30.11.07.
Baghdad's book market comes back to life
"It's an old disease in Iraq
– people spend their money on books, not on food. Iraqi intellectuals are very
poor because of it," our NBC News translator* said as he carried an armful of
books into the office after a shoot at the Al Mutanabi book market ... more Add
a comment Rockwell
Santa painting fetches $2.17M
A Norman Rockwell painting of Santa Claus
perched on a stepladder sold for $2.17 million at auction. The painting, "Extra
Good Boys and Girls," is the original of a Saturday Evening Post cover from 1939
... more Add
a comment A
tale of two bookshops
One played host to the Lost Generation, the other
to the Beat Generation. Penny Watson catches up with a couple of literary classics
... more Add
a comment Spain
buys Lorca manuscript
Spain's culture ministry said Wednesday it had purchased
one of celebrated poet Federico Garcia Lorca's manuscripts for more than 30,000
euros through a Sotheby's auction in London ... more Add
a comment
29.11.07.
Norwich printing history
Norwich has a long history of printing and
now a lasting tribute to that tradition is to go on public display in the city.
Equipment used over the years by Jarrold's at its print works based in Whitefriars
will be put on display in the firm's printing museum ... more Add
a comment Million
Book Project
It's an online library boom for the "Million Book Project."
On Tuesday, Carnegie Mellon University officials announced their international
venture to digitize 1 million books. They blew past that goal and the university
has exceeded its goal by 500,000 works of literature, with 7,000 more added daily
... more Add
a comment BT
puts old phone books online
BT is putting its entire archive of old phone
books online for genealogists, or anyone else, to browse, and a commercial genealogy
company is opening up access to all UK burial records since 1538 ... more Add
a comment England
plunges in rankings for reading
England has plummeted from third to 19th
in an international league table of children's literacy levels as pupils replace
books with computer games, according to a global study of reading skills ... more Add
a comment
27.11.07.
Judging the fine print
The International Antiquarian Bookfair will
be held in Hong Kong this year from November 30 to December 2. The growing interest
in rare books has finally hit Asia, with alternative investors seeing them as
an undervalued asset class ... more Add
a comment 'Spooky'
face on skin-bound book
A "spooky" image of a priest executed for treason
over the Gunpowder Plot has appeared on a 17th century book thought to be bound
in his skin, it is claimed ... more Add
a comment Golden
Compass author hits back
Philip Pullman dismissed as "absolute rubbish"
accusations by the US-based Catholic League that the film promotes atheism and
denigrates Christianity. "I am a story teller," he said. " If I wanted to send
a message I would have written a sermon" ... more Add
a comment Comic
sells £100K of stolen books on ebay
A stand-up comic faces jail after
police smashed his £100,000 scam selling stolen books on eBay. Gary Little swiped
thousands of bestsellers from publishers HarperCollins while working as a forklift
truck driver at their warehouse near Glasgow ... more Add
a comment
23.11.07.
Rare Armenian manuscripts dazzle and delight
An exhibition of exquisitely
illustrated Armenian manuscripts has opened for the first time in Switzerland
at the Martin Bodmer Foundation in Cologny near Geneva ... more Add
a comment A
19th-century ghost awakens to redefine ‘Soul food’
Mrs. Longone, long
considered the top expert on old American cookbooks, knew immediately that she
was holding the earliest cookbook by an African-American woman that had ever come
to light. Turning the 39 fragile pages of the 1866 pamphlet, she realized, too,
that it could challenge ingrained views about the cuisine of African-Americans
... more Add
a comment Contest
heats up for Bad Sex awards
A string of literary grandees including Ian
McEwan and Jeanette Winterson have been longlisted for this year's Literary Review
Bad Sex award ... more Add
a comment Gothic
Bible facsimile goes on display
A facsimile copy of the oldest Gothic
Bible, the Codex Argenteus, created in the 6th century, went on display in the
Archaeology Museum in Sofia on Friday ... more Add
a comment Mysterious
'Choju Giga' scrolls on show in Tokyo
In a rare move, the entire set of
the hand-drawn Choju Giga--or Choju Jinbutsu Giga--emaki scrolls are being exhibited
together, offering an insight into what is often dubbed the origin of Japan's
manga and anime culture. The scrolls, which are believed to have been produced
in the 12th and 13th centuries, are preserved at Kyoto's Kosanji temple out of
public view ... more Add
a comment Pages
of history?
Amazon's wireless reading device is antithetical to the literary
ideal. It should never be allowed to replace books ... more Add
a comment
22.11.07.
No trace of manuscripts U.S. troops discovered in 2003
Thousands of
manuscripts have disappeared among them priceless copies of the Holy Koran, an
Iraqi librarian said. The librarian, who wanted his name kept secret, said the
manuscripts were “expropriated” by a U.S.-led force shortly after the 2003 invasion
of Baghdad ... more Add
a comment Artists
pay tribute to Lorca at poet's home
A major exhibition of more than 30
international artists and musicians - from flamenco singer Enrique Morente to
the deadpan artistic duo of Gilbert & George - will open this weekend at the summer
retreat in Granada of the early 20th century Spanish poet Federico García Lorca
... more Add
a comment Illuminate
me
The illuminated manuscript is the literary equivalent of stained glass.
The inclusion of gold or silver in the intricate decorations was designed to make
each page leap out at the viewer - much as the sun shining through a church window
... more Add
a comment
An E-Book reader that just may catch on
Even though most people will
prefer the feel, the cost and the simplicity of a paper book, the Kindle is by
far the most successful stab yet at taking reading material into the digital age
... more Add
a comment
21.11.07.
London Artists' Book Fair
With contemporary art prices still riding
high, collectors of more modest means often opt for prints. But how many know
about artists' books? ... more Add
a comment Illuminated
manuscripts from Persia to Paris
Offering a rare and intimate glimpse
of the treasures in a personal collection, a new exhibition at Fitzwilliam Museum
celebrates the unique beauty of illuminated manuscripts across chronological,
geographic and cultural boundaries ... more Add
a comment Declaration
Of Independence Broadside Brings $693,500
A broadside of the Declaration
of Independence printed in Boston between July 12 and 16, 1776, sold for $693,500
at Skinner's November 18 books and manuscripts sale ... more Add
a comment Captain
Pugwash sets sail for Rye
There is exciting news for Captain Pugwash fans
with the re-launch of three original titles in Rye this month ... more Add
a comment
20.11.07.
Children's books 'are purged of risks'
Politically-correct publishers
are censoring children's books because of fears over health and safety, according
to a leading author. Lindsey Gardiner, who has written and illustrated 15 children's
books, claims publishers banned youngsters from walking alone in one novel and
removed sharp objects from another ... more Add
a comment A
well-insulated 'Little House'
On the heels of the Guthrie Theater's announcement
about plans to premiere a musical version of "Little House on the Prairie," a
thoughtful essay on why the Laura Ingalls Wilder classic remains so beloved ...
more Add
a comment Values
on the rise for rare collectibles
A rare and pristine poster for the 1935
movie “Bride of Frankenstein,” starring Boris Karloff, was sold Wednesday by Heritage
Auction Galleries of Dallas for $334,600, which included commission ... more Add
a comment Questions
raised about rare Bible on eBay
Investing in books, whether the classics
or cheap thrillers, can be lucrative if you know what to look for. Toby Walne
reports ... more Add
a comment
19.11.07.
Book bound for glory
There has been some consternation in literary
circles at the news that Picador, one of Britain's leading imprints, plans to
publish new novels as paperbacks, without the traditional hardback first edition
... more Add
a comment
Picador
was started in the 1970's by Macmillan as an imprint to publish fiction in "B"
format trade paperback : they are merely returning to their original marketing
methods. I believe that Picador had been appearing for somewhere around 5 years
before they started issuing books in hardback : no doubt one of the modern first
edition experts will be able to give fuller details. Plus ca change, plus c'est
la meme chose. - Clive Keeble. 20.11.07.
It will be
interesting to see if other publishers follow their example. - TBG. 20.11.07. Americans
close the book on recreational reading
Despite rising education levels,
a decade of Harry Potter and the near-ubiquity of big-chain bookstores, Americans
of every age are reading less and less for pleasure these days, according to an
analysis being released today by the National Endowment for the Arts ... more Add
a comment Iran's
book ban backfires
Iran's decision to forbid the second printing of a
Persian translation of a novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez has spurred interest
in the book, sellers said Saturday ... more Add
a comment Rowling
goes potty
JK Rowling, whose seventh and final Harry Potter book last
summer ended with the teenage wizard happily married with three children, is threatening
legal action against a computer animator who is planning to write an eighth instalment
and post it on his own website ... more Add
a comment
17.11.07.
All fall down
Guinness is to launch the most expensive TV ad in its
80-year marketing history, with a domino rally that features cars, flaming hay
bales and grandfather clocks ... and books. See the ad here
(Thanks to Lee Kirk for the link) Add a comment Well-marked
trails for NY bibliophiles
The following are three book-shopping routes
where you can pluck out-of-print works from overstuffed shelves or root out gems
from boxes of new arrivals ... more Add
a comment Amazon
to unveil e-book reader on Monday
Online retailer Amazon.com Inc plans
to unveil its closely-guarded electronic book reader in New York on Monday, a
source told Reuters ... more Add
a comment Revenge
of the bookseller of Kabul
The real-life bookseller of Kabul has written
his own account of his life, in which he accuses Seierstad of abusing his hospitality,
telling lies about his family and offering a gruesomely distorted view of Afghan
culture to the outside world. Now he is looking for a British publisher for his
riposte — Once Upon a Time There was a Bookseller in Kabul — if he can find one
ready to brave one of the literary world’s more unlikely feuds ... more Add
a comment A
Rogue Bookshop appears and the books are free!
The shop is called the
Rogue Book Exchange and their tagline is: Have a book, leave a book - want a book,
take a book. "It's a free, nonprofit bookstore and we pay the rent by online selling
about one in 50 of the books that people give us." says Jenny Hamilton who owns
the shop with here husband ... more Add
a comment
15.11.07.
Father of the popular press remembered
After 500 years, a plaque to
the printing pioneer Wynkyn de Worde has been placed in St Bride's, Fleet Street
... more Add
a comment
Curator who stole antique atlas gets community service
former curator
who stole an antique atlas worth $65,000 from the Rockland County Historical Society
has been sentenced to 24 weekends of community service ... more I've
just found a more detailed article here Add
a comment What
the Dickens!
An author is on the hunt for his Holy Grail - a missing manuscript
relating to Charles Dickens which has not been seen for 80 years ... more Add
a comment Ancient
Hebrew text to return to Israel
For six decades, Sam Sabbagh carried a
good luck charm — a parchment he found on the floor of a burned synagogue. Turns
out that parchment likely is more than 1,000 years old, a fragment of the most
authoritative manuscript of the Hebrew Bible. His family plans to present it to
a Jerusalem institute next week, officials said ... more Add
a comment
14.11.07.
The 2007 Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair
Over 120 rare book
dealers from the United States, England, Germany and The Netherlands are expected
to exhibit and sell rare, collectible and antiquarian books, modern first editions,
manuscripts, autographs, maps, atlases, and a plethora of other literary ephemera
... more Add
a comment Free
for All
Oddballs, Geeks, and Gangstas in the Public Library ... more Add
a comment Signed
Hitler book in Brisbane charity auction
The 1935 copy of Mein Kampf (My
Struggle), personally signed by Hitler, is expected to fetch more than $2500 at
the Brisbane Legacy Military Memorabilia Auction on Sunday ... more Add
a comment East
meets West at the Getty
Rare documents, books and art works now on display
in Los Angeles showcase the lively interaction between the West and China over
several centuries. Mike O'Sullivan reports, the exhibit at the Getty Research
Institute reveals a mutual fascination ... more Add
a comment
13.11.07.
Dante exhibition packs in visitors
A major exhibition exploring the
influence of the great Italian poet Dante on artists and writers over the past
200 years will stay in Grasmere until November 20, and is one of the most popular
ever held at Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum and Art Gallery ... more Add
a comment Marvel
Comics online archive
The comic book industry makes a long-delayed step
into cyberspace today when Marvel Comics unveils the industry's first online archive
of more than 2,500 back issues, including the first appearances of Spider-Man,
the X-Men and the Incredible Hulk ... more Add
a comment Christie's
pulls letters from sale after theft claims
Christie's International has
removed two lots from its Nov. 29 London auction of Russian books and manuscripts
after a cultural watchdog agency said they were stolen from the Russian State
Military Archives in Moscow ... more Add
a comment The
Decorated Letter
The Decorated Letter, at the J. Paul Getty Museum, the
Getty Center, November 13, 2007-January 27, 2008, explores the stylistic traditions
of decorated initials preserved from a period that spans over 700 hundred years.
Exhibition materials are primarily drawn from books of scripture and prayer, with
a few examples from the realms of law and history, and provide insight into the
trends that shaped medieval artistic production ... more Add
a comment
12.11.07.
What not to wear 144 years ago
Nowadays, frizzy hair is a curse usually
done away with by a decent pair of hair straighteners. But the wavy hairstyle
was de rigueur almost 150 years ago, according to the fashion bible of the time.
The Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine also advocated
accessories such as the unusually-named "gimp balls" - made of delicate fabrics
such as lace or silk and stiffened with wire which should be decoratively "placed
around the brim of the bonnet" ... more Add
a comment A
life in books
Surrounded by books, Liz and I sit down to chat about how
she came to live in Malta and become a book dealer ... more Add
a comment Rare
bible could sell for $100K
The mysterious illuminated bible that's causing
all the excitement is actually a three-volume amalgam of various texts and piece
of art collected from as far back as the 1500s, and then beautifully bound together
in the 1870s ... more Add
a comment Rare
maps returned
Precious maps stolen from Spain's National Library, including
some cut out of 15th and 16th century books by Greek astronomer Claudius Ptolomy,
were returned Monday after police tracked them to locations on three continents
... more Add
a comment
07.11.07.
Controversial book removed from Oprah's website
The children's book
The Education of Little Tree was pulled from Oprah Winfrey's list of recommended
books on her website, the Associated Press reported, and the talk show queen blamed
an archival error for keeping the work, which is considered the literary hoax
of a white supremacist, on the site ... more Add
a comment Chile
returns looted Peru books
Chile has returned almost 4,000 books to Peru's
national library, more than a century after they were taken by Chilean soldiers
... more Add
a comment Doing
some serious book work
"I was in a thrift shop in 1995 or 1996, and I
found a book about stained glass windows designed by Marc Chagall that included
two original Chagall lithographs. I bought the book for $40, which is a lot of
money for a thrift shop book," he said. "I sold it a day later for $850 to another
bookseller, and he sold it for $1,700 a week later. At that point, I got hooked.
It's like panning for gold. Anything can be anyplace at anytime" ... more Add
a comment
06.11.07.
From collector to dealer
Michael Sharpe Rare & Antiquarian Books has
just opened in a historic Craftsman house at 569 S. Marengo Avenue,Pasadena, with
a catalogued inventory worth around $8 million, about 20 percent of it from the
personal collection kept at his Pasadena home ... more Add
a comment Libraries
to be 'new channel' for direct marketing
A scheme to put thousands of
advertisements into library books will find borrowers taking home a little more
than they had bargained for ... more Add
a comment Ancient
Bible fragment given to Jerusalem scholars
An eight-centimeter-square
piece of the 1087-year-old Aleppo Codex will be given to a representative of the
Ben Zvi Institute in Jerusalem on Thursday, following 18 years during which Israeli
scholars tried to retrieve it from businessman Sam Sabbagh ... more Add
a comment Gandhi
letters reach India
The mysterious buyer of Mahatma Gandhi’s letters from
an auction in Sotheby’s this year has turned out to be Britain’s fashion king
Tom Tar Singh, who owns New Look, a chain of nearly 500 fashion stores sprinkled
all over UK and Paris. Singh bought the original manuscripts for 45,600 pounds
and handed them to the ‘Indian nation’ at a function held on Monday evening at
the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library ... more Add
a comment
05.11.07.
A very special store
I found the Lame Duck Bookstore when I wasn’t
looking for it. Searching for Raven, a popular used bookstore in Harvard Square,
Cambridge, I found myself before the Lame Duck. The sign said, “Rare, Out of Print
and Antiquarian Books”. I had never been inside a proper antiquarian bookstore
before — had not dared to because I was certain I could never afford a really
rare book ... more Add
a comment Bound
for posterity
In its 60 year history, the Folio Society has acquired a
small army of members – from serious collectors to death row inmates – and bombarded
them with everything from the Dead Sea Scrolls to ‘The Diary of a Nobody’ and
books on Mediterranean cooking. Joseph Connolly admires its high-minded zeal –
and splendid choice of paper ... more Add
a comment Man
Utd gets into the record books with $1.6m book
A book on the history and
exploits of Manchester United set a world record price for a sporting publication
last week when it was sold for $1.6m (£800,000) ... more Add
a comment 'Wrong
man' in Kipling son's grave
War historians believe that a different officer
who died at Loos in 1915 lies in cemetery ... more Add
a comment
02.11.07.
Retreat where Dickens stayed to be sold
Sherborne House, an 18th-century
stately home in Dorset which once hosted Charles Dickens but has since fallen
on hard times, is to be sold after failed attempts to transform it into an arts
centre ... more Add
a comment Nazi
stolen art books given to US
Two photo albums showing art looted by the
Nazis during World War II are being donated to the US National Archives. The leather-bound
albums contain photos from which Hitler and his curators could choose art for
the Fuhrer's art museum in Linz ... more Add
a comment John
Gardner
John Gardner, who has died aged 80, was the consummate thriller
writer, producing more than 50 novels. But he owed his reputation to James Bond.
His early success came with send-ups of the Bond genre, and he was to find greater
fame, if not satisfaction, in reinventing Agent 007 almost 20 years after the
death of the secret agent's creator, Ian Fleming ... more Add
a comment
01.11.07.
Truly haunted shop
"There is compassion evident in her pranks," said
Nialle Sylvan, who asserts that she works with a ghost named Claire. Sylvan, who
owns the Haunted Bookshop, 520 E. Washington Street, said her first experience
with Claire was the second night in the shop. That's right, night ... more Add
a comment Rowling
completes Potter spin-off
Author JK Rowling has completed a set of handwritten
fairytales which were mentioned in her last book, Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows. There will be just seven volumes of The Tales of Beedle the Bard and
they will not be published. One copy will be auctioned to raise money for her
charity, The Children's Voice, and the author will give away the rest of them
... more Add
a comment Wainwright
for the iPod generation
The solitary sage of the Lake District, who used
to hide from fellow walkers and deny his name if questioned, has been "recreated"
by new technology to act as a companion on the fells. A free download of the late
Alfred Wainwright grumpily chatting his way up Helm Crag is launched today by
the Cumbria tourist board for those who want to wander lonely with an iPod ...
more Add
a comment Conserving
manuscripts the indigenous way
A four-day meeting-cum-workshop of experts
on manuscript technology began at the National Mission for Manuscripts in the
Capital on Monday. The chief objective of the meeting is to divert emphasis from
chemical conservation of manuscripts to utilising indigenous methods and techniques
of conservation ... more Add
a comment Missing
manuscript
The holy Quran handwritten by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb has
gone missing in Kashmir. The Quran was kept in a Srinagar museum ... more Add
a comment Ayckbourn’s
missing play found
An early play by Sir Alan Ayckbourn has been found
more than 40 years after it was presumed destroyed, completing the 70-volume canon
of his manuscripts ... more Add
a comment | 
