11th April 2013
Published today: The Vein of Gold by Julia Cameron and Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards
We are delighted to publish today two new books from two women known as the Queens of Creativity. If you’re searching for inspiration, look no further!
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards is the definitive, updated fourth edition of this landmark text in drawing tuition.
The Vein of Gold by Julia Cameron is the companion book to her worldwide best-seller, The Artist’s Way, and will guide you on the next step of your creative journey.
10th April 2013
Souvenir Press’ April newsletter
The latest issue of the Souvenir Press newsletter went out today. Featuring a fun brain-boosting puzzle, and information on our two new titles which are creative bibles, if you haven’t already signed up you can read our April newsletter here.
To get next month’s newsletter sent straight to your inbox, sign up here.
21st March 2013
Publication Day for HOW PUZZLES IMPROVE YOUR BRAIN by Richard Restak
How Puzzles Improve Your Brain includes more than fifty puzzles accompanied by an explanation of how each puzzle can improve your brain. Learn how to boost fourteen different brain functions, including concentration, logic, vocabulary and creativity.
Do you want to try a sample puzzle? This one is aimed at boosting your long-term memory, but it is just one of many in the book, all of which can improve your mental skills. To try a puzzle, click here.
14th March 2013
Publication Day for DO CHOCOLATE LOVERS HAVE SWEETER BABIES?
Do Chocolate Lovers Have Sweeter Babies? by Jena Pincott examines the secret science of pregnancy. It gives a eeper understanding of what is happening to both mother and baby during pregnancy. Full of surprising facts that will intrigue expectant mums and dads, this is the why rather than the how-to of pregnancy.
8th March 2013
The brand new Souvenir Press newsletter
Today, for the very first time, we sent out a monthly newsletter from us at Souvenir Press. To read our March newsletter, click here, and to sign up for future newsletters, click here.
We hope you enjoy our first ever newsletter, and we look forward to sending you next month’s edition of all the latest news, offers and updates from us at Souvenir Press.
5th March 2013
Do Chocolate Lovers Have Sweeter Babies?
In the Daily Mail today is a fascinating extract taken from Jena Pincott’s new book Do Chocolate Lovers Have Sweeter Babies?, to be published by Souvenir Press later this month.
Read the exclusive extract, and find out more about this insight into the surprising science of pregnancy here. Souvenir Press will publish Do Chocolate Lovers Have Sweeter Babies? in hardcover, paperback and as an ebook simultaneously on 14th March 2013.
31st January 2013
Introducing the Souvenir Press newsletter
To sign up for exclusive news, updates and offers from Souvenir Press, subscribe to our newsletter.
That’s right – we’re taking our next step forward in the digital world. Our monthly newsletter will contain all the latest from Souvenir Press, including new titles, competitions, links to exclusive free chapter downloads, and more.
So what are you waiting for? Sign up now!
28th January 2013
Join us on a Digital Diet
To see more regular updates from Souvenir Press, visit our blog.
February is the month of the digital diet here at Souvenir Press.
Inspired by Daniel Sieberg’s book THE DIGITAL DIET, one member of the Souvenir Press team will be embarking on a digital diet in February (though of course, not in such a way as to impact upon her day job). We will be blogging her progress here, and you can find out more about Daniel Sieberg’s book here.
It’s been suggested that too much technology has shortened our attention spans and disconnected us from our loved ones in real life. If you want to give the digital diet a go, get in touch! Who knows what it can do for you.
19th December 2012
Christmas Closure at Souvenir Press
To see more regular updates from Souvenir Press, visit our blog.
The Souvenir Press office will be closed from 5:30pm on Friday 21st December, reopening at 9:30am on Wednesday 2nd January 2013.
All trade orders and queries should be sent to Bookpoint and individuals can find our books at their local bookshop, or online from retailers such as Amazon.
You can also contact us through our Facebook page or Twitter account – these will be checked occasionally over the festive break, to answer any queries you may have.
And when you get a chance to put your feet up once the festive rush is over, it’ll be the perfect opportunity to read THE BOOK that everyone’s talking about – that John Lloyd described as “the best book I’ve ever read on the nature of what actually is, what the world is about, and how to behave.”
Wishing all our friends and customers a Happy Christmas, and a happy new year.
14th December 2012
Modesty Blaise is back!
To see more regular updates from Souvenir Press, visit our blog.
The iconic 1960s heroine Modesty Blaise, subject of thirteen novels all published by Souvenir Press (as well as years’ of cartoons), has been resurrected by BBC Radio 4. A TASTE FOR DEATH is to be serialised as a Christmas special by BBC Radio 4′s ‘Women’s Hour’, in five 15-minute slots from 17th to 21st December.
The script has been adapted by Stef Penney, author of ‘The Tenderness of Wolves’ and a well-known fan of Modesty. Daphne Alexander has been cast in the role of Modesty Blaise, alongside Alun Armstrong as Sir Gerald, and Carl Prekopp as her trusty sidekick Willie Garvin.
For more information about the radio adaptation, take a look at the BBC website. You can also buy a copy of A TASTE FOR DEATH to read the full story (because of course this is radio, some things just aren’t possible), and you can find out more about the complete series of Modesty Blaise books.
Modesty Blaise: A Taste for Death starts Monday 17th December at 10:45am on BBC Radio 4.
26th November 2012
Autumnal Updates from Souvenir Press
To see more regular updates from Souvenir Press, visit our blog.
The last couple of months have been very busy here at Souvenir Press. October saw the publication of A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE PIANO, the linguistic delight of BETTER THAN GREAT and WELCOME TO BISCUIT LAND, and then November saw the publication of our final new title for 2012: BUM FODDER by Richard Smyth.
But it’s the back-list titles that have been grabbing all the headlines in recent weeks. Professor Jo Boaler’s THE ELEPHANT IN THE CLASSROOM was featured in the Telegraph, and has subsequently been reprinted for the sixth time in the UK.
“The vademecum for any parent who is haunted by their child complaining that maths just isn’t for them… The Elephant in the Classroom… has attracted an enthusiastic and vocal fan club among mums, dads and professionals.” –The Daily Telegraph
And earlier this month it was THE BOOK: ON THE TABOO AGAINST KNOWING WHO YOU ARE by Alan Watts that has been making headlines, after John Lloyd chose it as his free-choice book on Desert Island Discs. Lloyd described it as:
“The best book I’ve ever read on the nature of what actually is, what the world is about.” –John Lloyd, Desert Island Discs.
To meet the huge demand generated by this programme, THE BOOK is again being reprinted, highlighting the ongoing appeal of Alan Watts’ philosophy. Originally published in the 1960s, this remarkable book continues to inspire and enlighten, fifty years on.
It’s been a great couple of months at Souvenir, and we’re not finished for the year just yet. More exciting news is due in the next week or two, so keep an eye out!
10th August 2012
Discover e-books from Souvenir Press!
Whether you read on the Kindle or the Kobo, on an iPad, iPhone, or other iDevice, it’s clear that e-books are on the up.
A large number of Souvenir Press titles are now available as e-books, and whatever your passion – be it sports, pets, literature, history – you’re certain to find something in our e-list to suit your tastes.
For offers and updates on our e-books, you can check our our dedicated Facebook page, as well as browsing our e-book list here on the Souvenir Press website.
There are a couple of great bargains up on the Facebook page right now, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to fill up your e-reader with some great titles from Souvenir Press.
24th June 2012
This is England ‘12
Well, the traffic has come to a standstill, the tubes are at max capacity, the queue for the London Eye has reached Greenwich… yes, the Olympic Games are well and truly upon us. So how can we best help the influx of guests to navigate and understand this pommy-paradise (and ace that new British Citizenship Test!)? By handing them a very useful guide to all that is TERRIBLY ENGLISH!
Cartoonist Rupert Besley runs a fond eye over all that is impenetrable about England, all that is weird, all that makes this country so very, um, English.
So, first things first…
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IN ENGLISH
1 Thou shalt underplay things generally
2 Thou shalt not leave thy chariot in thy neighbour’s parking spot
3 Thou shalt pretend to get the joke even when thou doesn’t
4 Thou shalt have a different type of sauce to hide the taste of every dish thou tasteth
5 If thou seeeth a queue, thou shalt join it – at the right end
6 Thou shalt have appalling dress sense
7 Thou shalt mock thy betters
8 Thou shalt spend thy senior years looking out to sea
9 Thou shalt always lose on penalties
10 Thou shalt not talk about things like politics, religion, philosophy, illness, money or sex
Words & image © Rupert Besley, TERRIBLY ENGLISH, Souvenir Press 2012
Read about the book here. WARNING! May contain jokes and hilarious cartoons throughout.
28th June 2012
Jane Darke nominated
Our author Jane Darke has been nominated for the Holyer an Gof Award, the most prestigious literary award for Cornish interest literature, for her autobiographical book HELD BY THE SEA.
“A very favourable comparison between Held by the Sea and Joan Didion’s Year of Magical Thinking… Jane mourns with the sea constantly in her sights… Anyone who knows the beaches of North Cornwall will know that they are possessed of a special kind of light, well-recognised by the Newlyn artists… somehow I sensed that ‘light’ reflected in the pages of Held by the Sea. There is grace here along with that life-saving glimmer of hope for anyone feeling that pain of loss.”
Dovegrey Reader blog
“It takes a strong woman to present their grief to the world and Jane Darke does a tremendous job of it in this book. A truly emotional read that will leave you with a tear in your eye and a heart full of admiration.”
Cornwall Today
Winners will be announced soon.
Good luck Jane!
Find the full list of nominees here
14th June 2012
Fine (cover) art
Edvard Munch’s famous painting, ‘The Scream’ recently sold for a record $120 million after just 12 minutes of bidding. The work was snapped up at one of the highest prices every paid for a piece of art.
Munch’s other works can be coveted at a much more reasonable price on the jackets of our series of eight uniform edition books by Knut Hamsun. In a ‘Cover Love’ review, blogger RobAroundBooks said the decision to use Munch was “a stroke of genius”.
Not only would you be getting a million dollar piece of art, but also the extraordinary work of the “most outstanding Norwegian writer since Ibsen” (Times Literary Supplement). Knut Hamsun, the controversial author who famously supported his country’s invasion by the Nazi’s in 1940, pioneered psychological literature and received a Nobel Prize in Literature. Hamsun’s writing evokes stunning imagery and lyricism.
Just look at what they say about his masterpieces:
“I read these novels with the gently expanding recognition due only to the great writers” Doris Lessing, The Independent
“Hamsun is one of the great writers of this century – his nearest British equivalent being I suspect Thomas Hardy. Hamsun’s novels have the simlicity of total self-posession, of the clearest possibly understanding of the human world… a unique beauty of expression.” Sunday Times
“Hamsun has the qualities that belong to the very great, the completest omniscience about human nature” Rebecca West
“The whole modern school of fiction in the twentieth century stems from Hamsun.” Isaac Bashevis Singer
“Thanks to Souvenir, readers can now reclaim extraordinary works such as the eerie MYSTERIES and the epic GROWTH OF THE SOIL… an unsettling master of modern fiction.” The Independent
Here is a complete list of our Hamsun titles and corresponding Munch cover artwork.
-Mysteries (1892) – ‘Snow Falling in the Lane’, 1906.
-Victoria (1898) – ‘Moonlight’, 1895.
-Tales of Love and Loss (1890s) – ‘Despair (Fortvilelse)‘, 1892.
-Dreamers (1904) – ‘Two Human Beings. The Lonely Ones‘, 1899.
-The Growth of the Soil (1917) – ‘Winter, Kragero‘, 1912.
-The Wanderer (1906/1909) – ‘The Wave’, 1921
-The Women at the Pump (1920) – ‘Red Virginia Creeper‘, 1898-1900.
-Wayfarers (1927) – ‘Train Smoke‘, 1900
To find out more about the books click here
The art of Edvard Munch will be on show at both The Tate Modern from 28 June to 14 October 2012 and the Scottish National Gallery of Art till the 28th September.
For more information about the Tate Modern exhibition click here
For more information about the Scottish National Gallery of Art exhibition click here
8th June 2012
Book launch event – THE HEART OF CARE
Amanda Waring will be signing copies of her new book, THE HEART OF CARE, at the Chichester Waterstones on Tuesday 12th June from 12 – 1pm.
Amanda is taking a stand to improve the physical and emotional care of the elderly. Her book is a very important guide to compassionate person-centred care.
Visit her website HERE
8th June 2012
A novel gift
Skip the socks and coffee mugs for a more special Father’s Day present this year from Souvenir Press’s eclectic list of great books and ebooks. From football to aliens, whatever your Dad’s interests, the team here at SP have put together some suggestions that’ll be sure to delight and entertain.
The SciFi Dad
THE HIDDEN SCIENCE OF LOST CIVILISATIONS by David Wilcock
Exposes many great secrets: DNA transformation, consciousness science, wormholes, stargate travel, scared geometry, ancient conspiracies, multidimensional time, the Maya calendar and a stunning new model of galactic energy fields triggering mental, biological and spiritual evolution.
MUTANT 59 by Kit Pedlar & Gerry Davis (only on ebook)
Based on the classic sci-fi series Doomwatch, Mutant 59 imagines one of the most terrifying tragedies that modern science could create, a chilling and topical story of what happens when scientific research goes wrong and spreads terror through London (and endangers the world).
The Sporty Dad
THE DAY A TEAM DIED by Frank Taylor
The classic account of the Manchester United Munich air disaster that destroyed one of the greatest teams of English football.
MEET SEBASTIAN VETTEL by Andrea Cremonesi and Marco Degl’Innocenti
This fully colour illustrated biography follows Sebastian Vettel s life and career from his first encounter with his hero, Michael Schumacher to his ascent to Formula 1 and becoming its youngest ever driver at just 19.
The Muso Dad
THE BALLAD OF BOB DYLAN by Daniel Mark Epstein
“Daniel Epstein’s thoughtful examination of Dylan s life and work… will send you back to his music with your ears reopened and your mind refreshed.” –Mail on Sunday
A CELLARFUL OF NOISE by Brian Epstein (only on ebook)
What was the secret of Brian Epstein’s management of the Beatles, how did he guide a group from Liverpool to shake the world of popular music? In his own words, this is the inside story of his discovery and management of the world’s most famous rock ‘n’ roll band.
The Literary Dad
THE HARD LIFE by Flann O’Brien
Fuelled by an uproarious comic energy, it’s easy to see why many critics have saw fit to elevate O’Brien up alongside James Joyce and Samuel Beckett. –The Crack
BLUE MOVIE and THE MAGIC CHRISTIAN: The Terry Southern collection
“An authentic artist, a true original.” –The Guardian
The Magic Christian is a hilarious and wickedly original satire of America s obsession with money, TV, guns and sex.
Fuelled by drugs, monstrous egos and rampant libidos Blue Movie is hilarious, wildly erotic and a biting satire on Hollywood, Terry Southern’s revenge against the madness of Hollywood which he had already endured for a decade.
The Techy Dad
THE DIGITAL DIET by Daniel Sieberg
“Do you constantly check your phone for messages and feel separation anxiety if you re away from it for any length of time? If so, you could need to redress the balance. Helps you manage the time spent on gadgets. Written in a fun and accessible four-step plan.” –The Sun
5th May 2012
Beyond 2012
“Our destinies on earth are being carefully and meticulously guided by a hidden intelligence – a living energy field the entire Universe is built from” David Wilcock, THE HIDDEN SCIENCE OF LOST CIVILISATIONS
David Wilcock, author of THE HIDDEN SCIENCE OF LOST CIVILIATIONS (ISBN) is embarking on his worldwide tour this week. David is a professional lecturer, filmmaker and researcher of ancient civilizations, consciousness science, and new paradigms of matter and energy. After lectures in Toulouse (May 5-6) and Amsterdam (May 11-12), David will begin his hugely anticipated ‘Beyond 2012 Tour’ of Australia and New Zealand where he will delve into the astounding truths of humanities history and existence, covering such points as:
Did human extraterrestrials visit Earth — and predict a Golden Age will culminate in the year 2012, freeing us from evil, fear and doom?
-Did the founding fathers of America inherit this prophecy — and encode it?
-DNA Transformation
-Consciousness Science
-The Existence of Wormholes
-The Existence of Stargate Travel
-Breakthroughs in Sacred Geometry
-Ancient Conspiracies
-The Existence of Multidimensional Time
-2012 & The Mayan Calendar
-AND MUCH MORE
For more information about dates and tickets, check out the official David Wilcock website DIVINE COSMOS
To find out more about David Wilcock’s very exciting book click HERE Now available in ebook.
30th April 2012
Welcome to Biscuit Land…
You may have read about “the woman who says ‘biscuit’ 900 times a day” and the great excitement her upcoming book is already causing.
The woman, Jessica Thom, has Tourette’s Syndrome, which means she has verbal and physical tics over which she has no control. We are thrilled to be publishing Jess’s first book WELCOME TO BISCUIT LAND: A Year in the Life of Touretteshero (978 0 285641 27 3) in paperback and ebook in October this year.
WELCOME TO BISCUIT LAND is a moving, shocking and funny insight into a year in Jess’s life and the whole spectrum of her experiences (not to mention the truly surreal verbal tics). The book also features Jess’s own tic-inspired illustrations and a foreword by Stephen Fry.
Find out more about the book HERE
DAILY MAIL article HERE
BBC TODAY PROGRAMME interview HERE
THE SUN HERE
BOOKBRUNCH article HERE
9th March 2012
New books
Our latest catalogue of new books & ebooks, and selected backlist for Spring is out now. Click HERE to view online or contact us for a hard copy. Enjoy!
16th February 2012
Have you done your research?
Here we bring you a roundup of some exciting upcoming events in the Arts world… and the Souvenir Press titles to match!
Last year it was James Franco in Howl, this year it’s Daniel Radcliffe in Kill Your Darlings: Allen Ginsberg has certainly been a popular man to portray of late. Some excellent background reading on the subject is THE BEATS: A GRAPHIC NOVEL by Harvey Pekar (of American Splendor fame). Illustrated throughout, this is a unique overview of the writers who shaped the Beat Generation – Ginsberg, Kerouac and Burroughs among them.
Members of the Berliner Philharmoniker will play at the Southbank Centre in March. Before seeing the cabaret-style performance, you might be interested to know about the orchestra’s mysterious and dark history with the Nazi’s in THE REICH’S ORCHESTRA by Misha Aster. Richard Morrison of The Times described it as, “A revelatory new book that chronicles the horribly close relationship between the most famous orchestra on the planet and the most evil regime the world has ever known.”
From Sir Simon Rattle: “For many decades, the history of the Berlin Philharmonic during the Third Reich was shrouded in mystery – an ethical taboo. Aster has finally broken the silence, navigating this terrible era with clarity, insight and sensitivity. The Philharmonic’s experiences during its early years as a co-operative, followed by the period under Goebbels’ control, were fundamental to shaping both the orchestra’s musical culture and its organisational development ever since; the historic personalities and struggles are instantly familiar to the musicians today. With this book, Aster has made an important contribution to the conscience of our orchestra.”
XINGU, our book by the Villas Boas brothers, has been made into a Brazilian film, directed by Cao Hamburger and to be released in April. Drawn from diaries written over twenty-five years by Orlando and Claudio Villas Boas, the book (and film) chronicle the brothers time spent with the Amazonian Indians, and one of the great environmental victories of the twentieth century. The film will feature in the Berlinale International Film Festival.
Watch the trailer here
17th January 2012
WIN WIN WIN!
“My wife used to call me Glow Worm. Every night she’d see my face illuminated by some sort of screen, even when I was lying in bed. Carrying all your devices into the bedroom doesn’t make for great intimacy.” Daniel Sieberg, author of THE DIGITAL DIET.
Guilty of tech addiction? Tell us why you think YOU need a DIGITAL DIET and be in the running to win a signed copy of Daniel Sieberg’s much talked about book.
Tweet your answer @SouvenirPress or comment on our Facebook page.
UK residents only. Competition closes Friday 20th 2012, 5:30pm.
Good luck!
9th January 2012
New Year’s resolution #1
THE DIGITAL DIET author Daniel Sieberg is in London this week with a question for all the technology gluttons out there – is it time for a digital detox?
“Many of us now spend our days with our head in the high-tech “clouds.” And then there’s that nagging voice telling us that despite our unprecedented connectedness, we sometimes feel more overwhelmed and, ironically, disconnected, than ever before,” Daniel said in an article for the Telegraph.
If this resonates with you, it may be time to take a step back, and rethink the way you incorporate technology into your life. Daniel recommends starting with a brief one to two day detox of all techno gadgets – so, log out of Facebook, put away that game controller, and switch off that smartphone!
THE DIGITAL DIET includes a four-step, 28-day plan to break your tech addiction and regain balance in your life.
Work out your Virtual Weight here
FREE EVENT!
Is it time for a Digital Detox?
Date: Tuesday 10 January 2012
Time: 6.30-8pm
Cost: Free
Venue: Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building, London School of Economics
Speaker: Daniel Sieberg
Chair: Dr Ellen Helsper
Amazon: BUY
Book Depository: BUY
13 December 2011
Merry Christmas from Souvenir Press!
As our 60th year of independent publishing draws to a close, the team here at Souvenir Press share their recommended reads and last-minute gift ideas for the holiday season. In true Souvenir spirit, it’s rather an eclectic mix!
“POLITICALLY CORRECT BEDTIME STORIES will guarantee a laugh (especially with the new story The Duckling That Was Judged on its Personal Merits and Not its Physical Appearance). While children are probably still satisfied with the traditional fairy stories (sorry, “bedtime” stories), this tongue-in-cheek approach is perfect for adults. A fun little book that will make a great gift, as long as you don’t decide to keep it for your own entertainment once you’ve read a story or two!” Emily
“I found FAREWELL BABYLON to be a fascinating description of everyday life in Baghdad dating back to the 1940’s. It provides a vivid account of the once thriving Jewish community, which had lived in harmony with their Christian & Moslem neighbours for thousands of years, since biblical times, and disappeared through persecution and emigration over a period of three decades. Given Iraq’s troubled history over the last few years this is a fact often forgotten and I found Naim Kattan’s narrative of the events that lead to this tragedy compelling reading.” Linda
“If you love animals, you will love MAD ABOUT THE DOG. I’m not even really a dog person but I found this story about the author Belinda Harley and Goofy, a stray she found in Greece, so endearing and special – it even made me cry. Short and easy to read, I think this would make a perfect stocking filler for any animal lover.” Amy
“I was intrigued by Sulak Sivaraksa’s THE WISDOM OF SUSTAINABILITY and his idea of Buddhist economics. It all seems to be doom and gloom at the moment and Sulak offers an alternative viewpoint, that economic success ought to be measured by happiness and not product – a more interesting gift for the globally aware.” Nathan
“When we first published Michelle Morris’ IF I SHOULD DIE BEFORE I WAKE in 1983, it was a novel years ahead of its time – a literary classic about the fundamental taboo of our society – incest. Now, 28 years later, it retains its power and suspense that has brought high endorsements from fellow writers. It’s a book that truly takes the reader into another place.” Ernest Hecht
“I highly recommend LED BY THE NOSE. Jenny Joseph describes a year in her garden through all the senses, from smell and touch to the sound of ice cracking underfoot. Like Jenny Joseph’s poetry this is a sharply observant and idiosyncratic book that celebrates the pleasures of daily life to be found around us.” James
21 November 2011
Happy Birthday Harry’s Bar!
This week Harry’s Bar on the Rue Daunou in Paris celebrates its centenary. The bar is one of the three most famous in the world and more than 100 years after its opening, it continues to delight devotees who enjoy the distinctive atmosphere of American cocktail bars. Famous for being the watering hole of Ernest Hemingway and Jacques Prévert, Harry’s Bar is also the birthplace of many well known cocktails including the Bloody Mary.
The official Harry’s Bar cocktail book, HARRY’S ABC OF MIXING COCKTAILS, contains over 300 recipes and uniquely sports a thumb index, to make finding your favourite recipe even easier.
The most famous cocktail to have been invented at Harry’s is the Bloody Mary (legend has it that it was named after Ernest Hemingway’s wife) and the original, and best, recipe is included here:
In a shaker or directly into a large tumbler put:
- ice
- 6 dashes of Worcester Sauce
- 3 dashes of Tabasco
- pinch of salt
- pinch of pepper
- juice of ½ lemon
- 2 ounces of Vodka
Fill the remainder of the glass with top quality Tomato Juice, and above all no celery salt.
Amazon: BUY
28 October 2011
Souvenir Press 60th Anniversary Celebration:
“I only drink champagne when I’m happy… and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink when I’m alone. When I have company, I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it when I’m not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise I never drink it – unless I’m thirsty.” Lily Bollinger
The Champagne flowed and the high spirits soared at the Souvenir Press 60th Anniversary of independent publishing on Tuesday 25th October at the Royal College of Music.
Guests – over 250 authors, agents, publishers, ex-colleagues and friends – were greeted by the company’s founder, Ernest Hecht, in the spectacular Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall for a Champagne reception and much banter. They were then led to the beautiful Britten Theatre for a theatrical treat in the form of the sensational Sir Willard White singing the songs of Paul Robeson.
White, accompanied by Neal Thornton on piano and Richard Bolton on guitar, received a standing ovation for “Robeson Re-Explored” – a musical and narrative tribute to the great Paul Robeson. The concert included a mix of spirituals, folk songs and classics such as Some Enchanted Evening and Ol’ Man River. The audience were particularly enthralled by White’s powerful rendition of the Russian folk song Song of the Volga Boatmen, sung in the mother tongue.
The evening was a great success and Souvenir Press now look forward to the next anniversary (some creative suggestions have already been received with a raised eyebrow).
24 October 2011
Tintin’s adventures on the silver screen:
This week, one of this year’s most highly anticipated films, The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn hits UK screens. Directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by Peter Jackson and starring Daniel Craig, Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Nick Frost and Simon Pegg, the movie sees Tintin and his friends discover directions to a sunken ship commanded by Captain Haddock’s ancestor, which naturally leads to a treasure hunt.
To mark the occasion we are reissuing the acclaimed novel TINTIN IN THE NEW WORLD by Frederic Tuten that picks up with Tintin when the adventures have stopped, and life has gotten a whole lot more real.
Created in 1929 by Herge, Tintin’s adventure series went on to sell 230 million copies and has enthralled generations of fans, yet Tintin never grew up.
Herge gave Frederic Tuten permission to re-imagine Tintin in the twentieth-century – a real world of painful love and self-awareness.
And so we first meet Tintin brooding in Marlinspike Hall, where Captain Haddock diagnoses him as bored and restless. A mysterious letter summons him to Machu Picchu, beside the Inca ruins, where he meets a group of European refugees, among them the glamorous Clavdia Chauchat. Tintin falls in love for the first time.
Tuten leads Tintin to a philosophically tragic view of the world that can only be understood as the result of the most adult of experiences: sex and death. TINTIN IN THE NEW WORLD is one of the most acclaimed novels of recent decades: witty, avant-garde, investigating the darkest urges of the human soul balanced with the desire to embrace all living things.
The fantastic cover image is taken from a collage exclusively created by Roy Lichtenstein for this book.
Amazon: BUY
Book Depository: BUY
3 October 2011
A freedom fighter in London: “An extraordinary book: courageous, horrifying, sad, and funny.” The Times
Justice Albie Sachs is in London this week to launch his book THE SOFT VENGEANCE OF A FREEDOM FIGHTER in its new updated and expanded edition.
One of the major political memoirs of the twentieth-century, the book now includes a new introduction by novelist Professor Njabulo S Ndebele to coincide with the original forward by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and a moving epilogue by Sachs.
After being arrested and placed in solitary confinement for his work in the anti-apartheid movement, Sachs was then forced to live in exile in Mozambique. In 1988, whilst working there as a human rights activist lawyer, his life took another dramatic turn when he was blown up in his car by agents of the South African apartheid regime. He lost his right arm and the sight in his right eye.
THE SOFT VENGEANCE OF A FREEDOM FIGHTER is an intimate and moving account of his recovery and his re-entry into life and the emergence of an apartheid-free South Africa.
In 1994 Sachs was appointed as a judge to the Constitutional Court of South Africa by Nelson Mandela and retired in 1999.
Albie Sachs will be ‘in conversation’ with Simon Fanshawe for English Pen in Brighton on Wednesday 5th October.
Published in the Independent Voices series alongside Martin Luther King Jr’s STRIDE TOWARD FREEDOM (9780285639010) and John Howard Griffin’s BLACK LIKE ME (9780285638570) for a new generation of readers.
17 August 2011
Nature’s lessons for a kinder society : The London riots paint a bleak picture of social behaviour and human compassion. The burning question – what can we do about it? Perhaps our countries leaders could take a leaf out of Frans de Waal’s thought provoking book, THE AGE OF EMPATHY. From behavioural research into various animals such as chimpanzees, leopards, dolphins and elephants, de Waal shows how empathy in fact comes naturally to many animals, including humans. He examines how we are actually predisposed to take care of one another, come to one another’s aid, and, in some cases, take life-saving action. Maybe we aren’t designed to be selfish and in competition with each other? Where has it all gone wrong?
We will be publishing THE AGE OF EMPATHY (978 0 285640 38 2) for the first time in ebook and paperback in September. Stay tuned!
15 July 2011
Souvenir books in the news this week: Nobel Prize winner Wole Soyinka recommended our book MEMOIRS (978-0285648111) by Pablo Neruda in Time Magazine’s ‘Pack Your (Book) Bag’ summer read special saying, “I found it fascinating. I know his poetry, but I’d never read about his life, and afterwards I could understand how the poems came out of the man.”
Wilhelm Reich’s THE FUNCTION OF THE ORGASM (978-0285649705) was featured over four pages in the Guardian. Norman Mailer was quoted as saying of the book, “It was like a Pandora’s box to me… What was important to me was the force, and clarity and power of [Reich’s] early works. And also the fact that I think in a basic sense he was right”.
Normal Mailer’s famous essay THE WHITE NEGRO can be found in our book PROTEST by Max Gartenberg (ed).
6 July 2011
The power of man, the suffering of animals and the call to mercy: “We are called to treat them with kindness, not because they have rights or power or some claim to equality, but in a sense because they don’t; because they all stand unequal and powerless before us.”
The recent shocking footage of the brutal slaughter of Australian cattle in Indonesian abattoirs has brought animal cruelty to the forefront yet again.
After the footage was aired, an international outcry sparked animal welfare probes and led the Australian government to ban live cattle export to the Asian nation.
Now published for the first time in the UK as part of our Independent Voices series, the definitive work on the subject of animal rights – DOMINON by Matthew Scully.
“The most eloquent recent plea on behalf of animals.” The New York Times Magazine
A political speechwriter, Scully advocates that when it comes to the mistreatment of animals, we, as humans, do have choices – violent practices do not have to go on. Powerful and moving, this very important book should not be ignored.
Read an excerpt from DOMINION here.
Praise for DOMINON from the Chief Executive of Compassion in World Farming here.
23 June 2011
Eat like a King: Think you know how a Tudor banquet would have looked? Think again. Take a peek into the dining hall and kitchens of King Henry VIII in ALL THE KINGS COOKS by Peter Brears (9780285638969), published this month.
The food historian puts right the romanticised idea of a Tudor banquet:
“The perceived picture is one of belching, farting, throwing food around and having busty wenches leaning over you all the time… like in the movie Shakespeare in Love and TV series The Tudors… but unfortunately it’s all rather inaccurate.”
For example… “If the King’s glance told you he wanted a drink of wine you would kneel down in front of his table, take the lid off, pour a few drops into the lid, sip that to test it, then wipe the brim with a napkin, pass it to him, he would take a swig, pass it back and you would put the cover back on. That would happen for every swig.”
Read the full interview with Peter Brears in the Yorkshire Evening Post here
25 May 2011
FAIRY SPELLS reviewed on Mysterious Britain blog: Fairy Spells (9780285634701), a book that is constantly reprinting, includes 17 major Victorian fairy paintings, many of which were included in a Royal Academy Exhibition. The review on Mysterious Britain has been reprinted in The Bookseller magazine.
“This is an interesting mix of a book… about the world of fairies and how to connect with them. There are a few spells especially in chapter four about how to summon fairies, how to protect yourself from them and how to be welcomed into their realm.
On the whole the book is informative and explains the connection between fairies, angels, the great goddess and nature; the hours best to seek out fairies and the oils to anoint and protect. It explains the impish and mischievous nature and how to deal with the playfulness of these ethereal beings. It is not a read for the faint hearted however: connecting to the otherworld requires a great deal of knowledge, timing and chanting according to the author.
The book is beautifully written and well researched and the illustrations will be recognised by anybody interested in this topic. Claire obviously knows her subject and contends that she is descended from a long line of herbalists and wise-women.”
25 May 2011
Hamsun shapes lives: Literary critic Mariella Frostrup chooses VICTORIA by Knut Hamsun as the number one book that influenced her life.
25 May 2011
HELD BY THE SEA compared to Joan Didion: The popular literary blog, Dove Grey Reader, has favourably likened Jane Darke’s new book HELD BY THE SEA (9780285638594) about her life after the death of playwright husband Nick Darke to YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING by Joan Didion.
READ FULL ARTICLE HERE
The Cornish Guardian speaks to author Jane Darke:
22 May 2011
The best of the bunch:THE BALLAD OF BOB DYLAN by Daniel Mark Epstein (9780285639003) has already been enthusiastically recommended.
The Sunday Times devoted two pages of review to it:
“What sets Epstein’s book apart is its accessibility… Refreshingly direct and approachable… it is his own clear, emotional enthusiasm that carries the tale.”
‘Sunday Times’
The Daily Telegraph said:
“Epstein offers a portrait that explodes the semi-hostile cliché of much unauthorised biography. New interviews and photographs add depth to an account distinguished by a fine sensitivity to all aspects of Dylan’s art, from the personal to the music’s history, but Epstein also manages to put across a significant amount of biographical detail.”
‘Daily Telegraph’
The BBC 6Music programme endorse the view that this is the best of the Bob Dylan titles coming out on his 70th birthday:
“Most interesting is Daniel Mark Epstein’s ‘The Ballad of Bob Dylan’… It’s very lyrical, in that it’s quite poetically written but also uses the lyrics as the sort of basis for talking about Bob Dylan. If you feel that you have an insatiable thirst for Bob Dylan biographies, you will be well served this month, probably best served by this one.”
Alex Heminsley, ‘Nemone’
’6Music’
The Evening Standard includes it in a Happy Birthday Bob Dylan special:
READ FULL ARTICLE HERE
22 May 2011
Woody Allen Reviews REALLY THE BLUES: Woody Allen has this week highlighted one of our music titles, REALLY THE BLUES by Mezz Mezzrow in compiling his list of the five major books that have made the most impact on him.
Like this? Read on.
REALLY THE BLUES, a cult favourite, appears in our Independent Voices series where we also have the definitive Jazz novel of the sixties, THE HORN by John Clellon Holmes (9780285638648).
“The Horn must come to be acknowledged as that important work of American fiction about jazz… Mr Holmes has some provocative things to say about our culture, in a dense and thoughtful book that sustains more readings than one.”
‘The New York Times Book Review’
Holmes is a leading member of the Beat generation. Their words immortalised in our graphic biography THE BEATS by the legendary Harvey Pekar, Paul Buhle and Ed Piskor (9780285638587).
“A worthy introduction to the makers of Howl, Naked Lunch, On the Road, Turtle Island and a small library’s worth of enduring books.”
‘Kirkus Reviews’
22 May 2011
Breathe in, breathe out, and drop the Coke: Sulak Sivaraksa, author of THE WISDOM OF SUSTAINABILITY (978085638983), is interviewed by the Independent and even has some personal advice for David Cameron.
“If David Cameron wishes to take fresh advice on how to increase happiness… he might find it fruitful to study a new book by Sulak Sivaraksa… Sivaraksa’s view is that true happiness is not to be found in material gains or in the constant pursuit of unlimited growth, but starts with the search for inner calm.”
‘Independent on Sunday’
He was also interviewed by the Telegraph:
LISTEN TO AUDIO HERE
22 May 2011
Just BRILLIANT! Jane Brox’s BRILLIANT (9780285638990) has lived well up to its title. As well as winning a couple of new prizes in the USA recently, there has been two-page article by the author in the Independent on Sunday:
“Before the advent of artificial light, humans had to go to bed when the sun went down. Jane Brox traces the story of man-made brightness, and how it has changed the way we live and see forever.”
‘Independent on Sunday’
The Sunday Telegraph said:
“An illuminating study… Fascinating… Brox’s concern for the local, the everyday, the rural and the poor gives her book a universal appeal.”
‘Sunday Telegraph’