Persephone Books are about to publish their 100th title. Started by Nicola Beauman in 1999, Persephone has become my favourite publisher & the source of the most interesting reading I've done in the past 13 years. There's a newly redesigned
website, plans for a bookshop tour in a 1957 Morris Traveller filled with Persephone books & the enticing thought of commemorative Emma Bridgewater-designed goodies to buy. The new website is well worth a look. The books have been sorted into categories that make it very easy to find a particular area of interest - from WWII to Country Life, Diaries to Social Comedy. This is also a great help when shopping for presents.
I've reviewed several Persephones on the blog (the links are over on the right under Persephone Books) but I read most of my Persephones before the blog. I'm thinking of a little Persephone project for next year. Rereading one of my favourite Persephones every month & reviewing it here. Choosing my favourites will be the difficult part of the project!
I wrote about my love for Persephone Books in the very early days of the blog
here. I also took part in Persephone Reading Week & showed off my Persephone collection
here. And I spent Sunday afternoon looking back at the very first Persephone Quarterlys, remembering the excitement I felt when I discovered this publisher that reprinted books I was desperate to read, often by authors new to me.
Persephone Books nos 99 & 100 will be
Patience, a novel by John Coates &
The Persephone Book of Short Stories. I'm looking forward to reading both of these very much &, in the meantime, I have several unread Persephones on the tbr shelves including
The Winds of Heaven by Monica Dickens &
No Surrender by Constance Maud.
Congratulations Persephone on the publication of Book no 100. May there be many more to come.
The new website looks great, and like you I'm looking forward to the Bridgewater!
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed they'll be available for overseas fans & not just from the shop.
DeleteI'm newer to Persephones, but I'm lucky in that I have a long, long list still to discover. And I was so tickled last week to see a quote from my blog on the Forum! It's interesting -- the public libraries here don't have many (practically none!) but the university library where I work has dozens. And an Emma Bridgewater/Persephone commemorative item? Yes, please!!
ReplyDeleteYou're lucky to find the books in your uni library, Audrey. Are they Persephone editions or just the original editions of the same titles?
DeleteI had my first glimpse of the new website this afternoon, it looks wonderful! Love the idea of a bookshop tour.
ReplyDeleteI do like the new website, more an enhancement of the old one than a completely new site. Wouldn't we both love to be in England right now?
DeleteCongratulations to them indeed! I love the idea of you revisiting your favourites, and would love to read that series!
ReplyDeleteI've decided to also reread some of the books that I didn't love first time around like Every Eye and Marjory Fleming and see if I've changed my mind. Maybe a whole year of re-evaluating my Persephone collection!
DeleteOh my goodness, 100 titles? Impressive. I have only 10 or 12 of them. Just wish they weren't so expensive. But it's the postage that's killer.
ReplyDeleteTrue, Lisa, if only we lived a little closer to the UK!
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