31 May 2010
A book is like a garden carried in the pocket.
(Chinese proverb)
And it’s nice to think that it is a kitchen garden rather than a flower bed. After all, vegetables feed and nourish you. And so do books. And there is another parallel between books and vegetables – and that’s variety, lots of different types.
Beside the Sea is an acquired taste, like spinach or beetroot. You either love it or hate it. Peirene Title No 2, Stone in a Landslide, is a more straight forward culinary delight. I picture runner beans or strawberries (yes you do indeed find them in a kitchen garden). The book is out this month, so have a read. Amazon has already got it in stock and the first five reader’s stars have been awarded. Peirene’s summer fete will of course be the launch party on the 10th of June where the actress Claire Skinner will read excerpts from the book and litres of chilled Rose will flow. Come along.
With all these sunny feelings floating about, it is quite surprising that Peirene and I still manage to do some work. But we do. Or rather: we are getting better in delegating. Sacha Davison –Lunt, Peirene’s designer, is preparing the covers for next year’s books and also the new catalogue, Laura Watkinson is translating "Pamplona Tomorrow" from the Dutch and Anthea Bell is rendering the German "Next World Novella" into English. And last but not least I am absolutely thrilled that Maddy Pickard, who until recently has worked for the Arts Council and the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, will become Peirene’s first ever Marketing Director.
And one more piece of good news: On the Peirene website we now have an added feature:You may also like. You’ll find it under each book info on the Books page. Book recommendations by readers who enjoyed a Peirene title. Stone in a Landslide has already evoked a couple of suggestions. Simple Heart by Gustave Flaubert - for a similar story, Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri - for similar usage of language and Love and War in the Pyrenees by Rosemary Bailey - for the same historical background.
Please send me an email if another book comes to mind while reading one of Peirene’s.
Have a sunny June.
Meike