Comments on: Do Publishers Know Anything About Literature? http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/do-publishers-know-anything-about-literature/ Reflections of a working writer and reader Sat, 19 May 2012 08:23:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Mark Thwaite http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/do-publishers-know-anything-about-literature/comment-page-1/#comment-96480 Mark Thwaite Tue, 03 Jul 2007 09:23:02 +0000 http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/do-publishers-know-anything-about-literature/#comment-96480 <p>I think McCarthy captures something very exactly in his Times piece. Certainly -- and in this I concur completely with Tom -- it is very often artists that I have the most interesting conversations with about Literature (with a big "L") rather than with publishers. (Indeed, I was recently kindly invited, along with some other bloggers, to spend a very pleasant evening with Penguin and some of the lovely Penguin folk seemed quite taken aback when the conversation turned to Proust and Kafka!) </p> <p>But some (usually smaller) publishers are trying hard -- immediately I think of Alma, Carcanet, Dalkey Archive, Hesperus, Profile, Verso -- to publish interesting stuff. The news isn't all bad.</p> <strong>jb says</strong>: Hi Mark. Not really surprising, though, the reaction of the Penguin people to Proust and Kafka. You would find the same kind of reaction in almost any social situation. But I agree with you, things are stirring and changes are on the way. I think McCarthy captures something very exactly in his Times piece. Certainly — and in this I concur completely with Tom — it is very often artists that I have the most interesting conversations with about Literature (with a big “L”) rather than with publishers. (Indeed, I was recently kindly invited, along with some other bloggers, to spend a very pleasant evening with Penguin and some of the lovely Penguin folk seemed quite taken aback when the conversation turned to Proust and Kafka!)

But some (usually smaller) publishers are trying hard — immediately I think of Alma, Carcanet, Dalkey Archive, Hesperus, Profile, Verso — to publish interesting stuff. The news isn’t all bad.

jb says: Hi Mark. Not really surprising, though, the reaction of the Penguin people to Proust and Kafka. You would find the same kind of reaction in almost any social situation. But I agree with you, things are stirring and changes are on the way.

]]> By: Paul http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/do-publishers-know-anything-about-literature/comment-page-1/#comment-96479 Paul Tue, 03 Jul 2007 08:18:03 +0000 http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/do-publishers-know-anything-about-literature/#comment-96479 <p>Hi John,<br /> I read this article and loved the idea of someone saying "No!" to the system and the way things are done.<br /> There seems to be an attitude prevalent in the Industry that if anyone criticises what is happening, then they are either naive and ignorant of commercial practicalities, or just a petulant, frustrated, wannabe writer.</p> <strong>jb says</strong>: Hi Paul. Loved it, too. I believe we are on the verge of some great and long overdue changes. Hi John,
I read this article and loved the idea of someone saying “No!” to the system and the way things are done.
There seems to be an attitude prevalent in the Industry that if anyone criticises what is happening, then they are either naive and ignorant of commercial practicalities, or just a petulant, frustrated, wannabe writer.

jb says: Hi Paul. Loved it, too. I believe we are on the verge of some great and long overdue changes.

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