Man Booker Long Listing For Jane Rogers

Last Wednesday the phone rang with the amazing news that Jane Roger’s novel, The Testament of Jessie Lamb had made this year’s Man Booker Prize Long List. After peeling ourselves back down from the very high ceilings of Sandstone Towers (not ideal for those of us with vertigo) we took stock (literally) and counted again. What a difference a day – and a major prize listing – makes. The first print run sold out, the second is on its way and in between the phone and that e-mail “ping” (which I really must learn how to switch off) have barely stopped sounding.

We’re always hard working here, doing our best to get our books into the hands of you lovely readers, but the tempo has definitely changed. We’ve gone from riding a mountain bike up a long gradual incline to a scene more like something from the Tour De France (without the Lycra). Long may the hectic pace continue and a hearty congratulations to Jane Rogers for such an achievement. We of course are very quietly keeping fingers crossed that The Testament of Jessie Lamb might make the short list on Tuesday, September 6.

What is a book shop and other philosophical questions

In October, we’ll be launching Anne Scott’s beautiful book 18 Bookshops in Glasgow (Wednesday, October 5, 5.30 pm at Waterstone’s Sauchiehall Street branch if you can come along) and it has got us thinking about what makes bookshops so special. With sadness we’ve seen Ottakers and Borders go, Waterstone’s remains and, in the main, those special independent shops survive. Do they symbolise great beacons of creativity or provide a 21st century hunt – the forest in which you must find your quarry . . .  or even a much preferable way to pass an afternoon than following your other half around town in search of exactly the right type of shoes? Anne’s book explores her own relationship with 18 very special places, where the atmosphere, the light and the experience is unique and makes for fond memories.

To celebrate the launch of her book, we’re going to be running a competition. We want to hear from you about what bookshops mean to you – maximum word count 500 but a sentence will do if brevity is your thing. Competition will close on Monday, October 10, 5 pm and the winner (who will receive a lovely signed copy of “18 Bookshops” will be announced on Monday, October 17.  E-mail all entries to eilidh@sandstonepress.com with “bookshops” in the subject line.

“My name is E” – Frederick Lightfoot

The old question of whether we write about that which we know best or that which we only imagine came to the fore the other morning. A long telephone chat with Fred Lightfoot had me finally settled that what we write about is both. And if we didn’t write about what we didn’t know (stop me before I get to Rumsfield-esque) or hadn’t directly experienced then we’d never have men writing about women or vice versa and how dull would the literary world be then?

Fred’s new book, due to be launched at the start of November (dates and details to follow), focuses on the lives of three girls with varying degrees of deafness. It is about deafness, the struggle for communication and recognition but, as Fred says, ultimately it is a story about family feuds, lies and secrets. And a super one at that.

Ever Fallen in Love – Zoë Strachan

A very big thank you to Helen Sedgwick and all the staff at Watertone’s for making the launch of Zoë Strachan’s third novel Ever Fallen in Love such a super success last month.  We’ll skip the part where the books’ delivery from the printers was severely delayed and the part where Ma Broon’s Cookbook appeared at the shop instead of Ever Fallen in Love (we’re sure Zoë could have entertained the crowds with her take on the Scottish recipes, but we’re glad she ultimately didn’t have to) and head straight to how wonderfully well received the book has been.

And rightly so – it is a gripping tale, swinging between the debauched student days of central characters Richard and Luke and the remote Highland village Richard finds himself in 10 years on. As much a tale of corruption as it is of love, we see it as a bit of a modern day Brideshead Revisited. For those of you near Edinburgh next week, you’ll catch Zoë at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on Sunday August 14, 10.15 am at the Spiegltent.  And for those of you knowing that the title rings a bell, but you can’t quite place it, let me take you back to 1978 . . .

Final date for your diary

We’re very pleased to be launching Jørn Lier Horst’s super crime novel Dregs in Edinburgh next week (Tuesday, August 16, 6.30 pm at Waterstone’s West End Princes Street). The recent tragedy in Norway, shocking to the core, is still foremost in our minds and we look forward to extending our sympathy and solidarity with the Norwegian Consulate and Jørn and his family.

E-Books

We’re going all digital here at Sandstone, gradually over the next 6 -12 months our titles will all become available in “virtual” as well as the hard copy form. As I’m yet to make the leap (using the excuse of favouring reading in the bath as the legitimate health and safety barrier to going electronic) I can’t honestly say how great and easy it is. But apparently – as those of you already gadgeted-up no doubt already know –  it is!  You’ll find The Testament of Jessie Lamb, Site Works, Love, Revenge and Buttered Scones . . . the list continues (and includes Gaelic titles too) all there for the picking. Or easy downloading . . . or however it is the techno-monkey-magic works.

Sandstone Press website

Source: Sandstone Press