Salon London have another fabulous event coming up at Foyles on 11th July and they've arranged for a reduced tickets prices for Byte the Book subscribers. Doors are at 6:30pm and tickets can be booked here. The discount code for Byte the Book subscribers is BYTE.
Here are some more details from Salon London:
Scandinavian glasswear? Contemporary Russian fiction? Foreign film festivals? We recognise you have superior taste, but it turns out our opinion doesn’t count. Because now there’s a scientific way of finding the 10% of us known as ‘supertasters’. Food innovator Robin Fegen is an expert in the science of supertasting and he will be at Salon’s Summer Essentials to test us all. Hearty congratulations will come the way of the supertasters, and tasty super treats to the commoners, courtesy of Robin’s has-to-be-seen-to-be-believed experimental food organisation The Robin Collective.
They say a stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet. Yes, but so are burglars, so let’s forget what ‘they’ say. What is true is that summer is a time when it is hard to avoid conversations with people you don’t know. Whether waiting in line for the portaloos, white nights in your local’s garden or work’s annual canal barge disco, there’s only so far ‘Made In Chelsea’ chat can stretch. Which is exactly why we are beyond grateful to have J P Flintoff to explain just how to make your words meaningful. ‘Conversations That Change Everything’ is the title of his session, and he is determined to help you spice up your verbal intercourse.
Summer reading is once again a challenge. Whereas once relaxing on a recliner with a chunky bonk buster was enough, we now have devices demanding to be filled with content that anticipates every mood. So to ensure you have the right content for your hols we have invited the Independent on Sunday’s Fiction Editor Katy Guest along to tell us just what’s being published. With her help, we will make sure you are fictionally prepared for your escape whether that’s volunteering at that tortoise farm, hiding from ‘the others’ in the roof of an over priced rental home, or following the road less travelled.
July’s Salon is the last one before breaking up for summer*. It’s at Foyles, it’s actually going to be fun, and we’d love to have you along.
*Apart from Latitude, Standon Calling and Festival No 6, that is.
Buy this book here.
Review by Julia Newhouse
In the wake of big criminal cases (like the recent discovery of three women held captive in Ohio for over a decade), communities tend to ask themselves what went wrong. And was an act of cruelty or violence the result of one twisted mind? Or can the blame be shared more widely? The Execution of Noa P. Singleton is a fantastically written book that looks at one particular (fictitious) case. From the outset we know that Noa is to be put to death, but we don’t know why. When a new charity approaches Noa to fight a last bid to save her life, she is somewhat shocked - not least because the creator of this charity is a familiar face that she would never have imagined might offer her clemency.
The reason why Noa sits on death row provides a simmering undercurrent of anticipation. I very much wanted to know why she was there, and eagerly picked up the narrative crumbs that Elizabeth L. Silver drops through the book. When the novel opens, Noa has been in prison for a decade, and has had plenty of time to reflect on the events of her life, as well as those that directly lead to her incarceration. By slowly revealing childhood disappointments, parental shortcomings, and trying moments in Noa’s life, Silver builds a complex and enigmatic main character. This is particularly fascinating when juxtaposed with the slow reveal of Noa’s crime, and the events that led up to it. There is something poetic in the differences between Noa's death, and that of her victim. One is a sudden death, while Noa has time to reflect on her life, her upcoming death, and her legacy: "In here" she writes, "our final words are the criminal equivalent of stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame."
Although this book is about a crime, it is not a piece of crime fiction. It is much more about the impact that one crime has on a number of people: both those who have lost someone, and those who come to be involved in the investigation and trial: witnesses, police, lawyers, jurors. Although she doesn't blame others outright, the narrative artistry asks plenty of questions about why Noa who needs to feel guilt about the events that culminated in her finding herself on death row. The Execution of Noa P. Singleton left me with lots of food for thought: my favourite kind of literary hang over.
Another packed and lively crowd was in attendance for Byte The Book's June event, which tackled the hot topic of emerging business models in the digital age.
Discussion kicked off with an exploration of how publishing has changed under the advance of digital. Michael Bhaskar of Profile Books pointed out that publishing originally came about as a solution to the complex process of manufacturing content and getting it physically into the hands of readers. Now that anyone can deliver content at the touch of a button, the challenge is no longer in product creation but in guiding the consumer to pick your product over the millions of others on the digital shelves.
Byte the Book audience featuring this month's sponsors Atwood Tate
The marketplace is of course currently dominated by Amazon who, as Bookomi’s Richard Kilgarriff put it, "are essentially in business to put everyone else out of business". They’re fantastic at what they do, but the Amazon business model cares only for the bottom line, so how do the industry’s more warm and fuzzy publishers cope in this cut-throat environment? CEO of Osprey Books, Rebecca Smart, explained that Osprey "starts with the reader", and that their success has long been rooted in the relationships they form with customers. Publishers must both talk and listen to their readers, and not just see them as commodities, or digital data.
Our June panel from left to right: Michael Bhaskar, Rebecca Smart, Richard Kilgarriff, John Bond with chair Justine Solomons
Richard reflected on how books are unique amongst the arts in the extent to which they allow us to deeply empathise with characters or situations. As a result, people who work in publishing tend to have high levels of empathy and sensitivity - character traits that are a little at odds with the brutal, 'data-fied' market created by the digital revolution. Retaining that level of empathy whilst staying afloat as a business is therefore one of a publisher’s biggest challenges.
The impact of free content was also a major driver in the discussion. Michael was unequivocal - free simply isn't sustainable, and in general the panel agreed with him. The economy can't function if everything's free, he argued, and in any case why would you want to drive value from the world? White Fox CEO John Bond, however, asked why - if free was so obviously not sustainable - had publishing, like music, not yet won that argument against the consumer?
The panel in full flow
The animated discussion came to a close with reflection on whether or not publishing was "broken", and the mood was optimistic. "It's not Apocalypse Now," said John, with a smile, "but publishing is changing, and has been for a while". Rebecca was keen to re-emphasise that success lies with listening to the reader, as well as with making publishers valuable in the eyes of writers (so as not to lose them to the self-publishing revolution).
Our panelists and the audience at The Club at the Ivy
Happily, concluded Michael, as long as there is content the world will always need publishers. The industry has reinvented itself many times before, and will do so again - and, perhaps most excitingly, it's at evenings like these that that process can truly begin.
The next Byte the Book panel discussion will be on 8th July at the Ivy Club and will consider how authors have been affected by technology. Tickets for the event can be booked here.
Words by Chris Russell, photos by Daniel Solomons.
Are you interested in literary and publishing events in London? Use our calendar to find out what's going on in the capital. If you use Google calendar you can add this calendar to your own and if you run any London events and want them represented here please get in touch at info@bytethebook.com. The next Byte the Book panel discussion will be on 8th July at the Ivy Club and will consider how authors have been affected by technology. Tickets to the event can be booked here
;
One of our members, Deana Said, co-founder of publishing start-up As You Read has asked us to poll our members with their new survey.
As You Read is an idea, to create a new digital publishing service for readers and writers of fiction. They hope to provide a platform for independent authors to create original work and for readers to discover and enjoy. They need your help to gather data to prove whether or not there is a place for such a service by answering a few questions on online reading habits. You can access their survey here.
Thanks so much for your help.
Buy this book for only £2.29 here.
Review by Julia Newhouse.
Have you ever just wanted to shut the world out? Destroy your phone? Stop going into work? Take up residence in a walk-in closet? Wait. Take up residence in a closet? Maggie, Paul Blaney’s protagonist in The Anchoress decides on a whim to do all of the above. Maggie hasn’t been happy, and one morning she sleeps in, and realises suddenly that she isn’t going to go into work. Without really thinking about it, she grabs some provisions and heads into an empty walk-in closet to have some time to herself. While we may not all choose a wardrobe as our idea of an oasis from the modern world, this book is a nod to the growing pressures of our fast paced lives, and the way in which pain and torment from the past may just come back to find you, no matter how hard you try to bury them.
I was intrigued by the synopsis of The Anchoress, and keen to see both why Maggie decided to take to her closet, and whether or not she would come (or be forced) back out into the real world. There were elements of the story that ask you to take little leaps of faith for example, when Maggie’s teenage neighbour starts to talk to her through the wall, and a random pizza delivery man arrives at her (wardrobe) door, which led me to lose faith in the idea of this as a real story of a person who just snapped. After all, how did they know she was there? I had to actively push those logical arguments aside and my efforts were rewarded by the book’s end. It is through these conversation partners we learn about Maggie’s life, and what led her to her current state. Given that Maggie is living in a small dark space, it is these characters, along with a handful of others who drive the story forward.
There is something very appealing about a book that so deftly seeks to explore one person’s mind. It is also a light fantasy of sorts, after all, who hasn’t wondered what would happen if they just decided to disengage from the world? Blaney writes well, and the small, dark space that Maggie is living in comes to feel familiar, as does the way in which she loses track of time. She wonders now and then what time of day it is, or how long she has been in the dark, although when you have nowhere to go, and nothing to do, these concepts lose a lot of their import. If you have had a bad week, this might be the book for you. If you often feel like taking time out of the busy world, this could very well be the book for you. And, if you positively love the idea of setting up camp in your wardrobe, this is definitely the book for you, because reading about someone else doing it is infinitely more practical.
Some people adore networking, others hate it. One of our members, Zoe Cunningham, comes from a technology background and wrote the following article a short time ago. We thought it might be useful for everyone within the Byte the Book family especially those, that find networking hard.
Here is what she says:
I love networking. I really love it. It's one of my favourite parts of my job. But it hasn't always been. I started at Softwire as a coder, and worked for 10 years on the technical side of the company. If you had told me then that I would love networking I would have been astonished.
So in case you missed the thinly veiled message there, I am telling you that you too can love networking. The reason for this is that networking is essentially about making friends and being nice to people. So you don't need to be a power hungry empire builder, smooth talking salesperson, or exuberant "people person" to enjoy it.
Here are my five top tips for how to get the most out of any networking event.
1. Don't sell
I've found that most people who hate networking do so because they think it is all about selling. They think the aim is to sidle up to people and talk about your product/service/self until they give in and write a cheque. Not only is this bad selling, it is definitely terrible networking. Networking is about connecting with people. People don't like people who are out for themselves, or are trying to pressure them into something. So don't do it.
2. Have tactics to get into a conversation...
When I started networking there were two parts that I found particularly hard, and that I still find difficult. Luckily both are susceptible to tactics and the more you try this the better you will get. The first is how to start a conversation. It is rare that you will enter a networking event and find friendly welcoming people waiting with open arms for you. Instead you will find that everyone there is either 1. deep in conversation with someone that looks as close as a childhood friend, 2. holding court with a group of spellbound listeners or 3. engrossed in their smartphone. In order to have a conversation you are going to have to disturb someone. As you steel yourself to do so, remember that this is perfectly normal! It is how all the existing conversations started. Prepare by having a list of questions to start a conversation with. Questions are your best weapon for networking - everyone loves to talk about themselves. If you can get in and ask something simple like "how are you finding the event?", you will find yourself networking like a pro in no time.
3. ...and out again
The next most difficult part of networking comes after this. You have steeled yourself to get chatting only to find that you are stuck in a boring, fruitless or awkward conversation, perhaps even one where the other person, not having read this article, is trying to sell you something. If you remain all evening in one conversation that is neither useful nor enjoyable, you might as well not have bothered going. You need a list of excuses prepared in advance to allow you to end such conversations. Find a need for another coffee, claim to be off to use the facilities or fake a prior engagement (people do agree to meet up at networking events). The best technique is honesty - "I need to get networking and meet some more people"!
4. Be nice
Networking at its best is a room full of people being completely selfless. It is the real world equivalent of that nauseating parable of people feeding each other with two foot long chopsticks. A great tip for taking away networking nerves is to focus on the person you are talking to. How could you help them? Can you introduce them to someone within your organisation that they need to meet? Do you have a friend who is in their area? Can you help with any of their projects? By worrying about them, rather than you, you will soon find that you've made a friend and are starting to enjoy yourself.
5. Find ways to enjoy yourself
"It's not what you know, it's who you know" - whether you think this maxim a damning indictment of the modern world, or a great explanation of how to get ahead, it speaks volumes for how important networking is as a skill. To get ahead you will need to master it. So take every shortcut you can. Enjoy the free coffee, or beer, or pastries. Talk about your hobbies as well as your work. Make a beeline for people who look friendly and enjoyable to talk to. The happier you are at the event, the more successful you will find it.
This piece first appeared on Zoe Cunningham's blog entitled "Networking for Developers" on 5th May 2013
We understand that some of you can't get along to Byte the Book but are still curious to know what gets discussed. So we asked one of our members, Chris Russell, to write a report on our May meeting. Here's his report:
Byte The Book continues to build momentum, and The Club at The Ivy was packed on 20 May for an open discussion on how technology is affecting what, how and why we read.
The panel, which comprised Ravina Bajwa (Penguin Audiobooks), Benedict Evans (Enders Analysis), Richard Loncraine (Heuristic Media) and Maureen Scott (Ether Books), spoke enthusiastically of the impact technology has had on publishing, and of the numerous different ways in which it has shaped form, content and sales. Crucially, all four speakers echoed the sentiment that the industry’s fear of digital is finally subsiding, in favour of a nervous excitement at the possibilities for the road ahead.
Benedict Evans opened the floor by talking about the ubiquity of technology, and how smartphones have made popular culture available to anyone, anytime, anywhere. Maureen Scott agreed, explaining how her business at Ether Books has shifted considerably to ‘snackable’ short-form content, with 6,000-word fiction flourishing as people consume more and more via their phones. On the other hand, Ravina Bajwa highlighted the new dominance of long-form content at Penguin Audiobooks, where unprecedented consumer demand for unabridged titles (which are of course far more practical as digital files than they used to be as cassette tapes) has effectively erased the market for abridged works.
Richard Loncraine underlined that this is an exciting time, but it’s also an unpredictable one, and that’s part of its appeal. “It’s the Wild West out there,” he commented, pointing out that although he started app company Heuristic Media over three years ago, he’s still learning every single day. He added that “publishers don’t know what they’re doing - in the nicest possible way”, which echoed the general feeling that it’s our very uncertainty about the digital revolution which makes it such a thrilling time to be in the business. He also emphasised how difficult it is at the moment to make money from apps, something which Benedict corroborated by revealing that the current average app spend per live device is a paltry $1 per month. This will rise, suggested Richard, but it’s difficult to predict when.
Unsurprisingly, the enduring message across the panel was that content is still king, and this will never change. You can wrap up a bad story in all kinds of technology, but it will still be bad. And a good story will be gripping no matter the format. Music, sound effects and general computer wizardry are a wonderful way to enhance audiobooks, said Ravina (“the great thing about audiobooks is that the sets are so good”, added Richard) but, at the same time, you have to be careful not to trample on the listener’s imagination.
In short, the basic rule remains the same - tell a truly great story, in whichever form necessary, and you can’t go far wrong.
Thanks to everyone that came tonight, another truly great Byte the Book. A special mention to our fantastic panelists, Benedict Evans, Ravina Bajwa, Richard Loncraine and Maureen Evans and of course our brilliant sponsor Contentment. We're in the process of writing some reports on last night and they should come out in next week's newsletter so look out for those. We've also got some brilliant events coming up which are free to members, as is promotion within the network, so if you've not done so already please sign up for membership here while it's still only £50.
One of our sponsors, City University London, told us the great news that an alumna of their Novel Studio course has won the coverted Asham Award. Sophie Gost gave us some more details:
This summer Virago publishes Once Upon a Time There Was a Traveller, an anthology that includes 12 short stories by new writers alongside stories by well-known writers such as Angela Carter and Helen Dunmore. The award was started to promote new writing and is open to unpublished female writers in the UK of any nationality. One of the winners this year is The Novel Studio’s alumna Deepa Anappara, author of The Elephant in the Suitcase.
Deepa’s story, set in the forests of Kerala, India, is about a forest guard who is no longer sure of his place in the world and is tormented by a – real or imagined – elephant. “It’s in some ways an elegy to the forests which I grew up next to, which are being destroyed in the name of development. It’s probably the only story that arrived fully-formed in my head,” Deepa says.
Deepa attended the Certificate in Novel Writing course in 2010 [now The Novel Studio] at City University London. The course offers 15 selected students the opportunity to work on their novels for a year. Six modules, taught by professional writers, guide the student through plotting, planning and researching a novel, character development, pacing, narrative voice, revisions and editing.
The course gave Deepa permission to write and she felt encouraged by tutors and fellow writers: “Reading the works of fellow students critically helped me approach my own writing in a more objective fashion. It was useful to listen to the ways in which others had resolved a particular writing dilemma, be it about finding the time or the discipline to write, pushing past the self-critical voices in your head, or a plot problem. The sessions with tutors were helpful and inspiring – their feedback was exhaustive, constructive, and never hurtful. I always came away encouraged to try harder.”
She is delighted to be published in the anthology: “Helen Dunmore is one of my favourite writers and she was one of the judges. Most of the time, you write without knowing if anyone else is ever going to see your work, so it was lovely to read the panel’s comments about my story.”
As an award-winning journalist, Deepa left India four years ago for the UK and today works as a freelance editor and writer. Writing is her way of engaging with the world because, as she puts it, she “can’t give speeches or stitch up wounds”. “I guess it is more of a compulsion than anything else – I feel incomplete without my writing.”
