotten that a literary life can be lived outside the big cities and, in truth, there were just as many people gathered at a country pub/hotel (The Maltsters Arms in Tuckenhay) as there were in Daunt's last night. Instead of turning left out of the tube, though. you simply turned left out of Totnes, hurtled down the hill till you gently rolled over a stone bridge and heard the river babbling by the Maltsters, right up against the bank.
Allen had gathered an interesting crew of Devon folk with a keenness to hear about his book on Wartime London. He gave a talk on the alleys and byways of the English publishing scene at that time: a phalanx of publishers tucked away in the corner of the City that was, literally, blitzed in one night in 1940. This is the central event in Bless 'Em All. Allen then broke convention by reading from his work-in-progress, intended as a follow-up to Bless - The Long and The Short. Again, Allen illuminates the lives of people who have rarely been written about who were living and dying through the war. This time it's soldiers waiting to go to the front and may never get there. From what we heard, it is as raw and powerful as Bless 'Em All, and with another convincing cast of characters. But we suggest you check Bless Em All out first...
It was a fine evening at the Maltsters and our thanks to Allen for masterminding it. So far, in the past year, Peter Owen has had events in both London and Paris, but Tuckenhay in Devon was a match for either of them. Just so you know, the next one coming is Ken Russell at Waterstone's in Gower St (full details will appear on the News page soon) but next up is a report on the Loving Mephistopheles launch....
Allen Saddler left his native London over thirty years ago to move to Devon and, from there, built up his writing career still further, while, no doubt, Bless 'Em All was germinating. For a long while, he was the regional theatre critic for The Independent and was often driving in the opposite direction along the M5 from me, reviewing in places like the Bristol Old Vic. It's sometimes forgotten that a literary life can be lived outside the big cities and, in truth, there were just as many people gathered at a country pub/hotel (The Maltsters Arms in Tuckenhay) as there were in Daunt's last night. Instead of turning left out of the tube, though. you simply turned left out of Totnes, hurtled down the hill till you gently rolled over a stone bridge and heard the river babbling by the Maltsters, right up against the bank.
Allen had gathered an interesting crew of Devon folk with a keenness to hear about his book on Wartime London. He gave a talk on the alleys and byways of the English publishing scene at that time: a phalanx of publishers tucked away in the corner of the City that was, literally, blitzed in one night in 1940. This is the central event in Bless 'Em All. Allen then broke convention by reading from his work-in-progress, intended as a follow-up to Bless - The Long and The Short. Again, Allen illuminates the lives of people who have rarely been written about who were living and dying through the war. This time it's soldiers waiting to go to the front and may never get there. From what we heard, it is as raw and powerful as Bless 'Em All, and with another convincing cast of characters. But we suggest you check Bless Em All out first...
It was a fine evening at the Maltsters and our thanks to Allen for masterminding it. So far, in the past year, Peter Owen has had events in both London and Paris, but Tuckenhay in Devon was a match for either of them. Just so you know, the next one coming is Ken Russell at Waterstone's in Gower St (full details will appear on the News page soon) but next up is a report on the Loving Mephistopheles launch....
Launch!
Last night was, as I may have already mentioned, the night for the launch of Loving Mephistopheles by Miranda Miller. And it went off rather well. Although pictures don't mean a thousand words (1000 words = circa 2 pages but you can fit >1 picture on 1 page. The latter may of course cost more depending on whether it is in a plate section or embedded with the text.) Well . . .
The Books
The Display
Miranda Miller
People in the wonderful bookshop
The majority of our editorial and production departments
Miranda and me.
More people
Thursday 22 February 2007
And on the big screen
Sometimes it feels like we're last to know. Mostly because we are.
A new film version of The Year of the Hare directed by Marc Riviere and starring Christopher Lambert was released in France on the 27th December.
Here is the film's official website
http://www.lelievredevatanen-lefilm.com/
A new film version of The Year of the Hare directed by Marc Riviere and starring Christopher Lambert was released in France on the 27th December.
Here is the film's official website
http://www.lelievredevatanen-lefilm.com/
Year of the Hare on Complete Review
The Complete Review has posted another review - this time of Year of the Hare. It's another fillip for a book that has skyrocketed over the past year. And quite rightly, it's a fantastic novel and Paasilinna is a great author but this is the first time it's really flown off the shelves. Amazing what a new cover (The last one was horrific) and better price can do.
Review:
http://www.complete-review.com/reviews/suomi/paasila4.htm
Web page:
http://www.peterowen.com/pages/fiction/Year%20of%20the%20Hare.htm
Launch tonight.
I hope somebody turns up.
Wednesday 21 February 2007
Best of the Independents!
Great news amidst the hurlyburly (Morenegotiationlastminutedoubtsamissingtranslatorthreebookstopublicizeandindeedsellatthesametimeveryimportantproofstogetcheckedsothatwedon'tmissthenextbooklaunchbutdon'tforgettheonetomorrowDauntBookssevenoclockallwelcomegeedidImissanything?)
The wonderful fiction buyer at Borders, Ruth Atkins, whose support of P.O.P. has always been strong and appreciated has gone a step further and is to include Narcissus and Goldmund in the Borders and Books Etc.' Best of the Independents' range. We are now going to be true independents and suggest some other books but this alone is very good news.
http://www.peterowen.com/pages/modclas/narcissus.htm
The wonderful fiction buyer at Borders, Ruth Atkins, whose support of P.O.P. has always been strong and appreciated has gone a step further and is to include Narcissus and Goldmund in the Borders and Books Etc.' Best of the Independents' range. We are now going to be true independents and suggest some other books but this alone is very good news.
http://www.peterowen.com/pages/modclas/narcissus.htm
Monday 19 February 2007
Sycorax
Monday Hurried Monday
Monday mornings are generally quiet here - you may remember the second episode of Black Books with Dylan Moran explaining to Bill Bailey that noone buys books before ten 0 clock - a statement easily applicable to Mondays at P.O.P. Normally, it's post (Bills, submissions, bills, why haven't you replied to my submission?) review trawl (often sadly empty, cue bitter comments like ' good to see that Thomas Harris is getting so much attention, he really NEEDS the exposure') coffee, so, what are we going to do this week? etc.
But this morning it's all a flurry as we're trying to get together a very very exciting translation project involving top european authors, their agents, their publishers, their translators etc. 'Sign this please, you want what? how much? MUST you have a contract? We're all gentlemen here no? Well, lady whatever, just sign the damn paper!' all to an almost unworkable deadline.
Then there will be an interview published in Saturday's Telegraph to mark his 80th birthday and we need a recent photo except that the most recent one we have is Peter sitting with Jane Bowles in Tangier circa 1967 and also a shipment of Kokoro that got delayed so all the books mntioned previosuly have to go out this week, Loving Mephistopheles party to plan, help! It's One o'Clock and I still haven't finished my morning coffee . . .
But this morning it's all a flurry as we're trying to get together a very very exciting translation project involving top european authors, their agents, their publishers, their translators etc. 'Sign this please, you want what? how much? MUST you have a contract? We're all gentlemen here no? Well, lady whatever, just sign the damn paper!' all to an almost unworkable deadline.
Then there will be an interview published in Saturday's Telegraph to mark his 80th birthday and we need a recent photo except that the most recent one we have is Peter sitting with Jane Bowles in Tangier circa 1967 and also a shipment of Kokoro that got delayed so all the books mntioned previosuly have to go out this week, Loving Mephistopheles party to plan, help! It's One o'Clock and I still haven't finished my morning coffee . . .
Friday 16 February 2007
Hung over. Go away.
But before you do, try to pick up a copy og Big Issue Wales and the South West in which my new hangoverbuddy Debbie Green has written a great review of Bless 'em All (Launched last night):
'Whatever it is that you normallu look for in a good book, Allen Saddler's Bless 'em All is guaranteed to have it. Jam-packed with humour, murder, lust and social history, this novel will surely have every reader's eyes popping from start to finish. Set in the the early 1940s, Bless'em All follows the lives of a rather eccentric collection of London residents, at the centre of which are chalk and cheese brothers, Maurice and Bernard, who cannot agree on the future of their family Bookselling business. While literature lover Maurice wants to stick to the classics Bernard's hand in the business involves dealing sleazy backhanders of supposed 'photographic art' and DH Lawrence to the sketchy back streets of Soho.
Meanwhile an unlikely friendship forms between housewives Bunty and Betty. A beautiful blonde bombshell, Bunty is completely deaf and dumb. The moment her husband goes to work each morning, a lavishly dressed Bunty prepares to spend her day dancing in the hottest hostess club in Soho. Bunty's neighbour is young, naive, new to married life and very bored. Caught up in the excitement of Bunty's glamorous clothes and glitzy lifestyle, Betty doesn't realize what she is letting herself in for. Throw into this mix some more brilliantly carfted characters, the tension of the blitz and a tur of extraordinary events and you've got a blast of a read. A journalist with four novels, many children's stories, TV programmes and radion monologues under his belt, Allen Saddler's experience and talent as a writer is clear in this latest release. His style is intriguing, humorous and easy to read. But what really makes Bless 'em All a compulsive page turner is its sense of realism. Having spent the war years in London himself, Saddler seems to invest some personal experiences within his fictionalized tale. A tiny bit Desperate Housewives, a tad Eastenders and a pinch Midsomer Murders, Bless 'em All is a superior, unisex version of a soap opera. This engaging novel will suit anyone who is just a little bit nosey.'
Now go away.
'Whatever it is that you normallu look for in a good book, Allen Saddler's Bless 'em All is guaranteed to have it. Jam-packed with humour, murder, lust and social history, this novel will surely have every reader's eyes popping from start to finish. Set in the the early 1940s, Bless'em All follows the lives of a rather eccentric collection of London residents, at the centre of which are chalk and cheese brothers, Maurice and Bernard, who cannot agree on the future of their family Bookselling business. While literature lover Maurice wants to stick to the classics Bernard's hand in the business involves dealing sleazy backhanders of supposed 'photographic art' and DH Lawrence to the sketchy back streets of Soho.
Meanwhile an unlikely friendship forms between housewives Bunty and Betty. A beautiful blonde bombshell, Bunty is completely deaf and dumb. The moment her husband goes to work each morning, a lavishly dressed Bunty prepares to spend her day dancing in the hottest hostess club in Soho. Bunty's neighbour is young, naive, new to married life and very bored. Caught up in the excitement of Bunty's glamorous clothes and glitzy lifestyle, Betty doesn't realize what she is letting herself in for. Throw into this mix some more brilliantly carfted characters, the tension of the blitz and a tur of extraordinary events and you've got a blast of a read. A journalist with four novels, many children's stories, TV programmes and radion monologues under his belt, Allen Saddler's experience and talent as a writer is clear in this latest release. His style is intriguing, humorous and easy to read. But what really makes Bless 'em All a compulsive page turner is its sense of realism. Having spent the war years in London himself, Saddler seems to invest some personal experiences within his fictionalized tale. A tiny bit Desperate Housewives, a tad Eastenders and a pinch Midsomer Murders, Bless 'em All is a superior, unisex version of a soap opera. This engaging novel will suit anyone who is just a little bit nosey.'
Now go away.
Thursday 15 February 2007
This is what I came up with
15/02/07
Dear Reviewer,
Please find enclosed review copies of three new releases by Peter Owen Publishers.
Loving Mephistopheles, Miranda Miller
Pub Date: March 15th
As Peter Vansittart says in his review of Loving Mephistopheles, the legendary Faust pact ‘always allures’ and this wonderful reworking of the story is no exception. But it is the originality, not the familiarity that is most striking about this novel – Mephistopheles as lover, Faustus as naive chanteuse, with all the 20th century as a stage for their affair - and why it has already attracted plaudits from Hilary Mantel, John Bayley and Lyndall Gordon.
Kokoro, Natsume Soseki, introduced by Damian Flanagan
Pub Date: 1st March
In Japan, Kokoro is the most well-known, most admired and most discussed not only of Natsume Soseki’s works but of any in the modern Japanese period. It thus seems bizarre that it is so little known outside Japan. We hope that this new edition, the fourth of Soseki’s books to be brought out by P. O. P. will go some way towards amending that.
The Demanding Dead by Edith Wharton, edited and introduced by Peter Haining
Pub Date: 8th March
Edith Wharton has of course been much in the news of late thanks to Hermione Lee’s excellent and surely definitive biography. These stories are the second volume of P.O.P’s own small contribution to Wharton’s reputation, exhibiting her skill as a writer of ghost stories. It also includes the famous unpublished ‘incest’ scene that attracted so much attention in the press about the biography.
If you would like further information about these or any other Peter Owen Titles, please contact myself or my colleague Michael O’Connell on 0207 373 5628 or email us at admin@peterowen.com .
Yours sincerely,
Kit Maude
WDYT?
Dear Reviewer,
Please find enclosed review copies of three new releases by Peter Owen Publishers.
Loving Mephistopheles, Miranda Miller
Pub Date: March 15th
As Peter Vansittart says in his review of Loving Mephistopheles, the legendary Faust pact ‘always allures’ and this wonderful reworking of the story is no exception. But it is the originality, not the familiarity that is most striking about this novel – Mephistopheles as lover, Faustus as naive chanteuse, with all the 20th century as a stage for their affair - and why it has already attracted plaudits from Hilary Mantel, John Bayley and Lyndall Gordon.
Kokoro, Natsume Soseki, introduced by Damian Flanagan
Pub Date: 1st March
In Japan, Kokoro is the most well-known, most admired and most discussed not only of Natsume Soseki’s works but of any in the modern Japanese period. It thus seems bizarre that it is so little known outside Japan. We hope that this new edition, the fourth of Soseki’s books to be brought out by P. O. P. will go some way towards amending that.
The Demanding Dead by Edith Wharton, edited and introduced by Peter Haining
Pub Date: 8th March
Edith Wharton has of course been much in the news of late thanks to Hermione Lee’s excellent and surely definitive biography. These stories are the second volume of P.O.P’s own small contribution to Wharton’s reputation, exhibiting her skill as a writer of ghost stories. It also includes the famous unpublished ‘incest’ scene that attracted so much attention in the press about the biography.
If you would like further information about these or any other Peter Owen Titles, please contact myself or my colleague Michael O’Connell on 0207 373 5628 or email us at admin@peterowen.com .
Yours sincerely,
Kit Maude
WDYT?
Mailings
So today, all these fine new books mentioned in previous posts are waiting patiently in boxes downstairs to be despatched to all those who might perhaps be interested in them. Reviewers, booksellers, academics and others who might be interested are all on the list - which can go on for pages. There are also our reps and overseas agents, authors etc. All leads to one hell of a postage bill.
There is also the covering letter to write. The problem is trying to attract the attention of people who get around fifty books, AIs and jackets in their mail box every morning, their nightmares must be filled with floods of books, my shelf runneth over, the pages are watching me and other bibliomares.There's a great story by Julio Cortazar about books consuming the world, I forget what it's called.
In any case the temptation to hype the book into oblivion - in around forty words - is overwhelming. 'This is the greatest book that you will ever read ever and to prove me wrong you'll just have to read it and then write a review won't you?' but neither can one afford to underhype them - 'Well it's a good book, you'll enjoy it. Won't change your life or anything.' isn't going to do you any favours either.
Today's problem is that I'm peddling three very disparate books: Kokoro by Natsume Soseki, The Demanding Dead by Edith Wharton and Loving Mephistopheles by Miranda Miller - couldn't be more different in terms of time, place or subject matter. The only bonus is that I (and all those here) genuinely believe in that there is something in each of these books that might just improve your life, even just a little bit. Hmmm . . .
There is also the covering letter to write. The problem is trying to attract the attention of people who get around fifty books, AIs and jackets in their mail box every morning, their nightmares must be filled with floods of books, my shelf runneth over, the pages are watching me and other bibliomares.There's a great story by Julio Cortazar about books consuming the world, I forget what it's called.
In any case the temptation to hype the book into oblivion - in around forty words - is overwhelming. 'This is the greatest book that you will ever read ever and to prove me wrong you'll just have to read it and then write a review won't you?' but neither can one afford to underhype them - 'Well it's a good book, you'll enjoy it. Won't change your life or anything.' isn't going to do you any favours either.
Today's problem is that I'm peddling three very disparate books: Kokoro by Natsume Soseki, The Demanding Dead by Edith Wharton and Loving Mephistopheles by Miranda Miller - couldn't be more different in terms of time, place or subject matter. The only bonus is that I (and all those here) genuinely believe in that there is something in each of these books that might just improve your life, even just a little bit. Hmmm . . .
Wednesday 14 February 2007
And three come along all at once
Demanding Dead
http://www.peterowen.com/pages/fiction/Demanding%20Dead.htm
Hurrah!
The Demanding Dead by Edith Wharton has arrived. I hadn't realized that the last story is the famously unpublished (not any more I suppose) incest scene. It's a bit steamy, words like 'flinging', 'vibrating' and 'burning' are used liberally and any guesses to what a 'third hand' might allude?. All this atop 'purple velvet cushions' . . .
Also - amidst all the doom and gloom about childhood one could do worse than flicking through the following Italian classic
http://www.peterowen.com/pages/fiction/cuore.htm
Valentine's Day!
'Jimmy arrived on his bike with a smile on his face. He had ridden practically all the way without holding on to the handlebars. It was a sort of dare and celebration. It had been tricky around the hosepipes and the tramlines were always a hazard . . .
'What's the matter with you?' his mum enquired, more than once. He knew what was the matter. He'd got a girl, a nice one at that, a looker who kissed him as though she meant it. It had transformed his whole existence. He wasn't just a scruffy book collector, carrying his job on his back; he was someone who lived it up, had a romance going, meant something to somebody else . . .'
A themed Bless 'em All quote today!
And some other appropriate books:
For those true blue romantics:
http://www.peterowen.com/pages/fiction/paulv.htm
For the romantic realist (Annoyingly not yet out, order now to avoid disappointment! hee hee . . .)
http://www.peterowen.com/pages/modclas/inlove.htm
For those who like their romance slightly more macabre:
http://www.peterowen.com/pages/fiction/crimes.htm
And for those whose tastes run the other way entirely:
http://www.peterowen.com/pages/nonfic/erotica.htm
'What's the matter with you?' his mum enquired, more than once. He knew what was the matter. He'd got a girl, a nice one at that, a looker who kissed him as though she meant it. It had transformed his whole existence. He wasn't just a scruffy book collector, carrying his job on his back; he was someone who lived it up, had a romance going, meant something to somebody else . . .'
A themed Bless 'em All quote today!
And some other appropriate books:
For those true blue romantics:
http://www.peterowen.com/pages/fiction/paulv.htm
For the romantic realist (Annoyingly not yet out, order now to avoid disappointment! hee hee . . .)
http://www.peterowen.com/pages/modclas/inlove.htm
For those who like their romance slightly more macabre:
http://www.peterowen.com/pages/fiction/crimes.htm
And for those whose tastes run the other way entirely:
http://www.peterowen.com/pages/nonfic/erotica.htm
Tuesday 13 February 2007
Some of my favourite parts of Bless 'em All
Maurice, the respectable half of the book wholesaling brothers, the Greens has thanks to a misunderstanding in a disreputable war time bar, accidently offered a job to the naive young Betty. (Abridged because I should get back to work)
'It doesn't mean that we can't use you. It's just that you need a bit of experience first.' What was he getting himself into? This was bosh. People could pick it up as they went along. There was no training or certificate that allowed someone to work in the book trade. The wages were not good enough for employers to be particular. (How very true! ed.)
Betty was puzzled. 'But how? How can I get this . . . experience?'
'Well, Maurice floundered. 'You could serve a sort of apprenticeship. I could give you something to read and see how you get on with it.'
'You want me to read books?'
'Yes. But that's not all. I want you to tell me about them.'
He started her on WIND IN THE WILLOWS.
'Was it written for children?'
'Yes, I suppose so, but adults can enjoy it.'
'But they're all animals.'
'They are in the book, but there's people about who are very like Toad and the Badger. I mean they have the same characteristics.'
'Yes.' She sounded doubtful. Maurice had soon reached the barrier. The girl took everything literally. She had no room for whimsy, and she thought that humour was a childish game.
He tried to get her to the humour in P.G. Wodehouse.
'He puts things in a funny way. And they're all such snobs.'
THE STARS LOOK DOWN was 'too depressing' and HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY was 'too muddly'. It was literary criticism from the ground floor. She liked THE GRAPES OF WRATH because she had seen the film but she found GONE WITH THE WIND formidable.
'It'd take months to read all that. It's a four hour film.'
Maurice sighed. Was this a wild goose chase, trying to make a mark on such a blank, unyielding canvas? The poor girl was fulfilling her side of the bargain - she must have spent the whole week reading - and yet nothing had made an impression. Nothing excited her. He still had to find a way to unlock her perception of life, of people, of her position in the world. What would be her eureka moment?
'What does your husband think of your new job?'
'He can't understand it, ' said Betty. 'And to be honest, neither can I."
More later . . .
'It doesn't mean that we can't use you. It's just that you need a bit of experience first.' What was he getting himself into? This was bosh. People could pick it up as they went along. There was no training or certificate that allowed someone to work in the book trade. The wages were not good enough for employers to be particular. (How very true! ed.)
Betty was puzzled. 'But how? How can I get this . . . experience?'
'Well, Maurice floundered. 'You could serve a sort of apprenticeship. I could give you something to read and see how you get on with it.'
'You want me to read books?'
'Yes. But that's not all. I want you to tell me about them.'
He started her on WIND IN THE WILLOWS.
'Was it written for children?'
'Yes, I suppose so, but adults can enjoy it.'
'But they're all animals.'
'They are in the book, but there's people about who are very like Toad and the Badger. I mean they have the same characteristics.'
'Yes.' She sounded doubtful. Maurice had soon reached the barrier. The girl took everything literally. She had no room for whimsy, and she thought that humour was a childish game.
He tried to get her to the humour in P.G. Wodehouse.
'He puts things in a funny way. And they're all such snobs.'
THE STARS LOOK DOWN was 'too depressing' and HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY was 'too muddly'. It was literary criticism from the ground floor. She liked THE GRAPES OF WRATH because she had seen the film but she found GONE WITH THE WIND formidable.
'It'd take months to read all that. It's a four hour film.'
Maurice sighed. Was this a wild goose chase, trying to make a mark on such a blank, unyielding canvas? The poor girl was fulfilling her side of the bargain - she must have spent the whole week reading - and yet nothing had made an impression. Nothing excited her. He still had to find a way to unlock her perception of life, of people, of her position in the world. What would be her eureka moment?
'What does your husband think of your new job?'
'He can't understand it, ' said Betty. 'And to be honest, neither can I."
More later . . .
Monday 12 February 2007
The second Bless 'em All Review
The week of the Official Publication of Bless ' em All by Allen Saddler (link below) commences today. And we have another review from the great Joe Cushley of What's On in London, turn to page 62:
'Sarah Waters take note. This is how to write a Blitz novel. In last year's disappointing Night Watch, Waters tried to portray both the drama and the drabness of war-time London and ended up simply writing drably. Saddler successfully interweaves the tales of a collection of lower class Londoners, and their connections - through work, love and lust - with a pair of relatively well-to-do brothers in the book trade. The bombs begin to fall. Some characters end badly, some well and some, literally, soldier on. Saddler has a touch of the Orwells about his pure, clear prose-style, which is particularly effective in painting London itself as a living backdrop to this moving story of a mundane world suddenly run mad.' ****
Marvelous stuff. It's a great start and hopefully over the next two weeks there'll be more. You can find copies in all good bookstores (hee hee!) but special mention goes to the Royal Festival Hall bookshopn the Britain at War museum and the Harbour Bookshop in Dartmouth all of whom will have displays of the book.
Links:
Bless 'em All Page:
http://www.peterowen.com/pages/fiction/bless'emall.htm
Allen Saddler's website
http://www.allensaddler.co.uk
Dove Grey Reader's Review:
http://dovegreyreader.typepad.com/dovegreyreader_scribbles/2007/02/theres_nothing_.html
In other news it looks like we're going to publishing one of the great Turkish writers: Orhan Kemal.
http://www.orhankemal.org
More as and when . . .
Friday 9 February 2007
Less admirable examples of copy
Editing and re-editing the copy for the new catalogue it becomes obvious where concentration wavered:
The Mystified Magistrate, Marquis De Sade
'Stories by the notorious Marquis'
Marquis De Sade Reader
'Collection of stories by the notorious Marquis'
Gothic Tales of the Marquis De Sade
'Stories by the notorious Marquis'
Madame De Sade
Biography of the notorious Marquis' wife
I have, apparently, lost my thesaurus.
And perhaps even worse:
Time to Stand and Stare: The life of W.H. Davies
'Biography of one of Britain's greatest poets'
Just shoot me now . . .
The Mystified Magistrate, Marquis De Sade
'Stories by the notorious Marquis'
Marquis De Sade Reader
'Collection of stories by the notorious Marquis'
Gothic Tales of the Marquis De Sade
'Stories by the notorious Marquis'
Madame De Sade
Biography of the notorious Marquis' wife
I have, apparently, lost my thesaurus.
And perhaps even worse:
Time to Stand and Stare: The life of W.H. Davies
'Biography of one of Britain's greatest poets'
Just shoot me now . . .
An Achievement
It has taken a long time, much thought, heartache, and not a few backs to the drawing board. I have learnt much, grown as a person and more importantly as a Sales and Publicity Copywriter. I am now proud to report that I have reached a zenith, a peak and I dare say the tip of Book Industry Sales Technique. Yes, at the bottom of our most recent advert I have inserted the immortal words:
'Available in all good bookstores'
'Available in all good bookstores'
Thursday 8 February 2007
Tardy?
Chä'os - n. formless primordial matter, utter confusion
This is not chaos, this is being late for work.
As Doris Lessing said on Tarjei Vesaas
'We have used up the superlatives, and then when they are needed what is to be done?'
This is not chaos, this is being late for work.
As Doris Lessing said on Tarjei Vesaas
'We have used up the superlatives, and then when they are needed what is to be done?'
Wednesday 7 February 2007
Asian lit
The excellent Complete Review website has put up a new review of The Reverse Side of Life by Lee Seung-U. We’re glad about that because it hasn’t really get the attention it deserved on publication. He’s an excellent writer.
Whilst we’re in that part of the world (but don’t whatever you do confuse the two countries) the first six advance copies of our new edition of Kokoro by Natsume Soseki have come in. Now Soseki’s one of those fascinating writers who seems to have achieved universal acclaim in his own country whilst not getting anything like the same recognition elsewhere. Every time Damian Flanagan, who wrote the foreword to this new edition as well as to The Gate and the Tower of London which he also translated, comes into the office he says wild things like ‘Soseki’s more popular in Japan than Shakespeare and Dickens put together’ and a brief search on the internet would seem to confirm that. Kokoro is his most studied book, one of those texts which are constantly reinterpreted according to the style at the time. I read it in the old and also rather pretty hardback edition and am happy to say that it is a truly wonderful novel. My only regret is not translating the name for the new edition – in English it would be ‘Heart’. Don’t get much more evocative than that, do you?
For some reason, possibly due to the way this browser weaves/surfs (technical term anyone?), I can't insert links into the text so here they all are at the bottom:
The Complete Review, review:
http://www.complete-review.com/reviews/korea/leesu.htm
Kokoro, The Gate and Tower of London
http://www.peterowen.com/pages/fiction/kokoro.htm
http://www.peterowen.com/pages/fiction/TheGate.htm
http://www.peterowen.com/pages/nonfic/tower.htm
Tuesday 6 February 2007
Pynchon and P.O.P.
This morning I still haven't found the courage/knowhow/time to riposte to Toibin. (Misspelt in the last post, editors turning in their paper nests) so a little ramble instead.
One of the joys of leaving University was the idea that I would finally be allowed to read whatever I liked, whenever I liked. Then I came here and the dream shattered into many different pages of submissions, proofs, my own translation side projects and the Sisyphean attempt to get to know our entire backlist. So when I say that because it was my holiday I decided to try to read two books by Thomas Pynchon, Gravity’s Rainbow and Against the Day, simultaneously, it’s probably time for someone to take me gently by the hand and lead me blinking back out into the light.
So far though, it’s been a lot of fun – I have started to eye people suspiciously on tube and look to the sky half expecting to see a V2 rocket or airship hurtling towards me. Not many writers can touch him now, or even, I’d go so far to say, ever. but it raised a interesting question: What would one do if Gravity’s Rainbow landed on their submissions desk today? A gigantic wodge (sp?) of script, with the slight whiff of paranoia. Of course the length would have been a problem immediately for small pubs like us. Believe it or not the cost of paper is the major cost of a print run – the shorter the run the less economies of scale and our print runs are never very big anyway. The question is not quite fair as Pynchon’s first published novel was the very manageable Crying of Lot 49 – also much less oblique.
I’d like to think that we would have grabbed the script with both hands, my justification for this statement being that the office is people with pynchon fans and that for many years now we have championed the work of Peter Vansittart – a writer who I think has an affinity with Pynchon, the style and historical scope of his writing, indeed, I’d say that anyone who enjoyed Gravity’s Rainbow would also enjoy Vansittart’s latest, Secret Protocols.
http://www.peterowen.com/pages/fiction/Secret%20Protocols.htm
But then, I am rather biased . . .
One of the joys of leaving University was the idea that I would finally be allowed to read whatever I liked, whenever I liked. Then I came here and the dream shattered into many different pages of submissions, proofs, my own translation side projects and the Sisyphean attempt to get to know our entire backlist. So when I say that because it was my holiday I decided to try to read two books by Thomas Pynchon, Gravity’s Rainbow and Against the Day, simultaneously, it’s probably time for someone to take me gently by the hand and lead me blinking back out into the light.
So far though, it’s been a lot of fun – I have started to eye people suspiciously on tube and look to the sky half expecting to see a V2 rocket or airship hurtling towards me. Not many writers can touch him now, or even, I’d go so far to say, ever. but it raised a interesting question: What would one do if Gravity’s Rainbow landed on their submissions desk today? A gigantic wodge (sp?) of script, with the slight whiff of paranoia. Of course the length would have been a problem immediately for small pubs like us. Believe it or not the cost of paper is the major cost of a print run – the shorter the run the less economies of scale and our print runs are never very big anyway. The question is not quite fair as Pynchon’s first published novel was the very manageable Crying of Lot 49 – also much less oblique.
I’d like to think that we would have grabbed the script with both hands, my justification for this statement being that the office is people with pynchon fans and that for many years now we have championed the work of Peter Vansittart – a writer who I think has an affinity with Pynchon, the style and historical scope of his writing, indeed, I’d say that anyone who enjoyed Gravity’s Rainbow would also enjoy Vansittart’s latest, Secret Protocols.
http://www.peterowen.com/pages/fiction/Secret%20Protocols.htm
But then, I am rather biased . . .
Monday 5 February 2007
Back from Marrakech
Good Morning,
The blog has been rather silent over the past week, for which I apologize. Truth is I was on holiday in Marrakech leaving my poor colleague Michael to do everything but the blog. Marrakech was lovely, worth many visits AND the recommended reading section of the Rough Guide to Morrocco lists Peter Owen books almost exclusively. Having been there I now feel slightly more qualified to repost to a beautifully written but ultimately negative article by Colm Toibin about Paul Bowles' oevre in the London Review of Books
But that's for later, I have much news to impart:
First, many thanks to the Dove Grey Reader who has given us our first review of Bless 'em All
Hopefully there'll be lots more to come.
Second - Ken Russell is the new film critic for The Times, which should give an idea of his writing style.
Third - P.O.P. features in Vogue this month - page 150, bottom left hand corner. The supermodel Daria (Who is also on this months cover) is a Hermann Hesse fan. I'm going to try and get some Vogue people to come to our various launch parties to add a touch of glamour.
Fourth - whilst we're on the cutting edge of style, guess who The Sunday Times Style section says is 'going up' this month?
Why, none other than Anna Kavan, Violette Leduc and Jane Bowles:
'Clever ladies, big ideas. What's not to like?'
Indeed.
The blog has been rather silent over the past week, for which I apologize. Truth is I was on holiday in Marrakech leaving my poor colleague Michael to do everything but the blog. Marrakech was lovely, worth many visits AND the recommended reading section of the Rough Guide to Morrocco lists Peter Owen books almost exclusively. Having been there I now feel slightly more qualified to repost to a beautifully written but ultimately negative article by Colm Toibin about Paul Bowles' oevre in the London Review of Books
But that's for later, I have much news to impart:
First, many thanks to the Dove Grey Reader who has given us our first review of Bless 'em All
Hopefully there'll be lots more to come.
Second - Ken Russell is the new film critic for The Times, which should give an idea of his writing style.
Third - P.O.P. features in Vogue this month - page 150, bottom left hand corner. The supermodel Daria (Who is also on this months cover) is a Hermann Hesse fan. I'm going to try and get some Vogue people to come to our various launch parties to add a touch of glamour.
Fourth - whilst we're on the cutting edge of style, guess who The Sunday Times Style section says is 'going up' this month?
Why, none other than Anna Kavan, Violette Leduc and Jane Bowles:
'Clever ladies, big ideas. What's not to like?'
Indeed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)