Legend Press

Great summary of discount danger

Have often found myself spouting about the route heavy discounting, particularly by the supermarkets, is taking the publishing industry. And also the reaction from the trade, with a seemingly predictable response without the realisation that supermarkets could happily sell our precious product for a 1p each simply to drive store traffic. New strategy is needed, for instance using store power to widely promote and create new stars at higher margin – and by being the first to 'unveil' those stars, thereby aligning them with the store's brand.

Well, after John Grisham's attack on US discounting on his books (well done, John), the Amercian Booksellers Association (ABA) said this, which I think sums up the situation nicely:

"What's so troubling in the current situation is that none of the companies involved are engaged primarily in the sale of books. They're using our most important products – mega bestsellers, which, ironically, are the most expensive books for publishers to bring to market – as a loss leader to attract customers to buy other, more profitable merchandise. The entire book industry is in danger of becoming collateral damage in this war."

Good to seem them taking such an active role (have written to the Department of Justice) and let's hope we find those new strategies sooner rather than later.

Tom

Philip Leslie - The History of Us

Philip Leslie, author of the brilliant The History of Us has just signed up to MySpace. Become his friend by clicking here to get up to date information on Philip and his writing.

Philip also has a really interesting blog http://www.thehistoryofphilipleslie.blogspot.com/ which is well worth a visit. Author blogs are a fascinating way to get into the mind-set of an author. Feel free to leave a message... you never know you may inspire there next book!

Lucy

Breaking News - Obama Music!

Just a quick note to say that there will be a short film screening for Obama Music on BBC 4, BBC America and BBC World at 7pm tonight!

So if you're having a night in, be sure to tune in!

Lauren

Nigerian edition of In Dependence to be released

The Nigerian edition of In Dependence by Sarah Ladipo Manyika is soon to be released, and here is an exclusive look at the new book cover. We are really excited about the launch of this book and we will be keeping you up to date in the coming months regarding the planned publicity and events for the title.

To find out more information about Sarah's Nigerian publisher Cassava Republic please visit their website by clicking here.

Lucy

Obama Music reviewed in the Herald and the Bookbag

Obama Music

by Bonnie Greer has been reviewed by the Scottish Herald and popular online blog The Bookbag

The Herald review spoke about Bonnie's appearance on Question Time and commented:

That encounter was far from Greer’s first brush with politics, and in this book she argues that only the South Side of Chicago could have produced an African-American man capable of making it all the way to the Oval Office. The current administration in Washington is, she says, “a South Side presidency”.

A British citizen for the last 12 years, Greer is from Chicago herself, and Obama Music is as much about her formative years as it is about the president. Woven through this book is the complex sociology of Chicago, an Irish-run town where the annual St Patrick’s Day Parade seemed to her like a Kremlin march-past; where chitlins were on the table every Sunday; and where the first wave of Afro-centrism inspired her friends to adopt “names a yard long and attitudes to match”.

To read the Herald review click here. To read the Bookbag review click here.

Lucy

If I Never 'As rich as blood sausage'!

'If I Never' has received an excellent review on Gregg Farley's blog.

'I received the book some time ago and it went into the tall stack next to my bed and I finally got to it last month. Lucky me, after plowing through a series of mediocre or overly dense and didactic tomes. Finally something to sink my teeth into. If I Never is a novel as dark as the late British afternoon in winter. As rich as blood sausage, and as satisfying as a full English breakfast. The setting is the northeast of the UK and the scenes are a mix of tough urban areas and Gothic-romantic countryside. The story revolves around a reclusive young man, Price, without a sense of smell. He falls in love with a woman who sweats too much — and has an odor problem. They are both classic misfits and they fit together perfectly. But, the even bigger misfit and miscreant is their mutual friend George, who gets them into a world of trouble. The story is about Price’s struggle to take control of his life and become assertive enough to get what he wants. It’s a well-written story, seriously good literature, ultimately upbeat without being saccharine.'

To read the review in full click here!

Lucy

Exclusive footage from the launch of OPERATION UNDERWORLD

See below for exclusive footage from the Dublin launch of the fantastic OPERATION UNDERWORLD by Paddy Kelly. Telling for the first time how the US Government and Navy worked with the Mafia to secure the waterfront in World War II, it is fantastic to see the novel brought to life! Make sure you've ordered your copy of this history changing book.

Bitmead Bursary Photos!

Thursday evening saw Ruth Dugdall crowned winner of the Luke Bitmead Bursary Award.

Click the tab on right hand side, to view all photos from the fantastic event, including all runners up.

Lauren

On the move - bear with the phoneline!

After a over two years of, happily, sharing office space, Legend Press and Paperbooks are moving to our own office - a LP & PP HQ! But as we are moving everything across, the phoneline will be down for a, hopefully, short period so if you want to get in touch just email (info@legend-paperbooks.co.uk)

Normal service will be resumed in due course!

Tom

Winner of the Luke Bitmead Bursary announced

Unpublished author Ruth Dugdall from Suffolk has been announced as the winner of the 2009 Luke Bitmead Writer’s Bursary, in a ceremony in Central London last night. Ruth received a cheque for £2,500 as well as a publishing contract with Legend Press for her novel The Woman Before Me. The novel will be published Summer 2010.

Two additional prizes were awarded on the night to 2nd and 3rd place writers Iain Laurie for his novel Smilers and Bea Davenport for her novel Kill & Tell. The winners were chosen from a shortlist of 10 authors by a judging panel including best-selling authors Sam Mills and Zoë Jenny, Luke’s mother and sister and representatives from Legend Press.

The bursary is funded by the Luke Bitmead Memorial Fund, founded by Luke’s family in association with Legend Press in 2006, shortly after Luke’s tragic death at the age of just 34. Luke’s book White Summer was the first novel to be published by Legend Press and Luke was one of the UK’s most talented up-and-coming writers. Legend Press are delighted to be working with Luke's family to ensure that Luke’s name and memory lives on. The bursary was set up to encourage and support the work of struggling talented writers, whose work is yet to be published. The winner of the 2008 bursary Andrew Blackman published his novel On the Holloway Road with Legend Press in February 2009. This year’s bursary received double the number of submissions as last year.

Tom Chalmers, Managing Director of Legend Press, commented: ”We are delighted to announce Ruth as the winner of this year’s Bursary. The judging panel were gripped with Ruth’s writing and we can’t wait to start working with her on this superb novel. Life is often incredibly tough for aspiring writers, and this bursary offers the perfect opportunity to support and develop talented authors. We are delighted to work with Luke’s family on this award, and from working with Luke, I know he would be delighted at the opportunity the bursary creates.”

Author and judge Sam Mills commented: 'I am amazed that Ruth's book - the winner of a Debut Dagger in 2005 - hasn't been picked up by publishers up until this point. But their loss is our gain! 'The Woman Before Me' is a stylish, intelligent psychological thriller that kept me turning pages from the word go. I have no doubt she will soon be entering the bestseller lists.'

Luke’s mother, Elaine Hanson commented: “The Luke Bitmead Memorial Fund has been set up for two reasons, firstly to give support to unpublished fledgling writers, particularly those who have striven to work through the disempowering feelings of anxiety and depression. Secondly to eradicate the stigma that prevents mental health problems being discussed openly enabling support and understanding. It is so uplifting to hear that The Royal College Of Psychiatrists last week launched its own cards specifically designed to be sent to people with mental health problems. With the rock solid support of Legend Press it feels as if we are helping to encourage creativity and inspire openness and compassion which must help generate a healthier environment for us all.”

Lucy

On the Holloway Road spotted out and about in Venice!

Josie Henley-Einion author of the brilliant Silence has been spotted in Venice reading On the Holloway Road by Andrew Blackman. It is great to see Legend Press authors reading other Legend Press books and spreading the world both nationally and globally!!

Announcing the Luke Bitmead Writers Bursary tonight

We are very excited about the announcement of the winner of the Luke Bitmead Writers Bursary 2009 tonight!

The event (in a couple of hours!) brings together 10 exciting and talented short-listed authors, with the winner announced around 7:30pm.

We are delighted to be organising this award with Luke's family. It was a pleasure reading the hundreds of submissions we received and being introduced to so many talented writers.

We look forward to announcing the result on the blog tomorrow.

Lucy

Operation Underworld Launch

Last week was the Dublin launch of Operation Underworld the fantastic new book by Paddy Kelly. The event took place in Hughes and Hughes, St Stephens Green, Dublin.

The event included dramatic performances from actors, as well as a great after party.

Paddy Kelly commented: "Heartfelt thanks to the Russian Embassy, the Tivoli Theatre, Hughes & Hughes, The Irish Daily Mail and especially all the fans which showed up despite the weather and lent support. This event was a fine example of the level of professionalism possible in the Independent sector."

To view the photo album click here!

Order your copy of Operation Underworld now - £7.99 

Lucy

Watch William Coles on the BBC

It was great to see our very own William Coles on BBC 1 show Inside Out last night. William was taking part in a fascinating programme about the disappearance of Lord Lucan, offering fascinating new evidence from the daughter of Lord Lucan's surgeon, who may have changed his appearance after the murder.

If you missed the programme or do not live in the South East the show can now be viewed on BBC iPlayer by clicking here.

If you are unfamiliar with the Lord Lucan mystery, the show offers a very interesting introduction to this fascinating case that has the police and the media puzzled for over 30 years.

William Coles is the author of Lord Lucan: My Story.
Order your copy of Lord Lucan: My Story now - £7.99 

Lucy

Luke Bitmead Writers Bursary 2009

The annual church flower festival at Combrook in Warwickshire this year included a beautiful memorial to Luke and his writing presented by Sarah Orton. We thought it was a fitting tribute to include these photos on our blog this week, as we will be announcing the winner of the second Luke Bitmead Bursary on Thursday evening. We look forward to meeting all the short-listed writers and celebrating the evening with Luke's friends and family.

William Coles on BBC 1 Tonight

William Coles author of the fantastic The Well-Tempered Clavier and Lord Lucan: My Story is appearing on BBC 1 in the South East this evening on Inside Out at 7:30pm. Bill will be speaking as a Lord Lucan expert on a programme about the missing Earl. Below is a bit about William and his writing:

I'm a journalist - or, more appropriately, a hack. I spent six years in the provinces, before joining The Sun in 1994, and found, to my total amazement, that I loved it. Then, not one year later, I had one of the luckiest breaks of my life: Prince William went to Eton. Suddenly my bosses realised that they were onto an absolute banker. The funny thing was that although we ran numerous stories about Etonians (punters love nothing more than reading about toffs and their misdemeanours), we very rarely ran anything on William. The Prince was strictly taboo.

I went on to be the Sun's New York correspondent, covering most of the Americas and the Caribbean. My weirdest story? Being sent at vast expense to the Inca Trail in Peru to eat a guinea-pig.

And my biggest story? Well it lasted for an entire year - and it all began in January 1998, when this oddity came up on the web that the President, Bill Clinton, had been having a fling with one of his interns ...

And as it turned out, although the US press derided the story, the reality exceeded even our wildest tabloid dreams. After a couple of years in New York, I had a year in the Lobby and a year as the paper's royal reporter, but I left The Sun in 2000 to go freelance - and to write books.

I've been writing these books for some time and finally - finally - I got one off the ground two years ago. It was a romantic novel, The Well-Tempered Clavier. The book has just been published in America by Soho Press, under the title Prelude.

My latest book, "Lord Lucan: My Story" could not be more different. But to my mind, it addresses one of the greatest and most enduring mysteries in Britain today. What on earth happened to Lord Lucan after he killed his nanny in 1974 and then disappeared off the face of the earth?

There are dozens of books that have been written about Lucan, but basically nobody's got a clue where he is. My book is the first one to tell the story in the man's own words. I hope, I think, that I have done it justice.

Are you a candidate for UK Young Publishing Entrepreneur of the Year?

It is great to see the British Council is again open for entries for the UK Young Publishing Entrepreneur of the Year Award once more. I was lucky enough to be shortlisted two years in a row - the second leading to a publishing trip to Argentina. Along with invites to a number of over high-profile events, I would say that the trip was one of the most beneficial experiences, both personally and professionally, I have been through since starting Legend Press.

For details on how to enter this year's Award, click here. This year, the six finalists will undertake a study tour to South Africa in February/March. The finalists will visit Cape Town and Johannesburg to learn about the dynamics of the sector, and attend the 13th Time of the Writer International Writers’ Festival in Durban.

Applicants must be aged 25-35, with three years industry experience and be UK-based (plus can apply whether working for yourself or for a company). If you feel you may fit the bill, or know someone who does, or are just happy to spread the word, then I strongly suggest having a look at the Award.

Tom

Bonnie Greer on Question Time last night

Part of one of the main news events of the week, it was great to see Bonnie Greer standing her ground on Question Time last night against BNP leader Nick Griffin.

The debate has widely been covered across the national media today including in The Daily Mail, The Scotsman and The Times.

Bonnie Greer was born in Chicago where she later studied with David Mamet, before moving to New York to study at the Actors Studio with Elia Kazan. She has been living in Britain since the late 1980s where she has carved a reputation; she’s won numerous awards, including the Verity Bargate and has been a judge on many prizes including the Orange Prize for Fiction. Bonnie regularly contributes articles to the Guardian, Telegraph, Independent and Marie Claire as well as appearing for comment on TV and radio. She is also just completing collections of short stories and essays and her latest play, Marilyn and Ella will be moving to the West End in 2009.

Obama Music by Bonnie Greer is published on 31st October. The book is now available to order using the link below.

Pre-order your copy of Obama Music now - £7.99 

Lucy

Lord Lucan to appear on BBC Inside Out on Monday

William Coles, author of the fantastic Lord Lucan: My Story is appearing on BBC show Inside Out in the Southeast on Monday. The show will be aired at 7:30pm.

William will be interviewed alongside other Lord Lucan experts and people that knew him. Including Carolyn Ann Watson, the daughter of Lord Lucan's surgeon. To see more information click here!

Lucy

 

Bonnie Greer on Question Time

Tonight, Bonnie Greer - author of Obama Music featured in this cycle of Exclusively Independent - will be appearing opposite BNP leader Nick Griffin on Question Time.

There's lots of controversy surrounding the presence of the BNP, in what seems to be one of the highest profile appearances, the show has had to date.

BBC1 10:35pm - be sure not to miss out!

Lauren

Lord Lucan's devilled kidneys in The Times

Lord Lucan's favourite recipe for devilled kidneys has been featured in the Times this morning in an article about men's cooking.

Gentlemen, of course, cook mainly offal. The writer William Coles, who has just published a life of that kitchen bad boy, Lord Lucan (Legend Books), claims to have uncovered the dish that Lucan would cook late at night to bolster his spirits after a ruinous evening at the Clermont Club. It was devilled kidneys. Some people can’t stand kidneys: the smell and leathery texture closes a door on many women. But devilling, with its Raj-era spicing is a gorgeous way to serve any pungent meat.

Here I’ve slightly adapted Fergus Henderson’s recipe for kidneys, which comes from his great “nose to tail” cookbook The Whole Beast, which every red-blooded bachelor should own. Henderson suggests eating them for breakfast with Black Velvet (champagne and Guinness, mixed 50/50); but I like serving them at the end of a dinner party, as a savoury.

Devilled kidneys

Ingredients

8 lambs’ kidneys (two per person is quite a lot)
3 dessertspoon flour
1 tsp hot cayenne
1 tsp Colman’s mustard powder
Knob of butter
Worcestershire sauce
30ml chicken stock
Wholemeal toast

To see the article click here!

Lucy

A new decade begins...

Well, the 'young publisher' tag is officially no more and I've reached a landmark that maybe at time appeared the least likely. For today is my 30th birthday, a whole 5 years since I started Legend Press at a sprightly 25.

I am of course accepting it graciously and hope the next decade with be a fantastic and memorable one. And in the tradition spirit, the sickeningly young Lucy and Lauren welcomed me with the giant cookie pictured. With my Granddad mug from Lauren last Christmas, I think the message is clear.

Right, now to crack on with work with a new found level of maturity, or maybe just some maturity.

Tom

Frankfurt Book Fair

 So last week, the Legend Press team were out in force, this time at the Frankfurt Book Fair.

Arriving in what felt like sub-zero temperature there was little time to stop as we spent the next three days flitting around the fair.

With the focus of our efforts on Rights, Sales, Projects and Media, we had plenty to keep each of us busy. The only thing slowing us down was our embarrasing lack of the German language!

Click here to see some fabulous photography  from Lucy and myself, including the famous frankfurter and pretzels that seemed to be a common sight!

Lauren
 

New Exclusively Independent List!

Into the November cycle now, and the new titles for Exclusively Independent have been chosen!

HEARTLAND by Anthony Cartwright (Tindal St Press)

MI5 WAKING THE WORLD by Matt Thomas (Tony Potter)

MR DARCY, VAMPYRE by Amanda Grange (Sourcebooks Inc)

WE, THE ACCUSED by Ernest Raymond (Capuchin Classics)

MRS LINCOLN by Janis Cooke Newman (Myrmidon)

ROADS AHEAD edited by Catherine O'Flynn (Tindal Street Press)

A SON CALLED GABRIEL by Damian McNicholl (Legend Press)

OBAMA MUSIC by Bonnie Greer (Legend Press)

PASTORS AND MASTERS by Ivy Compton-Burnett (Hesperus Press)

GHOSTS OF EDEN by Andrew JH Sharp (Picnic Press)

Non fiction, fiction, children's books, short stories, and a reprinted classic added to the mix, hopefully a bit of everything for you. We're excited to be working with a few new publishers this time around, adding even more variety to the selection.

Lauren

Visit Paddy Kelly's website

Please go and visit the fantastic site of Paddy Kelly, author of the brilliant OPERATION UNDERWORLD, which launched at the start of October.

To visit the site, just click here.

Operation Underworld is a fantastic, fast-paced novel and also reveals for the first time how the US Government and Navy worked with the Mafia to secure the waterfront during WWII – and the details are astounding. On Paddy's site there is also a host of other details about his wide-ranging writing and work.

Enjoy!

Tom

Gary William Murning Interview

The second part of Gary William Murning's interview with The View from Here has just been published:

Some of the violence in the book is treated with comical undertones - was that because you wanted to soften the tone of the book with humor?

I'm not sure why that happened that way, actually. It just developed naturally, and I certainly never made a conscious decision to soften the violence. I think it just fit with the general tone of the novel... there's a mildly comic undertone to most aspects of it so I guess it just bled through (no pun intended) into the more violent scenes.

Often in novels it takes a while for the boy to get the girl - in If I Never they get together in an interesting but very quick way, although the novel does spend a lot of time reflecting on the nature of their relationship - how key was all this to the story you wanted to tell?

I hate preamble. It's something I was quite prone to in my earlier work and these days I like to cut to the chase, so to speak. The relationship between Price and Tara is fundamental to the novel -- the one thing that interested me most of all -- so I suppose the quickness of their developing relationship stems from my own selfish need to get to what interested me most. I didn't want it to be a novel about falling in and out of love. I wanted, I suppose, it to be a novel about being in love whilst having to contend with some quite extreme external (and internal) pressures. So, yes, it was quite important to get right into the thick of who they were together.

To read the interview in full click here!

Lucy

Mark Piggott house-swapping in Paris

Mark Piggott, author of Fire Horses, and Out of Office (out March 2010) has written a great article for the Times about house-swapping in Paris. Below is a taster:

Our Paris homeswap adventure begins ominously: Emma, our 5-year-old daughter, vanishes between the Metro platform and the train, and we haul her to safety. On entering the apartment, a lightbulb pops, and we’re plunged into darkness.

Finally, we’re about to take a stroll when our key snaps in the lock. We are locked out of a stranger’s apartment with no money and it looks like rain. Emma begins hopping about urgently: “I need a poo . . .”

After a swift search, we stumble across a town hall. Entering, I smile sheepishly at the receptionist: her eyes widen. Suddenly unable to recall even a basic civil greeting, the first French word I learnt at school springs to mind. Smiling cheesily, I point at my daughter. “Erm ... merde?”

The receptionist’s eyes widen further, but she appears to get the message. We manage to locate the caretaker, a fearsome woman in her forties, who, after asking some no doubt pertinent questions, gives us a key.

It feels odd, being in a stranger’s home like burglars, their photos and personal effects all over the place; we will never meet, our trains passed each other beneath the Channel. Home-swapping is increasingly popular not only because it saves on hotel costs, but also because by staying in someone’s apartment — a rather small apartment — we’re experiencing the “real” Paris, away from the tourist traps, buying groceries in local shops and doing our best to integrate.

First thing next morning, there is a knock at the door: it’s the caretaker. Wine bottles, we deduce from her animated gestures, are not to be thrown down the rubbish chute: the sound of bottles breaking echoed round the block late into the night. My wife is escorted to the recycling bins.

To read the article in full click here!

'an interesting and unusual book' - In Dependence

In Dependence, the brilliant debut novel by Sarah Ladipo Manyika has been reviewed in the School Librarian which has a great circulation across the UK. The review highlights In Dependence as 'an interesting and unusual resource for older secondary school pupils interested in African Studies.'

Visit Sarah's website by clicking here!

In Dependence will shortly be published in Nigeria by publisher Cassava Republic. To visit their website click here!

Lucy

Gary William Murning interview

Gary William Murning, author of the brilliant If I Never has done a very interesting interview on the View from Here.

How did you get your publishing deal with Legend Press and how did that make you feel?

I actually approached Legend a few years ago with an earlier project -- a quite experimental (for me, at least!) "literary" ghost story called The Realm of the Hungry Ghosts. That particular novel didn't quite fit their list but further work was requested so I sent along If I Never. And, as is sometimes the way with publishing, the person I was dealing with at the time moved on to pastures new and I pretty much assumed that that was that. I knew from past experience with other publishers that when a sympathetic editor leaves the opportunity usually goes out the door with them -- so I pretty much forgot all about it. I got on with other projects and didn't even try submitting If I Never elsewhere (something I can't really explain... I usually submit pretty widely.) Then, out of the blue, about eighteen months later I heard from Tom Chalmers -- Mr Legend himself -- letting me know that he'd like to discuss If I Never with me. Naturally I replied pretty promptly!

How did it made me feel? Initially, extremely excited. The conversation I had with Tom went exactly how I would have wished. He made it very clear that everyone who had read If I Never had really enjoyed it and that they wanted to publish it. More to the point, he seemed to "get" what I was trying to do with my fiction. He saw that whilst I wanted to write work that would be extremely entertaining, and also wanted my work to have a little depth -- layers of meaning that the reader could explore if he or she wished.

It really was a wonderful feeling... but then came the short wait for the contract be signed and so on and so forth. That was hell -- not because of any contractual problems or difficulties with Legend, I hasten to add. That all went splendidly. No, the problem was that I managed to convince myself that everything was going to go pear-shaped! There was one week in particular when I was a complete pain to live with! All worth it, though!

To read the interview in full click here!

Lucy

On the way to Frankfurt!

We're currently at the airport and are on route to the Frankfurt Book Fair - the largest fair in the publishing calendar. It's my 4th or 5th visit now, it all blurs into one, and Lucy and Lauren are attending for the first time so Legend Press and Paperbooks will be out in force.

We hope it will prove extremely successful for all of our books and we will be trying to provide updates over the next four days and will be twittering (as I believe they say) throughout - so visit us there as well.

Tom

Bonnie Greer to appear on Question Time with BNP leader

Bonnie Greer, author of Obama Music (published on 31st October) will be appearing on BBC's Question Time on the 22nd October. The controversial edition will also feature BNP leader Nick Griffin.

The news has been covered across the nationals this morning in The Guardian, The Times, The New Statesman, The First Post and The Daily Record, as well as many others.

Bonnie Greer was born in Chicago where she later studied with David Mamet, before moving to New York to study at the Actors Studio with Elia Kazan. She has been living in Britain since the late 1980s where she has carved a reputation; she’s won numerous awards, including the Verity Bargate and has been a judge on many prizes including the Orange Prize for Fiction. Bonnie regularly contributes articles to the Guardian, Telegraph, Independent and Marie Claire as well as appearing for comment on TV and radio. She is also just completing collections of short stories and essays and her latest play, Marilyn and Ella will be moving to the West End in 2009.

Lucy

Jae Watson - The Magic Formula

Jae Watson, author of Fragile and Journey has written an interesting article about writing for the Writing Magazine.

My first novel, Journey, was published by Legend Press in March 2007 and my second, Fragile, in June of this year.

Before publication I wondered what the key was, the magic formula. I attended conferences and literary festivals, nurturing a fading hope of finding the answer. Here are the things I gleaned, helping me cross that fine, elusive line dividing unpublished and published writers.

Find your own style – Publishers know if your style is forced; they won’t read on. Natalie Goldberg says write what your mind actually sees and feels, not what it thinks it should think and feel. Capture the wild energy of first, unedited, thoughts.

Write – I believe I became a writer when I treated it as a job, not a hobby.

Write what you know – A much bandied phrase, but what does it mean? I think it is about authenticity. Journey tells the story of two friends who travel to India with dramatic consequences when one drowns in the Ganges. I have never drowned but I do swim in rivers. I have travelled in India; I know how the Ganges looks at different times of the day. I had to research Hindu cremation ceremonies, but I already possessed certain experiential knowledge and this, I am told, gave my story authenticity.

Fragile looks at three characters, one who is transgendered; one who uses a sperm donor and the third who searches for her father with… you guessed it… dramatic consequences. My work and life experience, rather than first hand knowledge, enabled me to write with authenticity.

Accept advice - Join a discerning writer’s group. We don’t need to be told our writing is nice; we need to know how to make it publishable. Consider paying for a critique, such as one offered by WritersServices.

Like good wine give your work time to breathe, you’d be surprised what you see with fresh eyes. Make your material as strong as possible before sending it into the lion’s den.

To read the article in full click here!

Lucy  

The Joys of Modern Living by Mark Liam Piggott

Sarcastic as we expect, Mark Piggott has written a great article for the Home Defence website, see below for a taster:

Books

In my 80’s squatter days I rather liked Ian McEwan’s short stories. Having read ‘Atonement’ (long, rambling, pretentious, dull, with absolutely no redeeming features) I swore I’d never read him again. On reading about ‘On Chesil Beach’ I briefly contemplated performing auto-lobotomy using an electric drill purely to expunge his name from my synapses.

Films

I once saw a film in which a pleasant young couple in 70s America came into all this money and weren’t sure what to do with it. In the end they heard a church bell and decided to give it all to the vicar. But even that pales into insignificance next to ‘Runaway Bride’.

Music

Anyone who says The Smiths, Joy Division and Radiohead are depressing utterly doesn’t get it. Hearing those bands is like finding your soul’s echo: someone else has been there, done that, felt the damn pain. If you really want to be depressed, listen to MC Hammer.

Poetry

As with music, people who claim Larkin, Plath or Bukowski are depressing don’t know the meaning of the word. Depressing poetry is bad poetry, and for bad poetry look no further than Andrew Motion, particularly anything that celebrates the monarchy. Go on: I defy you to read his rap poem commemorating Prince William’s 21st birthday without weeping bitter tears at the extent of man’s inhumanity to man.

My Crap Flat

Like most people I’ve lived in my fair share of dumps. For six months as a teenager I lived in a violent, alcoholic bloke’s cellar, and then for three years in a London squat. Actually it wasn’t even a squat; it aspired to be a squat. Before moving in we had to clean the stairs with a shovel; every window was broken by glue-sniffing lesbians (who lived there); and we had a dog that liked to eat your socks them vomit them up as you had breakfast.

All this was as nothing compared to the bedsit a mate and I shared above an Indian restaurant on the Holloway Road. There were no windows; every time you turned on the light maggots crawled to safety; and the toilet didn’t have a door, just a block of wood your mate had to put in place.

When drunk (which was often) putting “wood in th’hole” often proved too tricky so we started to urinate in empty cider bottles. After a year or so they began to mount up. The day I got the letter saying I was getting my own housing association flat I saw a bottle and without thinking took a deep draught then sprayed it everywhere. It seemed a good time to leave.

To read the article in full click here!

Lucy

If I Never featured in the Herald and Post

Today Gary William Murning, author of 'If I Never' has been featured in his local paper the Herald and Post.

 

Order your copy of If I Never now - £7.99 

Lucy

Sarah Ladipo Manyika - featured Waterstone's author

It was great to see this week that Sarah Ladipo Manyika, author of the brilliant In Dependence has been featured on the Waterstone's website as a featured author of Black History Month 2009.

Sarah was in great company with other featured authors including Barack Obama, Andrea Levy, Chinua Achebe and many others.

To see the list click here!

To see Sarah's entry click here!

Lucy

What ever happened to Lord Lucan?

William Coles, editor of the infamous 'Lord Lucan: My Story' has just written an article regarding the possible wherabouts of the Earl, see below

I would hazard that hardly anyone, over the age of 35, in Britain today has not at some stage wondered what happened to Lord Lucan. And the sheer beauty of this conundrum is that no-one has the first clue what happened. There are so few facts to go on, that you can surmise anything you like - he could be dead; eking out his life as a vagabond in South America; or even living like a sultan in some Asian palace. Who knows?

All we know for certain is that his nanny, Sandra Rivett, was murdered in November 1974 - though by Lucan's hand or someone else's, no-one has any idea. We know that Lucan made a few phone calls, wrote a few letters, dropped in on a friend, and then ... disappeared off the face of the earth.

Despite his thoroughly pedestrian life before then, Lucan has become one of the most extraordinary legends in British history. How different it would have been if, a few weeks after the murder, Lucan's body had been discovered. It would have been a great scandal for a few months - but within a year or two, Lucan himself would have been forgotten.

No, what makes it so interesting is that we all of us revel in this delightful mystery. The murder itself is now forgotten, and few people can even remember the name of the nanny. Instead, all that we are left with is this intoxicating tale of a very handsome British Earl becoming a fugitive.

Anyone else, of course, wouldn't have stood a chance of getting away from the country. A mere English citizen would have been caught within a few weeks, because without help and money, it would have been quite impossible to have stay hidden.

But Lucan was quite, quite different. He had contacts the like of which we can only dream of. Not only were they rich, but fabulously rich. The likes of Sir James Goldsmith and John Aspinall didn't just have the means to help Lucan out; they'd have loved to have helped out their old mate. They wouldn't have minded in the least at helping out a mate who was a murderer. Breaking the law of the land? No problem at all - at least not to help out a friend. This, then, is what makes the Lucan story so enticing. Not only is it possible that the fugitive Lucan managed to escape from Britain, it's highly probable.

But did they do it?

To read the article in full click here!

Lucy

Last week to submit your short story for the 2010 collection

We plan to publish the new collection in Spring 2010 and are calling for writers to send in their submissions by 16th October 2009. A summary and full description of the brief are given below. We look forward to reading, and hopefully publishing, your work!

Guidelines

· Short-story of approximately 7,000-10,000 words

· Your story should be based on a ‘Journey’ whether literal, or the writer’s own interpretation of the word.

· Authors should write in a stream-of-consciousness-style

· Non-genre-specific

· Stories should be thought-provoking and original. We want to feel moved and inspired by these stories.

Submission procedure

·Please submit stories to Legend Press by email to submissions@legend-paperbooks.co.uk by 16th October 2009. Stories should be saved in a separate attachment and begin with a short description of your story.

If you would like to organise an alternative method of submission or have any queries please email lucyboguslawski@legend-paperbooks.co.uk. Any questions or queries just let us know and we’ll try to get back to you as soon as we can.

·Visit the books and reviews page of our website -- www.legendpress.co.uk -- for details of the first four collections in the series, The Remarkable Everyday, Seven Days, Eight Hours and Eight Rooms.

Full description:

The theme of this year’s collection is ‘Journeys’. Writers are invited to interpret this theme any way they wish: whether a literal journey (for example a trip, pilgrimage etc), an emotional journey (divorce, birth etc) or any other way you wish to interpret the theme. Unlike previous collections your story is not restricted to a particular time-scale, place or setting.

The theme ‘Journeys’ we believe will create a broad collection of stories, due to the many interpretations of the word. We want this book to reveal a mix of powerful snapshots from a range of different lives. The short stories included will be selected in such a way that they will simultaneously compliment and contrast each other, combined compellingly to create another of Legend Press’ unique brand of short-fiction collections.

In keeping with the previous four short story collections the 2010 publication will consist of ‘longish’ short stories, of 7,000 – 10,000 words. By using longer-than-usual stories, the collections are the perfect cross over of the novel and the short story – combining a strong element of what modern readers love about the novel, whilst providing the convenience and accessibility of the short story.

We would like each story to draw inspiration from a stream-of-consciousness style of writing and to follow the actions/thoughts of a single main character.

As with all Legend Press publications, we are looking for fiction that is non-genre-specific (i.e. no fantasy, sci-fi, crime, heavy romance, historical fiction, or thrillers etc) and of an accessible but high-quality writing style.

If you have any queries regarding teh submission of a short story please email lucyboguslawski@legend-paperbooks.co.uk.

Lucy

Jae Watson in Liverpool!

Jae Watson author of the brilliant 'Journey' and 'Fragile' was in Liverpool at the weekend promoting 'Fragile' at the main Waterstone's in Liverpool.

The event was a great success with lots of people buying signed copies. There were several fans of Jae's first novel 'Journey' at the event, and it is great to see people reading both novels. One student even mentioned that 'Fragile' was recommended reading on their university course.

Blurb:

Following the breakdown of her marriage, in desperation Beth Swann uses a donor bank in her hometown of Liverpool to start her family. 18 years later, her daughter, Julia, increasingly intrigued by the identity of her biological father, goes against her mother’s wishes and returns to Liverpool to complete the jigsaw of her background. Julia finds that not only Liverpool has changed but also her character, as she is drawn into an increasingly fraught and passionate journey that will turn her life upside down.

Fragile follows the lives of Beth, Julia and Jack, Beth’s ex-husband and closest to a father figure for Julia, on a roller coaster trip search for understanding and love – but, firstly, their identity

Lucy

Announcing the Luke Bitmead Writers Bursary 2009 short-list

After much deliberation and reading we are delighted to announce the 10 short-listed authors for the Luke Bitmead Writers Bursary 2009. This year's bursary received double the number of submissions, with hundreds of excellent entries. The winner will receive £2500 and a publishing contract with Legend Press.

The award is a fantastic chance to showcase before-unpublished authors and support the work of talented writers.

The short listed authors are:

Thomas Aldis - Web
Rowan Crombie - Deception
Bea Devenport - Kill and Tell
Ruth Dugdall - The Woman Before Me
Iain Laurie - Smilers
Garlen Lo - How to Sell Books
Kevin Loughnane - The Choosen One
Catherine Scott - Phil
Kate Winser - Fifty Percent Orphan
Marion Woolley - Lucid

The winner will be announced at an award ceremony on Thursday 29th October, details to follow.

We would like to thank everybody who submitted their work to the bursary.

Tom, Lucy and Lauren.

Fire Horses - 'compelling read'

'Fire Horses' the fantastic book by Mark Liam Piggott has received an excellent review from fellow Legend Press author Andrew Blackman on theredroom.com.

'the book is a compelling read, both for the development of Joe through the decades and for the backdrop of Britain changing just as much in the same period. There are some great political comments - again, something I normally don't like too much in fiction, but here they really work well (perhaps because I agree with them!). In this book you can really feel Britain being ripped apart in the 80s, limping through the 90s, and sinking to such a new depth of banality in the Blair years that the only sensible response is to leave the country.

It's a bleak book but shot through with humour and hope. Joe appears to have 'given up' for much of his life, living on the dole and drinking himself into oblivion, but really he's like that because he hasn't given up, can't give up on his dream of a better life, a better world and finding love. He's self-destructive but I understand why, and although it takes him years to make progress, and he often goes back more often than forward, he does get there in the end, just about, having paid a huge price, and isn't that really how most of us live our lives?'

To read the review in full click here

Lucy

Zoe Jenny in Switzerland's biggest magazine

It was great this week to see one of Legend Press's newest and most prized recruits, Zoe Jenny, appear in Switzerland's largest magazine. In fact, not just appear but have the full front cover and major feature. Very glamourous – and adds to the excitement of having signed such a fantastic author.

Look out for her first novel in English, THE SKY IS CHANGING, next Spring as it promises to be one of the hits of 2010!

Tom

Operation Underworld promoted by Bertrams

It is great to see the fantastic OPERATION UNDERWORLD by Paddy Kelly being promoted by Bertrams, one of the UK's two main wholesalers, at one of their highlights for the week - for two weeks in succession.

As included on their Bertm@il, sent to bookshops throughout the UK, the ground-breaking novel revealing how the US Government and Navy worked with the mafia to secure the waterfront in the Second World War, is set to prove a major hit and we're incredibly excited about it launching this Saturday (3rd October).

If you haven't already, go out and order your copy now!

Tom

Obama Music featured in the Independent

Obama Music by Bonnie Greer (released on 31st October) was featured in The Independent last week.

Just when we thought Obama fever was dying down, the writer and critic Bonnie Greer is set to publish her latest book 'Obama Music' on 31 October, in which she recalls, through tunes, the culture that influenced Obama's call to presidency, the fight for equality by American educational institutions and her own experiences growing up on the South Side of Chicago. The publisher, Legend Press, noted that "the book is an interpretation of Obama through the culture and music that he chose to make his base". The book takes in hip-hop, country, classical and rock'n'roll, all of whichwere heard on Inauguration Day, and also covers blues, gospel, soul and jazz.

To see the article click here!

Lucy

 

Legend Press is Out of Office

We are very excited to announce the acquisition of Mark Liam Piggott’s second novel Out of Office, to be released on 27th March. Backed by a major promotional campaign the book is set to be a lead title for Spring 2010.

Based over 10 days Out of Office is a gritty fast-paced novel about a man dissatisfied with life. Set around the time of the 2012 Olympics, the novel sees a chaotic London, with failed terrorism attacks and significant problems in the City, leading to a growing sense of unease.

The central character Christian Hook finds his life spiralling into freefall – abstinence broken, his marriage disintegrating, Christian leaves work in search of something better. Set in a troubled London and living with the anxiety of regular terrorist bomb plots (failed for now), Christian finds himself being drawn into a world of violence, racism and terrorism. As Christian’s life spirals out of control, he cannot help himself being pulled further in to this dangerous underworld, and is not sure he would want to stop even if he could.

Mark Liam Piggott’s first novel Fire Horses was released in 2008 and was described by John King as ‘passionate, powerful, poetic – a fine debut from an original talent.’

Lucy

Obama Music release on 31st October

The release of Obama Music by Bonnie Greer on 31st October has been described as 'potentially... one of the best; or at least one of the most intriguing' Obama books to be published. To read the article from robaroundbooks.com please click here!

Bonnie Greer was herself brought up on the South Side of Chicago, so it’s a given that she’s going to bring a lot of ‘insider knowledge’ to her book; not only about the difficulties and challenges facing African Americans growing up in this area, but also of the music and culture which Obama would have found himself exposed to during his formative years. And with a promise that Greer’s exploration will cover a wide expanse of music-genres i.e. hip-hop, country, classical, rock and roll, blues, gospel, blues and jazz, it’s not just Obama fans who will be heading to the cash register with a copy of Obama Music in hand.

Pre-order your copy of Obama Music now - £7.99 

Lucy

If I Never - display in Borders

 Gary's family popped into Teesside Borders at the weekend, and were pleasantly surprised to see the fantastic display of If I Never!

It's always great to see that stores really support local authors, and go that extra mile.

To buy your copy click on the link below

Order your copy now - £7.99 

Lauren

Andrew Blackman interview

A great interview with Andrew Blackman has just been posted up on Helen J Beal's blog, following her review of On the Holloway Road last week. Andrew was speaking about winning the 2008 Luke Bitmead Bursary, so we thought this was particularly relevant as we are currently deciding on the 2009 shortlist.

Below is a taster of the interview:

Q: Hello Andrew. You and I ‘met’ fairly recently when you discovered a Book Review on my website of Luke Bitmead’s novel ‘White Summer’. Your novel, ‘On the Holloway Road’ won the Luke Bitmead Writer’s bursary and this is how you became a published author via Legend Press. How have you found this experience and what other strategies did you deploy or plan to before being published? Also, how do you think t’interweb can help or hinder aspiring writers?

A: I deployed the usual strategies for several years with a previous novel – sending out the covering letter and synopsis to agents, publishers and anyone else who would accept them, waiting six weeks, getting a rejection slip and sending them out again. It was demoralising, because I had given up quite a lot to follow my dream of being a writer, and for a while it seemed that I had given it up for nothing. I was feeling very low, and to get myself going again I wrote a new novel, setting myself the goal of writing the first draft in a month. I enjoyed it immensely, and was surprised to find that the first draft was much better than the previous novel that I’d spent years working on. I submitted it for the Luke Bitmead Writers’ Bursary, and went back to hacking away at the first novel.

Then in July last year, everything changed. I went to an award ceremony in London, knowing that I’d been shortlisted for the Luke Bitmead prize but not really believing I would win it. An hour later, I was a published author, holding an oversized cheque and making a garbled speech. Seven months later ‘On the Holloway Road’ came out, and seeing it on the shelves in Borders and Waterstones next to the ‘real’ authors has been quite literally a dream come true.

To answer your other question, the web can definitely help and hinder aspiring writers! The positive side of it is that the writer’s life is no longer solitary – you can find thousands of other writers and talk through your problems, have your work critiqued, etc. Plus, when you have been published, you can meet readers much more easily than before. And of course the main benefit is that it makes self-publishing so much more viable.

The downside of the web is that the writer’s life is no longer solitary. Rather than getting up in the morning, putting a blank sheet of paper in the typewriter and staring at it until something comes out, a writer today powers up his laptop, finds that his antivirus software needs updating, sees that he has 15 new emails and cannot concentrate until he’s opened them, finds himself answering them, clicking on links, laughing at Youtube videos, checking the football scores, reading blogs, rebooting to allow the antivirus software updates to take effect, and finally opening up Microsoft Word with an hour gone and a head full of distractions.

Lucy

Paperbooks Gary Davison competition opening today!

We are very excited to help Paperbooks author Gary Davison launch his fantastic short story competition today.

The idea is for you to write a 250 word story based on a photo and opening line chosen from Gary's website. To view details click here!

The winner will receive £250, a pound per word! The deadline is Friday 13th November. The prize is judged by:

- Ray Robinson - bestselling author of Electricity and The Man Without.

- Mike French - Editor of the View From Here literary magazine.

- Tony Horne - Metro Radio DJ and author.

- Kevin Pocklington - literary agent for Jenny Brown Associates.

For further details please click here!

Happy writing!

Lucy

Excellent review for Lord Lucan: My Story

Lord Lucan: My Story the brilliant novel by William Coles has received a great review on the popular literary blog www.curledup.com.

Drifting between fact, fiction, and fairy tale, Coles skillfully manipulates the events leading up to Lucan’s crime and his disappearance while morbidly penetrating the man’s deepest fears and regrets. We feel his remorse at Sandra’s death, the awful sight of her tiny body tucked into a U.S. mailbag, his internal agonies as an outcast, his disappointment at never being able to see his three children again, and his drug-fuelled ramblings as he goes on the run through India, determined to escape the manipulations of Jimmy Goldsmith.

Throughout, Coles manipulates his complex protagonist, creating a cadaverous portrait of a murderer and coward who seems to seek some kind of reparation for his actions. During the course of the story, Lucan battles with his demons to find redemption, determined to do the best he can under the circumstances given the limited abilities at his disposal.

To read the review in full click here!

Order your copy of Lord Lucan: My Story now - £7.99 

Lucy

LP Come Dine With Me - The Results!

We've been inundated with a request for the results of our much-vaunted virtual Come Dine With Me competition. The overall quality of menu was fantastic, but that's enough about mine and on to the results (judged by average mark received):

Third Place: Lauren - 6.833
Harshly judged, according to Lauren, but still a surprisingly fine menu served up straight from Hollywood.

Second place: Tom - 7.000 (precise at least)
Robbed, naturally.

Winner: Lucy 'Nothing but the Bog standard' Boguslawski - 7.375
True to form the culinary prize winner came through in style and even avoided her pickling persuasion.

No golden dinner tray for the Bog this time, just office bragging rights and the obligation to cook the menu for us in the near future.

Thanks for the votes and we might do this again next year to see how our tastebuds, if not ourselves, have matured.

Tom