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22nd October 2001 Zadie Smith joins new Orange Futures list
Penguin's own Zadie Smith, previously shortlisted for the Orange Prize, appears on the Futures list alongside Sarah Waters, Rachel Seiffert, Maggie Farrell and others. See www.orangeprize.com for more details. 17th October 2001 Booker Prize goes to Peter Carey This year's Booker Prize has gone to bookie's favourite, Peter Carey, for True History of The Kelly Gang, his lyrical, expansive account of renowned Australian outlaw Ned Kelly. Booker Prize Chairman for 2001, Kenneth Baker, commented 'The judges chose Peter Carey's True History of the Kelly Gang because it is a magnificent story of the early settler days in Australia, expressed through the unforgettable voice of a vilified man who came to stand for more than he knew'. A previous winner in 1988 for Oscar and Lucinda (later adapted for film by Gillian Armstrong and starring Ralph Fiennes and Cate Blanchett) Carey is only the second writer in the Booker's 32-year history, after JM Coetzee, to win twice. Other contenders included Penguin's own Ali Smith, for her multi-narrative, haunting Hotel World, alongside Ian McEwan, Andrew Miller, David Mitchell and Rachel Seiffert. For more, visit the official Booker Prize website. Faber.Penguin Audiobooks will soon be publishing True History of
The Kelly Gang as an audiobook. 17th October 2001 William Trevor wins Irish Times prize for fiction The Hill Bachelors, William Trevor's latest collection of short stories, has won the Irish Times prize for fiction. The stories, mostly set in Ireland, are testament to Trevor's poignant, eloquent writing style and are evocative, powerful mood-pieces. The prize will be presented by the Irish President, Mary McAleese, on November 15th in Dublin. Other winners include: Anil's Ghost by Michael Ondaatje (International Fiction Prize),
The Burning of Bridget Cleary by Angela Bourke (Irish Non-Fiction
Prize), The Weather in Japan by Michael Longley (Irish Poetry Prize)
and Ag Tnuth Leis An Tsolas by Cathal O Searcaigh (Irish Language
Prize). 15th October 2001 Britain's shocking part in Bosnia's destruction Brendan Simms' Unfinest Hour: Britiain and the Destruciton of Bosnia, published today, brings to startling light this country's shocking and hypocritical policies during the period of genocide in the former Yugoslavia. Based on interviews with many of the chief participants, parliamentary debates, and a wide range of sources, Brendan Simm's brilliant study traces the roots of British policy and the highly sophisticated way in which the government sought to minimise the crisis and defuse popular and American pressure for action. 12th October 2001 Crypto wins ebook award The Non-Fiction Grand Prize at The Frankfurt Book Fair eBook Awards
has gone to Steven Levy for Crypto, published in ebook by Penguin
Putnam, Penguin UK's U.S. equivalent. At the ceremony, held in Frankfurt’s
Old Opera House on Wednesday evening, many speakers remarked on
advances in ebook development. James Burke, Master of Ceremonies
for the Awards, said, 'Over the coming years the accessibility,
convenience, and sheer excitement of using multimedia ebooks will
bring many new readers to the world of literature and information.' 11th October 2001 Penguin and MML win at Campaign poster awards Penguin and MML (Penguin's advertising agency) last night won the
Best Use of Photography award at the prestigious Campaign poster
awards last night, the prize going to the 'diving monk' poster.
The only other publishing brand to have achieved this kind of endorsement
for its advertising has been The Economist. Fending off some 20,000
original entries, Penguin joined British Airways and Sony amongst
the small number of honoured few.
puffin.co.uk shortlisted for Haymarket award puffin.co.uk, the online companion to Puffin Books, has been shortlisted
for an award in the Haymarket Events 'Connections Awards' in recognition
of its efforts to connect with loyal Puffin readers everywhere;
Puffin features in the 'Best Use of the Internet for Consumer Communications'
category. The awards celebrate brands who lead in marrying technology
to innovation; previous winners include the BBC, British Airways
and Unilever. 8th October 2001 Be breast cancer aware This October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the UK, with over 38,000 new cases diagnosed every year. If you would like advice on breast cancer call Breast Cancer Care’s helpline, on 0808 800 6000, or find out how you can support the charity at www.awarenessmonth.org.uk. Diet and alternative medicine also play a vital role in the recovery and prevention of breast cancer. In The Breast Cancer Prevention and Recovery Diet Suzannah Olivier, a qualified nutritionist and long-term survivor of breast cancer, reveals how eating the right foods can give you essential support by building the immune system, rebalancing hormones, and encouraging detoxification to keep the body well nourished and in fighting form. Other useful advice includes Bri Maya Tiwari's The Path of Practice, an in-depth guide on Ayurvedic medicine for women. Bri was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 23 and left her high-profile job in New York to heal herself using the Ayurvedic tools of nutrition and meditation. 4th October 2001
funwithspot.com, the online companion to Eric Hill's much-loved books featuring Spot, has beaten stiff competiton to win this year's Yell.com award for the Best Kids and Youth site. Seeing off competition from the likes of the BBC's newsround website and kidsunited.com, the site was recently described as 'the latest hot destination for two-to-six year olds' by Revolution magazine. Full of online fun, the site features games, competitions, events and the Spot bookshop, all brought vividly to life in bold, bright colours. 'We are thrilled to award Spot this prize, in a year that has seen the number and quality of nominations far exceed expectations. The Yell .com awards are the peoples' choice of the 'best on the net' and funwithspot.com should be very proud of this achievement' said Yell CEO John Conron. The awards were established six years ago to reward and highlight the best websites on the net. Go on, have a play www.funwithspot.com The Book of Moomin, Mymble and Little My Enter the enchanting world of Tove Jansson’s Moomin Valley with The Book of Moomin, Mymble and Little My, released today. Full of colour illustrations and cut-out page designs, the book is guaranteed to delight both young and old. "It's a delight to come across a different kind of Moomin book, and to see Tove Jansson's wonderful drawings given more prominence. My attitude to this great artist is little short of worship. 'The Book About ...' joins the rest of her work on my shelf of indispensable treasures." Philip Pullman National Poetry Day Now in its eighth year, National Poetry Day (4th October) brings the media, schools, libraries and arts centres together to raise awareness of the power of poetry. This year’s theme ‘journeys’ highlights the many ways in which poetry can transport you to another world. Throughout the day The National Poetry Society will be arranging events featuring leading poets such as Andrew Motion, Simon Armitage and Lavinia Greenlaw. To help get you on your rhyming way, we’ve put a collection of some of our favourite childrens’ poems together for your versifying pleasure.
….or choose from our National Poetry Day collection. Visit the official site at http://www.poetrysoc.com/npd/npdindex.htm In a poll carried out by the BBC, Edward Lear's classic poem The Owl and the Pussy-Cat has been voted as the Nation's favourite children's poem. It beat off some very stiff competition to come top, including Matilda by Hilaire Belloc, Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll, On the Ning, Nang, Nong by Spike Milligan and The King's Breakfast by A.A Milne. The Owl and the Pussy-Cat, along with an unpublished letter from Lear on this subject, appears in a new book Edward Lear: The Complete Verse and Other Nonsense, published by Penguin Books on November 1. The book has been edited by Vivien Noakes, a leading authority on Edward Lear. 27th September 2001 Cheltenham Festival of Literature Between the 12th and 21st of October, Cheltenham once again plays host to some of the finest names in literature, including Penguin authors Cole Moreton, Penelope Lively and Pat Barker and other giants such as Irvine Welsh and Douglas Coupland. The festival, now in its 52nd year, celebrates the power of writing in all its forms. Visit the official site at http://www.cheltenhamfestivals.co.uk 24th September 2001 Jamie Oliver and Alex Garland go gold in the first Whitaker Awards Two enduring favourites from the Penguin stable, Return
of the Naked Chef and The
Beach, went gold at the very first Whitaker Gold and Platinum
Book Awards, announced on Friday 21 September. Based on actual sales
through the tills of UK retailers over the last four years, as monitored
by BookTrack, the new awards mirror the Gold and Platinum albums
so sought after in the music industry. 20th September 2001 Something to Yell about! funwithspot.com shortlisted for a Yell.com award After thousands of nominations, Yell.com (Yellow Pages On-Line) has announced that funwithspot.com is one of six sites shortlisted in the Best Kids and Youth Site category in the Yell.com Awards 2001. For the Best Kids and Youth Site category, the judging panel look particularly at the site in relation to the younger visitors that it will receive - from the appropriate use of language and design, to the ease of use and the level of interaction. After all, sites such as funwithspot.com can have visitors as young as two years old. funwithspot.com is up against sites such as bbc.co.uk/newsround and T2online.com, and the winner will be announced at an exclusive award ceremony, hosted by Graham Norton, at the Atlantis Gallery in London on 3rd October. 18th September 2001 Booker shortlist includes Ali Smith's Hotel World The Booker Prize shortlist was announced this afternoon, with Ali Smith's Hotel World in the running. Other shortlisted authors include Ian McEwan for Atonement, Andrew Miller for Oxygen, David Mitchell for number9dream and Rachel Seiffert for The Dark Room. The prize-winner, who will be announced on Wednesday 17th October, will be the 33rd person to win and will pocket a £21,000 cheque. For more, visit the official Booker Prize website. The Penguin Lectures Professor Peter Hennessy, Attlee Professor of Contemporary British History at Queen Mary, University of London, will be delivering this year’s Penguin History Lectures at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London. The subject: The Secret State: Whitehall and the Cold War 1945-1970. All lectures are free and start at 6.30pm in the Beveridge Hall, Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1. Lecture 1: Thursday 25th October 2001 Lecture 2: Tuesday 30th October 2001 Lecture 3: Thursday 1st November 2001 Lecture 4: Tuesday 6th November 2001 ‘To the Cotswold Station’: The Last Redoubt Where was the bunker to which the Prime Minister and the War Cabinet would have raced in the last hours before World War III? Who would have gone underground with them? What might life have been like in this immensely secret installation (behind Door 48 in the old quarry) beneath the Cotswolds code-named TURNSTILE? To what extent have these sombre Cold War drills survived into the early 21st century? 11th September 2001 A celebration of black culture Penguin authors Kadija Sesay and Courtia Newland will be appearing at Shades of Black on September 27th and 28th. The evening, which takes place at London’s Barbican Library , promises to be a vibrant celebration of black culture. See here for more 10th September 2001 Stephen Jay Gould born on this day Eminent biologist and writer Stephen Jay Gould was born on this day in 1941. Responsible for titles such as Dinosaur in a Haystack, Eight Little Piggies, Ever Since Darwin , The Flamingo’s Smile and The Mismeasure of Man, Gould is at the forefront of evolutionary theory and is Professor of Geology and Zoology at Harvard University. 7th September 2001 Fab food for free [almost!] We've teamed up with leapingsalmon to offer penguin.co.uk readers
a fantastic 10% discount on all meals at leapingsalmon until November
2001. Penguin audiobooks triumph Penguin Audiobooks scooped nine awards last night at The Spoken Word Awards 2001, including the top prize, Spoken Word Audio of the Year, for Felicity Kendal's White Cargo.Other winners included: Gold award for Thank You Jeeves read by Simon Callow, who also won Best Male Performer of the Year; Spot's Bedtime Storybook read by Christopher Timothy and others; The Puffin Book of Fantastic First Poems read by Samantha Bond, Sophie Aldred and Brian Bowles; White Cargo written and read by Felicity Kendal. Silver prizes went to I'm Telling You They're Aliens! read by Tony Robinson and Chicken Run read by Imelda Staunton, while a Bronze award went to Speaking with the Angel read by Miriam Margolyes et al. 5th September 2001 Vote for your favourite Puffin book Everyone, young and old, has a favourite Puffin book, why not tell us yours? To celebrate sixty years at Puffin, we'd like to invite you to vote for your favourite Puffin book as part of its 21 Classics for the 21st Century promotion, which will hit bookstores at the end of September. There are 21 titles to choose from, including favourites such as The Diary of a Killer Cat, The Worst Witch, Goodnight Mister Tom, Bumface and Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl. Go on, have your say! It's easy just visit us at at the Puffin website and cast your vote. On the Road first published Jack
Kerouac's seminal novel On
the Road was first published on this day, 5th September, in
1957. Following the trans-American drug-fueled antics of anti-hero
Sal Paradise and his pal Dean Moriarty, the book became an instant
cult classic and remains so to this day. Ironically, On the Road
became a bible for the beat generation of the late 50s and early
60s whose credo was 'never trust anyone over 30'; Kerouac was 35
when the book was published. 29th August 2001 William Boyd at Waterstones, Piccadilly William
Boyd will be appearing at Waterstones, Piccadilly on Monday
24th September to talk to Sue Birtwistle about their collaboration
on the television adaptation of Armadillo.
28th August 2001 Martin Bell on the road Martin Bell, ex-BBC war correspondent and infamous Accidental MP is due to host a number of literary lunches in association with The Oldie. An evening in the company of Bell, an engaging speaker, is sure to be both educational and entertaining. 11th September, Oldie Literary Lunch, Simpsons, London. 24th August 2001 Martin Amis' birthday Martin Amis was born on August 25, 1949. After obtaining First Class honours from Oxford, he embarked upon a glittering journalistic career, and published his first novel, The Rachel Papers at the age of 24. Although best known for his novels, such as the Booker Prize nominated Time's Arrow, and his indictment of the 1980s, Money, Martin Amis has also written many volumes of non-fiction, including a work of autobiography. 22nd August 2001 Penguin launches ebooks We are launching an ebook publishing programme in September with a list of titles that reflects the quality and range of the Penguin catalogue. The range will be branded as ePenguin. With an autumn list of over two hundred titles, ePenguins will be published monthly and offer something for every reader with the best in fiction, science writing, business titles, reference books and a full range of Penguin Classics and travel guides. Although ePenguins are arriving next month you can receive a special, exclusive ebook preview by emailing us at ebooks@penguin.co.uk with the message ‘ebook preview’ in the subject box. See www.penguin.co.uk/epenguin for more 17th August 2001 Lolita first published On August 18, 1958, Vladimir Nabokov's controversial novel Lolita was first published. The novel deals with Humbert Humbert's obsession with a 12-year-old girl and had been turned down many times before the New York publishers G.P. Putnam's Sons accepted it for publication. It became a bestseller that allowed Nabokov to retire from his career as college professor, and has gone down in history as one of the literary world's biggest scandals. Planet of the Apes opens Planet of the Apes, Tim Burton's re-imagining of the original sci-fi classic goes on general release at cinemas today. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Helen Bonham-Carter and Tim Roth, the film is sure to be one of this year's smash hits. 15th August 2001 Penguin authors feature on Booker Prize longlist Nick Hornby's How to be Good and Ali Smith's Hotel World have secured places on the Booker Prize longlist. This is the first time the Booker Prize judging panel has decided to publish this list, from which the eventual shortlist will be selected. The shortlist will be made known on 18 September at a press conference at the Savile Club, London, W1. The winner will be announced on 17 October at an Awards Dinner in Guildhall, London, televised live on BBC 2. 13th August 2001 Filming now finished on Nick Hornby's About A Boy Principal photography on About A Boy, a Tribeca Productions/Working Title Films production, has recently completed filming in London with Hugh Grant (Bridget Jones’s Diary), Toni Collette (Sixth Sense), Rachel Weisz (Enemy At The Gate), and newcomer Nicholas Hoult. Based on the best selling book by Nick Hornby (‘High Fidelity’, ‘Fever Pitch’), the film is written and directed by Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz ("American Pie"). "ABOUT A BOY" is produced by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro, Brad Epstein, Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner. Click here for full press release Click here for Nick Hornby minisite Penguin's brand ads dominate Campaign Poster Awards shortlists Penguin's prominent and evocative 'Be Here' poster campaign, which ran last summer , has swept the board at the nominations stage of the Campaign Poster Awards, the most prestigious poster awards in the UK. The nominations stage saw 20,000 entries whittled down to the final shortlist for each prize. Elements of the Be Here and the penguin.co.uk campaigns have been been shortlisted in the following categories: Best Campaign (across all product sectors): The "Be Here" campaign Best use of Photography - "Crying Man" Best use of Photography - "Sniper" Best use of Photography - "Goalie Monk" (below) Best Use of Typography - "Fist" (right, from the Penguin online campaign) ....
To see images, Click here 10th August 2001 The Edinburgh International Book Festival Edinburgh hots up for The Edinburgh International Book Festival, which runs from the 11-27th August. The festival, which is the largest celebration of the written word in the world, attracts some of the biggest names in literature including Penguin authors Zadie Smith, Patrick McGrath, Ali Smith and Helen Dunmore. Visit the official website at http://www.edbookfest.co.uk/ 7th August 2001 Simon Armitage on tour Celebrated poet Simon Armitage has just released his first novel, Little Green Man. You can catch Simon on tour at the following venues:- 7th August, Dancehouse Theatre Deansgate, organized by Waterstones.
See here for more details 3rd August 2001 Meet Victoria Beckham This September discover the real Victoria in Learning to Fly, Victoria's own story in her own words and with never-before-seen photographs. Learning to Fly is about the reality of fame, and what it's like to be one half of Britain's most watched couple and the target of incredible adoration and envy. To celebrate the publication of of Learning to Fly, Victoria will be on the road visiting bookshops in the UK and Ireland. See www.penguin.co.uk/victoriabeckham for more Anniversary of Anne Frank’s capture Saturday, 4th August marks the anniversary of the capture of Anne Frank. The story of the Frank family and their efforts to evade the Gestapo is well documented, not least by the everyday observations and thoughts collected in Anne Frank’s diary. The diary, started on her 13th birthday in 1942, survived the capture of the Frank family and their subsequent deportation in 1944. They remain a poignant record of the life and trials of an ordinary Jewish girl living through a time of great horror. After their capture in August 1944, Anne and her sister Margot endured a Dutch concentration camp, were then moved to Auschwitz in the Autumn, and later on to Bergen-Belsen in Germany. The two girls died from typhus in 1945, tragically only two months before the liberation of the camp by the allies. Read more: The Diary of a Young Girl, (The Definitive Edition) 2nd August 2001 Ladybird’s Peekaboo Baby shortlisted for Sainsbury's Baby Book Awards Ladybird's lift-the-flap book, Peekaboo, Baby!, is one of six titles shortlisted for this year’s Sainsbury’s Baby Book Award. Set up in 1999 by Sainsbury’s and Booktrust, the award highlights the importance of a baby’s first book. The six shortlisted titles were chosen by an expert panel of judges including a children’s librarian and a journalist. The six shortlisted titles are:
The six shortlisted titles will be on sale in selected Sainsbury’s stores from September, the winner being announced during Children’s Book Week at the beginning of October. The winning author will receive a cheque for £2,000, while author and publisher will both be presented with the Sainsbury’s Baby Book Award Trophy. The Penguin Group reshapes for future growth Anthony Forbes Watson, Chief Executive of The Penguin Group (UK) today announced organisational changes across Penguin and Dorling Kindersley that simplify the enlarged company’s structure and will further strengthen its performance in the wake of the acquisition of DK. Click here for full press release 31st July 2001 Penguin US announces first-half operating results Penguin US have announced that underlying revenue and underlying profit are both up by 7 Percent in the first half of 2001 compared to a year ago. Click here for full press release 30th July 2001 The Penguin Group and Pearson announce half-year results Penguin and Pearson have announced their interim results, showing strong competitive position. Anthony Forbes Watson, CEO of the Penguin Group (UK) said: "Penguin and Puffin have had a tremendous frontlist first half and have some strong autumn titles coming up. DK is about a year behind in its recovery owing to weak backlist performance, but investment in our frontlist is well under way and we will start to see the fruits of this in the autumn and next spring." Click
here for full Penguin press release. Visit www.pearson.com for full Pearson results. Rob Grant on the road Rob Grant, one half of the team behind cosmic comic caper Red Dwarf, is on the road to celebrate the paperback release of Colony, his latest supernova. You can see Rob at the following venues: 31st July, Waterstones, Bath. 1st August, Ottakar's Norwich. 3rd August, Ottakars, Milton Keynes. 24th July 2001 ABCtales.com wins New Statesman Online Communities Award ABCtales.com, a writers' website established by Big Issue founder and future Penguin author John Bird, and Body Shop's co-founder Gordon Roddick, has won the New Statesman Online Communities Award. The website, which has published more than 6,000 stories and poems, beat 100 other nominated sites. John Bird's childhood memoir will be published by Penguin in September 2002. 23rd July 2001 Exclusive Victoria Beckham webcast Never one to do things by halves, Victoria Beckham is unveiling her new website www.victoriabeckham.mu with the world exclusive play of her debut solo single, Not Such An Innocent Girl, and a live video webchat with 20 of her fans, competition winners on www.popgoss.com. Victoria has been highly involved in the creation of the site: "I wanted to take my site beyond the usual music site and make it much more personal and fun," says Victoria. "As well as posting regular interviews and updates, the site's also going to reveal lots about the people I work with and how my music, video and artwork is developed. I've loved working on it". The fun commences at 6pm on 24/07/2001. Penguin are publishing Learning To Fly, Victoria's autobiography on September 13th. 19th July 2001 David Irving denied application for leave to appeal Penguin is delighted that the Court of Appeal has not granted Mr Irving's application for leave to appeal. It has taken fifteen months simply to get confirmation that the original judgement stands. We are pleased we can draw a line under this matter and move on. 18th July 2001 Penguin Audio shortlisted for Spoken Word Awards Seven titles from have been shortlisted in six categories of the very first Spoken Word Awards. The new Awards aim to recognize the best audiobook publications; winners will be announced on 6 September at the Dorchester in London. The Penguin contenders are: Each category will have a gold, silver and bronze winner. This is the first year that the Spoken Word Awards have been held. They are organized by the Spoken Word Publishing Association and aim to reward the best audiobook publishing. Audio publications considered for entry this year would have been published between September 1999 and April 2001 17th July 2001 50th anniversary of publication of Catcher in the Rye J D Salinger's seminal classic Catcher in the Rye celebrates in 50th year in print this week. A beacon for alienated teenagers through the years, it tells the story of precocious teenager Holden Caulfield and his attempts to escape all 'phonies' and to lose his virginity. Though the book remains the 10th most frequently banned book in the USA, it still sells 250,000 copies a year globally. 13th July 2001 The Other Side of Truth wins Carnegie Medal Beverley Naidoo has just been awarded the Carnegie Medal for The Other Side of Truth, published by Puffin. The Carnegie Medal is the most prestigious award in children's books and is awarded by the Youth Library Group of the Library Association. Previous winners have included Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransom, Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce, Flour Babies by Anne Fine and Junk by Melvin Burgess. 12th July 2001 Puffin authors on Guardian children's book award longlist Beverley Naidoo's hard-hitting novel of young Nigerian refugees seeking asylum in the UK, The Other Side of Truth, has been placed on the longlist for the Guardian Children's Book Award as has Allan Ahlberg's miniature masterpice, My Brother's Ghost. Other titles on the longlist of ten are Arthur the Seeing Stone by Kevin Crossley-Holland, Troy by Adele Geras, Girl in Red by Gaye Hicyilmaz, Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson, 24 Hours by Margaret Mahy, Heathrow Nights by Jan Mark, Witch Child by Celia Rees and Raspberries on the Yangtzee by Karen Wallace. The shortlist and winner will be announced in September 2001. The judges are Philip Pulman, Jacqueline Wilson, and Anne Fine (all previous winners of the prestigious award) as well as the Guardian's Children's Books Editor Julia Eccleshare. For more information on Puffin books visit www.puffin.co.uk. 5th July 2001 The Edinburgh Festival Yes, it's almost that time again. As the festival rolls into town, the best in comedy, theatre and drama will descend upon Edinburgh for the month of August. To find the best of the city while you're there, why not enter our competition to win one of ten Time Out Edinburgh guides? Visit the official Edinburgh Festival site at http://www.eif.co.uk/ 5th July 2001 Silver Medal for Beatrix Potter Show Garden The Beatrix Potter show garden has been awarded a Silver Medal by the RHS judges at this year's Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. Garden designer Karen Maskell, winner of bronze medals for the Flower Fairies Show Gardens in 1999 and 2000, has this year created a charming garden which represents the classic stories, illustrations and well-loved characters of Beatrix Potter. If you've not been to see the garden yet, there's still time - the Flower Show is open until this Sunday, 8 July. Dorothy Dunnett exclusive Penguin will be publishing the first Dorothy Dunnett Companion on December 6, 2001. A lovingly assembled, essential A-Z companion to Dorothy Dunnett's brilliant Lymond Chronicles and the first five novels in the House of Niccolo series, this is a must for any Dorothy Dunnett fan, out in paperback for the first time. Historian Elspeth Morrison has recreated the author's original research, documenting her myriad sources and literary references, making this an easy to use reference guide and one which richly illuminates the intricacies of the complex and far-flung Renaissance world. The second Dorothy Dunnett Companion (Michael Joseph, 0718145461, £20), will be published next year and acts primarily as a companion to the last three novels in the House of Niccolo series. It is also a comprehensive and fascinating sourcebook where historical figures and events are fleshed out and subtle allusions and origins are explained. Read more about Dorothy Dunnett and her work, including an exclusive interview, at www.penguin.co.uk/dorothydunnett. 4th July 2001 Mordecai Richler dies aged 70 The witty, sharp and sometimes controversial author, Mordecai Richler has died aged 70. Penguin are due to publish his latest book 'The Penguin Book of Literary Feuds and Insults' in January 2002. Obituaries have appeared in The Times, The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph. 3rd July 2001 Shrek - the UK's No.1 movie To tie in with the UK's No.1 movie, we've got exclusive ogre-the-top Shrek goodies to give away. Shrek, the odiferous ogre; it's your usual fairytale stuff . . . with a twist! Penguin promote 'American Greats' with Books Etc Penguin are running a special promotion throughout July offering a 20% reduction on great American writers. All discount stock is stickered, and the range (featured in full below) includes a hand-picked selection of the best in American literature. To find your local Books Etc. store, visit their website at http://www.booksetc.co.uk/ Range of discounted titles: Towards the End of Time/John Updike, Seize the Day/Saul Bellow, The Grapes of Wrath/John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men/John Steinbeck, The Big Sleep and Other Novels/Raymond Chandler, Junky/ William Burroughs, Breakfast at Tiffany's/Truman Capote, In Cold Blood/Truman Capote, The Great Gatsby/F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Thin Man/Dashiell Hammett, On the Road/Jack Kerouac, Ballad of the Sad Cafe/Carson McCullers, Goodbye, Columbus/Philip Roth, Confederacy of Dunces/John Kennedy Toole, Libra/Don De Lillo, Catcher in the Rye/J.D. Salinger, Another Country/James Baldwin, The Fight/Norman Mailer, Rubyfruit Jungle/Rita Mae Brown, The Wings of a Dove/Henry James. * Please note, discounts are not available online 2nd July 2001 Barry George sentenced for murder of Jill Dando The sentencing of known sex offender Barry George is certain to arouse enormous public interest and prompt debate about celebrity, about policing and about justice, as well as sparking renewed interest in Dando's own life and career. Brian Cathcart, the award-winning author of The Case of Stephen Lawrence has attended the Dando trial throughout and his new book, Jill Dando, Her Life And Death will be published by Penguin on 11th July at £7.99 in paperback. In a fascinating study of fame and crime, award-winning author Brian Cathcart recounts the making of a star, the manner of her death and the huge investigation it prompted. He then dissects the evidence that led, two years on, to the sensational Old Bailey Trial. As Cathcart shows, there has never been a case like it... Brian Cathcart's previous book, The Case of Stephen Lawrence, is accepted as the definitive account of this complex case, and won both the 1999 Crime Writers' Association Award for Non-Fiction and the Orwell Prize. Read the full Jill Dando press release here. Channel 4 announces plans to broadcast Zadie Smith drama Channel 4 will be broadcasting a drama series based on Zadie Smith's bestselling novel White Teeth next Spring. The book, which has won seven awards, has sold a staggering 500,000 UK copies in paperback since its release in January of this year. Primo Levi translator on BBC Radio 4 Peter Forbes, translator of The Search for Roots , a personal anthology by Primo Levi, will be discussing the book on the Today Programme (BBC Radio 4) on the morning of Tuesday 3 July. The Search for Roots comprises thirty extracts, pieces of great importance to him, each with an introduction by Levi. As Peter Forbes notes in his introduction, the whole has "a beguiling flavour of serious but unacademic reading, of a kind of chastened curiosity rare in our time, and of an undiminished sense of wonder and horror at a universe that has such things in it." 26th June 2001 Beatrix Potter garden at hampton court flower show An exquisite Tales of Beatrix Potter show garden will be exhibited at Hampton Court Flower Show this July, 3rd-8th, created by award-winning designer Karen Maskell. For more information visit www.peterrabbit.com and click on Jeremy Fisher's UK news and events page. 19th June 2001 John Lee Hooker dies, aged 83 Perhaps the best-known musician in the history of the blues has died in his sleep. Scoring his first hit with 'Boogie Chillen' in 1948, John Lee Hooker went on to enjoy a musical career that spanned six decades, and will be sadly missed by music-lovers worldwide. For further information on the blues, try this Evolution hits the big screen this weekend The future of the human race hangs in the balance this Friday, as the eagerly-awaited Evolution opens in cinemas around the country. After a meteor crashes in the Arizona desert it's up to a team of geologists, soldiers and government scientists to save the world. Directed by Ivan Reitman (of Ghostbusters fame), and starring David "Mulder" Duchovny and Julliane Moore (most recently acclaimed for her portrayal of Clarice Starling in Hannibal) this is going to be one star-studded, action-packed rollercoaster of a movie. And as if that's not enough, you can now get your hands on a lasting reminder of the film, in the form of the Evolution book-of-the-film. Thanks for your comments A big 'thank you' to everyone who sent in their suggestions and comments on the website. The response to this request has been massive, but we can assure you that all your observations will be considered in the way that we further develop penguin.co.uk. All of our goodie bags have now been sent out, but if you weren't lucky this time take heart and be sure to look out for further giveaways in the future. 19th June 2001 Win tickets to see Sherlock Holmes Penguin Classics celebrates Sherlock Holmes's return from the dead One hundred years ago, Sherlock Holmes was brought back from the dead, by popular demand. To mark the centenary, the enduring Holmes stories are coming into Penguin Classics for the first time ever. We've teamed up with the British Film Institute to offer five pairs of tickets to the BFI's 'Sherlock Holmes on the Screen', part of the Crime Scene 2001 festival of crime literature and film, to celebrate. To win you simply have to be the quickest off the mark - the first five readers to send this email with a message stating their full name and address will receive the tickets! The illustrated talk by David Stuart Davies, featuring depictions of the greatest detective on the small and big screen, will take place on Friday 13 July from 4.30. Further information on 'Sherlock Holmes on the Screen' at the National Film Theatre can be found at www.bfi.org.uk/crimescene. Read the gripping new biography of Sherlock Holmes' creator, Teller of Tales, here. Nick Hornby reveals all Enlightenment is just a click away! Currently riding high on the wave generated by his latest bestseller, How to be Good, Nick Hornby will be online over the coming week to answer questions submitted by visitors to the Guardian website and AOL live chat. There's still time to post a question for Nick at The Guardian's site; he'll be answering them at 3pm, Thursday, so get your skates on. Whatever the question, Nick will do his best to get through them all. Penguin to publish Appleton sisters' story Penguin has bought Nicole and Natalie Appleton's autobiography for a six-figure sum. The book will be published in autumn 2002 and the Appletons will promote the book's launch. The deal includes newspaper and magazine serialisation rights. Since they first hit the charts in 1997 with I Know Where It's At, the Appletons have lived, loved and squabbled in the full glare of the tabloids. This is the book in which they will tell the stories they kept hidden throughout the phenomenal success of their band, All Saints. Tom Weldon, Publishing Director of Penguin commented: 'This is the frankest proposal for an autobiography I have ever read. Some of the stories the Appletons are going to tell are breath-takingly candid. This is a book about what it is really like to live on Planet Fame. But it is also a book about sisters. The story of two girls thrown into an extraordinary world, finding solace, no matter what, in the familiarity of each other.' 15th June 2001 Saturday is Bloomsday Bloomsday, named after Leopold Bloom, the hero of James Joyce's Ulysses, falls on June 16 every year, the day in 1904 on which the book's events take place. Celebrated annually since 1954, when the inhabitants of Dublin began to mark the day by visiting the sites and re-enacting the events from the book, Bloomsday now occupies a firm place in Dublin events calendar, providing entertainment for young and old - and also the odd sore head the morning after! Will Things Get Better? Wednesday, 20th June, 7pm In the aftermath of the general election, the outcome decided, the question will be, Whither Labour Now? Polly Toynbee, co-author of Penguin's Did Things Get Better? An Audit of Labour's Successes and Failures, will be joined by Robert Worcester of MORI and the LSE, Michael Jacobs of the Fabian Society and Matthew Taylor of the IPPR in a Question Time-style event, in which all the issues of government and New Labour can be discussed. The event will be chaired by Professor Patrick Dunleavy of the LSE. Tickets are £2.00, telephone: 020 7851 2400, or e-mail: events@piccadilly.waterstones.co.uk 14th June 2001 Frans de Waal speaks in London on 18 June Described by Edward
O Wilson as "the world authority on primate behaviour", Frans
de Waal will be over from the US to discuss culture in primates
with Colin Tudge, author of In Mendel's Footnotes. Frans de Waal's
new book, The
Ape and the Sushi Master, looks at how animals are capable of
creating and sustaining culture, which raises questions surrounding
the superiority of humans in the animal kingdom. 13th June 2001 Mapping the Deep wins Aventis Prize. Last night at the Science Museum, acclaimed American science journalist Robert Kunzig picked up the world's most prestigious prize for popular science writing. His book, Mapping the Deep was described by Sir David Weatherall, who chaired the judges, as 'The book which opens up a whole new world in a passionate, revelatory and scientifically rigorous way. It makes the mysteries of the deep sea really exciting.' Rob Kunzig's publisher, Natania Jansz at Sort of Books, said, 'We're thrilled and immensely proud. We've been receiving emails all week from ocean scientists and sea lovers rooting for the book. I don't think anyone since Rachel Carson, in the 50s, has managed to stir our imaginations and passions about the ocean in this way.' Also on the shortlist, but pipped to the main honours, was Paul Strathern's acclaimed account of the history of the Periodic Table, Mendeleyev's Dream 7th June 2001 Ian Kershaw, Roy Porter and Zadie Smith scoop awards Ian Kershaw's Hitler 1936-1945: Nemesis and Roy Porter's Enlightenment: Britain and the Creation of the Modern World, were awarded the prestigious Wolfson History Prizes, at a ceremony on 6 June. Ian Kershaw won the major prize with Roy Porter claiming one of the two other awards. The Wolfson History Prizes, which were established in 1972, are awarded annually to promote and encourage standards of excellence in the writing of history for the general public. The judges were Sir Keith Thomas FBA, Professor Averil Cameron CBE FBA, Professor Richard Evans FBA and Professor Lord Skidelsky. White Teeth by Zadie Smith has won the Betty Trask Prize for a first novel by an author under the age of 35. The prize was open to any first novel published in 2000 or 2001 by a Commonwealth citizen. The overall honours were shared also by Patrick Neate, for Musungu Jim and the Great Chief Tuluko, and a bursery was awarded to Christina Koning for her to research her next novel in Borneo. 6th June 2001 Orange Prize, winner announced This year's Orange Prize for literature has been announced, with Kate Grenville scooping the prize for her novel The Idea of Perfection. The book, which focuses on an awkward romance in smalltown Australia, was a surprise winner. Other shortlisted titles included Ali Smith's Hotel World, Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin, Jane Smiley's Horse Heaven, Rosina Lippi's Homestead and Jill Dawson's Fred and Edie. Martin Bell reflects on four years of Labour government Amidst much hope and optimism for the future, anti-sleaze campaigner and 'Accidental MP' Martin Bell was elected to government four years ago. We asked him did things get better? And what are his thoughts on Labour's first term in government. [Read article] 4th June 2001 Jet away to your dream destination What would you do with a record-breaking bonus? To celebrate the paperback launch of Philip Augar's The Death of Gentlemanly Capitalism we're teaming up with Expedia to give away two free flights to one lucky winner. You could snorkel in the tropical waters of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, explore Canada's rugged mountain country, trek through jungles and visit ancient civilisations in South America or simply relax on a beach. The choice is up to you. To enter simply visit www.expedia.co.uk/penguin and tell us about your ultimate holiday or fill in the entry form at any branch of Books Etc. The person with the most imaginative answer will win two flights to their dream destination. Bon voyage! Win with Rogue Spear To celebrate the launch of Rogue Spear, the action-packed game with 16 missions based on Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six, the creators are offering you the chance to win a Sony PlayStation, plus copies of Rogue Spear and goodies. For your chance to win enter here 1st June 2001 Paddy Ashdown to be appointed as peer Paddy Ashdown will be one of 20 retiring MPs to be honoured as a peer on Saturday, June 2nd. Also included are Michael Heseltine, David Clark, Bruce Grocott and Giles Radice. The dissolution honours list is published with every general election and seeks to honour MPs standing down from the Commons. The Ashdown Diaries (Vol 1), the first part of Paddy's account of attempting to build a centre-left strategy for defeating the Conservatives, is available from Penguin. In every sense, The Ashdown Diaries is an extraordinary account of a life in politics. Pearl Harbor opens today Jerry Bruckheimer's epic account of the Japanese attack on the
US naval base at Pearl Harbor opens today. Starring Ben Affleck
and Kate Beckinsale, the movie looks set to become one of this summer's
blockbusters. Read the official tie in novel
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