Happy New Philip Pullman Day! Hundreds of fans attended midnight events to celebrate the publication of La Belle Sauvage, which had been delayed by the author’s ill health. He spoke to Stylist and finally revealed the inspiration for Lyra Belacqua. The Bookseller had declared La Belle Sauvage to be “rich and fully realised“, while the Guardian called it “worth the wait“.
The Bookseller has a sneak peek of the British Library’s Harry Potter exhibition. The Guardian also reviews the exhibition.
No prizes for guessing which author tops the list of highest paid European celebrities.
After the Famous Five and the Ladybird Books, it’s the Mr Men and Little Miss books’ turn to be given an adult update.
There is something incredibly soothing about contemplating a handful of words and a blank space left behind by Sappho, one of the earliest female poets, argues Ella Risbridger at The Pool. If Not, Winter is a 2003 translation of Sappho’s work by Anne Carson.
Britain’s creative industries are, unsurprisingly, facing a “potentially catastrophic” loss of talent and skills following Brexit.
Lit Hub has an excerpt of Ross Raisin’s A Natural, out this week in both the UK and the US.
Afua Hirsch reviews English: A Story of Marmite, Queuing and Weather by Ben Fogle.
Podcasts
Episode Two of the Brit Lit podcast is up. I spoke to American novelist Cynthia Sweeney, author of The Nest, about her abiding love of London and the British writer who inspires her.
On the Vintage podcast, Alex Clark speaks to Simon Schama about his new book Belonging: The Story of the Jews 1492-1900.
On Spectator Books, eminent book reviewer Chris Tomalin talks about her own memoir, A Life of My Own.
Richard and Judy discuss Rachel Rhys’ Dangerous Crossing.
The New Statesman’s The Back Half inteviews Philip Pullman.
The Brit Lit Blog 