Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Congratulations Persephone!

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.

10 comments:

  1. The new website looks great, and like you I'm looking forward to the Bridgewater!

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    1. Fingers crossed they'll be available for overseas fans & not just from the shop.

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  2. I'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!!

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    1. You're lucky to find the books in your uni library, Audrey. Are they Persephone editions or just the original editions of the same titles?

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  3. I had my first glimpse of the new website this afternoon, it looks wonderful! Love the idea of a bookshop tour.

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    1. I 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?

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  4. Congratulations to them indeed! I love the idea of you revisiting your favourites, and would love to read that series!

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    1. I'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!

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  5. Oh 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.

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    1. True, Lisa, if only we lived a little closer to the UK!

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