It's been a long cold hard winter but there's some light now at the end of the tunnel, another brilliant Salon London event - "The Rites of Spring", here's what the organisers have to say about it:

First up and to explain the Arab spring by unlocking the two thousand years that preceded it, we have John McHugo who, based on forty years experience in the region in the universities, the law courts and at the UN, has sensitively put together ‘A Concise History of the Arabs’.  John will tell you everything you need to know to understand the complexity of the seat of civilisation by distilling a brace of millennia of failing empires, clashing beliefs and countries minced up like horse burgers into something much easier to digest.

What does Spring sound like?  To welcome in those first signs we have made it through the great winter of 2012/13 we have Cheryl Tipp, wildlife sounds curator at the British Library.  She will be delving deep in to her archive and bringing out the definitive sounds of spring, but will you be able to identify them during our first ever nature disco.

Finally we have Mark Bowden, a composer, of orchestral, chamber and instrumental music.  Mark has worked at the Ballet Rambert, Handel House Museum and is the resident composer with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.  No one is more qualified to explain to us the significance of Stravinsky’s ballet: ‘The Rite of Spring’.  Why did this pagan tale of a sacrificial dance to the death incite people to violence in Paris in the early 20th century only to become one of the most influential works of the period?  We don’t know, but Mark does, so all is well.

At Adam St Private Member’s Club, the Salon opens at 7:00pm, as usual all we need is you as we bring massive ideas to intimate spaces.

Tickets: http://www.salon-london.com/content/Tickets/

Another interesting event from one of our members,  the London Jewish Cultural Centre, here are some more details:

Let IT Go
Dame ‘Steve’ (Stephanie) Shirley
in Conversation With Trudy Gold
Wednesday 20 March, 8pm, £10 in advance (£12 at the door)
Ivy House, 94-96 North End Road, London NW11 7SX
Book online at www.ljcc.org.uk or call 020 8457 5000

“The money I have let go has brought me infinitely more pleasure than the money I have hung on to”

Dame Stephanie Shirley is one of Britain's leading philanthropists and has donated most of her life to helping good causes, especially those close to her heart.

In Let IT Go, her fascinating memoir Dame Stephanie charts her life from her time as a child in Germany and arrival in England as an unaccompanied Kindertransport refugee through to her retirement and dedication to charity.

It is an amazing read which will take you through the entire range of emotions - from happiness at the success of her original company Freelance Programmers through to the ultimate sadness of losing her only child.

Dame Stephanie Shirley (79) is a successful entrepreneur turned ardent philanthropist. She was appointed the first ever national Ambassador for Philanthropy in 2009/10.

Having arrived in Britain as an unaccompanied child refugee in 1939, she started a software house that pioneered new work practices and changed the position of professional women (especially in hi-tech) along the way.

Since retiring in 1993, her focus has been increasingly on philanthropy based on her strong belief in giving back to society. Her charitable Shirley Foundation has initiated and funded a number of projects that are pioneering by nature, strategic in impact and significant in money terms. She concentrates on IT and autism.

Her memoir Let IT Go was published on 29 October as an Ebook with Print on Demand.
The paperback edition is available to order from all normal book retailers and online stores.
Both eBook and paperback editions have been specially formatted by Andrews UK and include photographs from Dame Stephanie's personal collection.
An enhanced version is available for download on the Apple iBook Store, containing exclusive footage of Dame Stephanie herself.
Or buy at Waterstones through Give As You Live and they will donate 18p to charity, at no extra cost.

Preorder this book here.

Review written by Julia Newhouse.

There is nothing quite as enjoyable on a cold winter’s day as a good, hearty bowl of escapist fiction. There is something wonderfully all-encompassing about the kind of book that envelopes you. Set in another place, in another time, it is nothing like your life. And yet, you relate to the characters, and feel like every inch of the story could be happening around you. I recently found Rachel Shukert’s upcoming Starstruck fall into my lap, and could not have had a better dose of winter blues’ medicine come my way.

The book is the first in a three part series set in 1930s Hollywood. Shukert creates a wonderfully drawn world of movie stars, omnipotent studio executives, and manufactured glamour and charm. We see the lives of three very different young women in Hollywood’s golden age unfold as readers enter the fictional world of Olympus Studios. Child star turning adult, Gabby Preston is fighting for some form of independence, but subsisting almost exclusively on green uppers and blue downers doled out by the studio doctor.  Plucked from obscurity, and preened to within an inch of her life, debutante Margaret Frobisher was made into the dashing Margo Sterling. Flooded with sudden fame, and disowned for pursuing her Hollywood dream, Margo has a lot to learn about showbiz. And then there is Amanda Farraday. A former runaway, she finds her way into the studio via a stint as one of Olive Moore’s most expensive good time girls. Unlike Margo and Gabby, Amanda is not looking for fame - just her own happy ending.

Book one wonderfully establishes each girl’s character, and I am dying to see how their stories play out in books two and three. Rachel Shukert’s writing is clever and snappy, with each chapter propelling you onto the next. This is the kind of book you might plan to read a sample of, and find you have read the whole thing in an evening. The tone is light, and there are a lot of little events to keep you interested while the overarching stories slowly unfold. Published as young adult, this can and would appeal to many teens, but is by no means too junior for the discerning adult. This is a witty, and engaging story about the glamour of Hollywood’s golden age, and the underbelly of fame. Cleverly overlapping her fictional characters with cameos by all the stars of the day - Judy Garland, Vivien Leigh, and Clark Gable, to name a few, and setting the frivolity of Hollywood’s golden era against the slow outbreak of war in Europe, Shukert has written an arresting little gem that you won’t want to put down.

Another exciting event, this time from City University. 

Here are some more details:

From a taste for Nordic noir immortalised in The Killing to Sophie Hannah's best-selling psychological crime novels, our appetite for crime stories is greater than ever. But what is 'literary crime fiction'? And what distinguishes it from ordinary crime fiction? To discuss this and to illuminate her path to publication City University are delighted to announce that one of their alumna Martie De Villiers will be joining them for a special crime writing event on 20 March. Last year Martie signed a two book deal with Harvill Secker for her crime novels the first of which, City of Blood, will be published this spring.

Note this is a free event but places are limited so must be booked and are allocated on a first come first served basis.

The event will be held at City University London, Northampton Square, London EC1V 0HB, United Kingdom.

The entrance is on St John Street, City University London, College Building, Room AG08.

The event runs from 18:00 to 19:30.

Tickets can be booked here.

Our event a few weeks ago "What Skills Do Publishers Need?" was absolutely fantastic and we had a really positive response on the night both at the event and via the twitter feed.  We were especially intrigued by Laura Florence Jones who was following the debate on twitter from Edinburgh. She has very kindly allowed us to reproduce her thoughts below. You can find out more about Laura on her blog.

The wonders of Twitter. One minute I’m lying in bed watching Friends for the umpteenth time in a comatose state after a day of poster designing at Luath and the next I’m in a bookish debate about skills needed for the publishing industry. The intriguing hashtag #bytethebook appeared on Twitter, all the important people were piping up about it, so I had to see what the somewhat amusing pun hashtag was all about. I retweeted a lot of the tweets that I thought were important, amusing or downright ridiculous. I’ll list many of them here with my thoughts, the thoughts I had but were unable to express at the time due to Twitter’s limit and the rapidity of the hashtag’s movement.

RT @SuzanneCollier ”There’s little or no careers advice at university for people wanting to get into creative industries.” #bytethebook

I must admit, I have found the careers service of Edinburgh University a lot more helpful after I graduated. I’ve had 2 jobs through them in the last 6 months, none to do with the creative industry, but still. They’re there. However, during my undergrad studies I (and many of my fellow students) detected that they were only making an effort with us English Literature folks to be seen to be making an effort. Once a year we would get a 30 minute talk from a careers lady (where are all the careers men?) that was after a lecture. It started at 1pm. Lunch time. So the poor careers lady was talking to a few hundred hungry, tired, grumpy, impatient students who were not in the mood to be told how hard it is to get a job with an English Literature degree. Thanks for reminding us. We forgot.

In third year, for our annual “advice”, the lady popped up.

“So, do you remember my message from last year?”
*silence* *snores* *tumble weed* *eye daggers*

I honestly can’t remember the message. I only remember the ridiculousness that the careers service seem to be under the impression that their golden nuggets of advice are shiny enough to inspire us all year round.

It put me off the careers service, the information I needed was always online, presented in a simple, honest package without the annoying middleman(lady) so I never had a one-on-one meeting as was encouraged. My friends did, and were, to my memory, disappointed. They didn’t know anything about applying for postgraduate courses in film in London, “look online” they said. They didn’t know anything about gap years for the graduate, “look online” they said. They only seem to categorise postgraduate life into “employed”, “unemployed”, “in further education”, “volunteering” and “unknown”. I hope to God those unknown people are the ones in the creative industry with no interest in telling their ex-careers service that their useless advice had absolutely nothing to do with their creative success. I do hope.

To careers people, creative people are lost people. We’re to be told to not expect much and to work hard for little pay. Thankfully, I’ve had a fairly good hard working ethic throughout my education and low expectations for my financial future, so I don’t need anyone to tell me this.

So, that tweet resonated. (And my thoughts are a little over the 140 character limit.)

@AtwoodTate Unpaid internships are scandalous @raffers - yes indeed

Welcome back old friend, the intern debate that burns so bright.

I don’t have much to add here considering my last post on the unpaid intern, but I will add that I’m encouraged that the debate is spreading. If we talk about it incessantly, maybe publishers will get so fed up with our moaning that they’ll pay us to shut up…

@AtwoodTate: If you want the right people to make great content and high revenue you have to pay for them #fact #bytethebook

Continuing in the previous tweet’s vein, we begin to look at the implications of the unpaid intern beyond the morality and the intern themselves. People are starting to realise that quality productions come from people who can work long enough and well enough on content because they’re paid to. Consequentially the content becomes valuable. Despite the industry’s troubles, publishing is a business (as we will come to see) so it has to invest, and invest it must in people. Pay them and reap the rewards of a happy employee who will be happy to work their best for you. (pay cheque permitting…)

RT @cleggcom #bytethebook most important thing to get into publishing: be born posh/rich #bytethebook

A sad truth. If the business is all about networking then there’s no better contact than daddy getting you a position as a trainee assistant. Some people are fortunate, get a step ahead. Others have to shell out money they don’t have, work jobs they probably shouldn’t have time to work and stare at debt reminders from SLC.

@juliasilk72 #bytethebook Should not be a separation between digital and other functions. Everyone should incorporate digital into their role @baddabyng

This was an interesting one, and what should be a fairly obvious one. As digital productions grow up and approach the legacy of print publishers need to be aware and quick to adapt. If anyone still has the mentality that the digital revolution is either going to kill the book or is a passing fad, wise up. They go together like yuppies and ebony embossed business cards. Realise this.

@LoisBray Agree w/ @justinesolomons the education system often dictates the subjects students decide to pursue…also inhibits diversity #bytethebook

@pressfuturist #bytethebook Byng: I wish we could pay our staff more, including me. We have uncapped bonus schemes to share success, but it *is* a business

Ah, here’s the business line. What I’m not sure about is why business has become synonymous with ‘we have no money to pay our staff’. Yes, you are a business. So, create a business plan to pay your employees better? Simplistic thinking, I know, but it’s used a little too flippantly as an excuse.

@juliasilk72 #bytethebook Publishing is Darwinian. You have to continually adapt your skills to survive. @raffers Yes!

My favourite idea of the night – publishing is Darwinian. It’s a simple but glorious idea. Right now, the publishing industry is floundering as it fails to grow the gills it needs to breathe against the digital current. Who knows how we manufacture these gills but I bet it involves more audience interaction through crowdfunding, removal of DRM, digital freedom, print works of art…but these are just ideas to explore…

RT @pressfuturist #bytethebook So, publishing doesn’t pay, authors don’t make money, and we’re now selling ebooks for 20p. Hmmm.

Huge, huge problem. Seeing publishers happily promote their 20p e-books puts my blood on the boil. For the briefest rise in custom, there’s a bigger, more detrimental impact for the industry as a whole. Publishers fear that by not being part of the cheap digital bandwagon they’re going to miss out on sales. I understand they want to have their voice heard, to be seen as engaging with digital necessities, but it’s the wrong way about it. As more people expect dirt cheap books, the customer’s expectations will fall accordingly and that average £7.99 price tag is going to look far too exciting in the near future. Keep prices up, maintain the value of the book itself, keep the author afloat, invest in future books on that imprint, prevent customers from expecting something for nothing. 20p

doesn’t go very far.

RT @marketingjulia #bytethebook Publishing still seen as glamorous and has graduates queuing up for unpaid work experience.

I think I see what Julia is getting at here, but it wasn’t presented well. By suggesting us unpaid interns are being taken advantage of because we want to be part of this ‘glamorous’ industry is patronising and wrong. My image of the sparkly, long-lunch filled industry has long since been pummelled, and rightly so, if anyone does enter an industry for the ‘glamour’, they’re doing it wrong. I queue up for unpaid experience to be able to get a low paid job in a difficult industry that I think I will like. High standards, I think you’ll agree. But still, don’t insinuate that my image is anything more than realistic, please.

Finally, I was happy to see the London Book Fair to end the hashtag on a fairly high note.

RT @LondonBookFair The only thing that won’t disappear is the stories, everything else is changing #bytethebook

Review by Julia Newhouse.

Buy the series starting with The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4.

There is something to be said for coming to a series late. Having not spent my formative years in the UK, I had gotten to adulthood without having ever heard of Adrian Mole. But, having been given the first book recently as a gift, I was quickly hooked. Having come to know him in 2012, I have been able to read the whole cannon so far, quickly following Adrian from 13 and 3/4 to his early forties: through his final school years to middle-age. While some people have waited nearly three decades to see Adrian's path unfold, I have been able to catch up with him in just under two months. And, with news of a new book in the series expected next year, there couldn't  be a better moment to meet Adrian Albert Mole.

Sue Townsend's Adrian Mole is, despite his flaws, utterly charming. From the outset, as a somewhat uptight yet over confident teenager, he dreams of being a famous writer. And we quickly learn that Adrian isn't one to let a lack of talent stand in the way of his dreams. He has a plethora of similar flaws that make him utterly lovable: he is judgemental, and thinks too highly of himself for a start. He also has a particular gift for missing what is right in front of his nose. In the first book 'The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4', he is oblivious to the obvious affair his mother is having with the family's neighbour Mr. Lucas. Adrian' s complete shock when this is revealed is at turns both embarrassing and hilarious.

It is not only Adrian who captures your heart- his adulterous parents, first love Pandora Braithwaite, and the many other characters to flit into his life over the years are each drawn by Townsend with tender loving care. The books have also been widely appreciated for the way in which they have captured the British zeitgeist. Adrian is a teen in Thatcherite Britain, an ardent and then disaffected believer in New Labour, and a man shocked by the truths behind the Iraq war. Townsend has written a searingly good series, complete with lovable characters, storylines that you can't help but want to see develop, and that all important je ne sais quoi. Perhaps best of all, they are easy to read, totally accessible, and completely addictive. The series so far includes- 'The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4', 'The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole', 'True Confessions of Adrian Albert Mole', Adrian Mole: The Wilderness Years', 'Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years', 'Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction', 'The Lost Diaries of Adrian Mole', and 'Adrian Mole: The Prostrate Years'. I cannot wait for the next book, and with it, the next chapter in Adrian Mole's life.

Buy this book.

Review by Tracey Sinclair.

If you want to know more about the Ancient Greeks but are daunted about where to start, Charlotte Higgins’ lively book is just up your alley. Written with a thorough understanding of the subject but aimed squarely at the beginner, it’s a high speed romp through Greek legend and history and an examination of the impact this classical culture had on Western civilisation.

Cut into easily digested thematic chunks (looking at topics including warfare, politics, love, medicine, drama and the treatment of women), it’s packed with interesting facts but filtered through the author’s own (very modern) voice, which makes it feel deliberately informal and unstuffy. Higgins may occasionally allow her enthusiasm to tip into hyperbole (Plato’s Republic, for instance, is many things, but a ‘page turner’ it ain’t, whatever Higgins says), but her love for her subject is clear and contagious.

Given the broad scope of its remit, the book is necessarily a little superficial – if you’re looking for in-depth analysis you need to go elsewhere. But Higgins provides plenty of information on further reading if your appetite is whetted for more, and there’s a useful appendix that includes key dates, quotes and sayings from the classical era, with a focus on the origins of phrases that are still in use. Overall, It’s All Greek To Me is a delightfully enjoyable look at a time whose influence is still being felt today.

A interesing event from BIC coming up in March, here are some more details:

BIC BATTLE – THE DRM DEBATE MARCH 2013!
EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION OPEN NOW!

Not sure which way to go regarding DRM for digital products? BIC Battle No.2 could be just the event you’ve been looking for!
Following on the success of BIC Battle No.1, we’d like to invite BIC members and non-members alike to join us for BIC Battle No.2 on 4th March 2013 at the RSA in London.

This event will be dedicated to exploring the complex area of DRM and will be a fantastic opportunity to witness industry experts share their thoughts: via both presentations and panel discussion.

There will be plenty of opportunity for attendees to ask questions of the speakers throughout the event, in addition to a short drinks reception afterwards.
Speakers confirmed so far include Tom Chalmers – IPR License, Rebecca Smart – Osprey, James Millar – Waterstones, and Andrea D’Orta from Elsevier, with more to follow. For more information and to book your early bird ticket please visit http://bicbattle2.eventbrite.co.uk/

Buy this book.

Review by Tracey Sinclair.

Leo Hollis’ thorough and well-researched book takes us from London in the 1640s to the early 1700s, encompassing a massive period of change – the tumult of the Civil War and the Restoration followed by the devastation of the Plague and the Great Fire. By focusing on St Paul’s – its destruction and rebuilding – as a symbol for the city and its rebirth as a modern metropolis, Hollis ties together diverse strands of history, science, religion and philosophy into a compelling and thought-provoking narrative.

Hollis’ book centres around five extraordinary men who between them made an indelible stamp on London and helped shape its transformation: philosopher John Locke, scientist Robert Hooke, gardener John Evelyn, builder Nicholas Barbon and, of course, architect Christopher Wren. Their lives are inextricably interwoven with one another and the social and political fabric of the city, and this tale of personal rivalries, political wrangling and (in the case of Barbon) fairly shady dealings is as compelling as any novel.

Phoenix is densely written and crammed full of information, so can occasionally feel a little overwhelming.  But while it may not be a fast or easy read, it’s a rewarding one, and so jam-packed with fascinating facts and colourful snippets about London that will it make you look at the city with fresh eyes and appreciate its marvels all the more.

Congratulations to BookMachine and Valobox for getting in to the semi-final of TOC NYC Startup showcase. If they win this round, they will have the opportunity to present their technology to leaders in the publishing and technology industries at Tools of Change, NYC. Please click on the following link before the closing date on Friday 11th January 2013 to help them both through to the next round.

BookMachine recognised that with changes in publishing models, publishers need an easy way to find people with specific skill sets. BookMachine.me is a simple and visual way to do this. Whereas Linkedin in designed to connect you to those you know, BookMachine.me helps you to discover the skills you need from people you don’t know.

Laura Austin, co-founder says: ‘We recognised that as technology progresses it’s increasingly important to find niche skills for projects. The idea behind the site is to help those with those skills and experience in the industry to be found by those who are. Tools of Change is recognised as the place where publishing professionals go to create the Future of Publishing. We are delighted to be semi-finalists and to be given the opportunity to represent British start-ups in the international market place’

Valobox have worked hard to rethink the way people purchase and consume books, creating a consumer-friendly pay-as-you-go service. Over the past year they’ve been busy bringing together content from the best publishers from around the world and creating a slick service that lets you get hold of that content as quickly as possible.

Anna Lewis, co-founder says: "It's always good to see UK publishing startups cutting it alongside their US counterparts. Broader recognition of UK innovation is great for the startup ecosystem over here, and the publishing industry too. We'd be very happy to compete against the likes of Bookmachine.me in the final!"