Saturday Summary #1

Hi, and welcome to the first Saturday Summary. Not ever anywhere, probably, but the only one that matters...err. Anyway, brief news about the book-week gone here follows!

David Nicholls' Us, is undergoing the adaptation process to a BBC drama. Us was longlisted for last year's Man Booker Prize. If you've read the book and you're looking forward to the adaptation...maybe don't. We're kidding, but adaptations are a tricky art. You could always read the book again. And if you've not read it at all, check it out.

Tuesday was Doodle day. Not only did Chris Riddell become the ninth Children's Laureate, he also unveiled his alter-ego, 'Doodle', turning each of the previous children's laureates into super/heroic authors as well. The sheer power of that man's pencil case; and he wants everyone else to enjoy drawing and doodling too - very good luck to him

Midweek came with the line-up announcement for this August's Edinburgh International Book Festival. We're making plans to attend, and think everyone who possibly can should too. Festival director, Nick Barley, told The Guardian he thinks the UK's reading habits are "an embarrassment". Oof, should we make it up, we hope to help to report on the variety being showcased.

One thing's for sure: people definitely need to give A Song of Ice and Fire author, George R.R Martin, some space!

And finally, please watch this. We think it's wonderful.

Have a good weekend, and see you next week. Perhaps we'll have a logo for this little bit.

George R.R. Martin asks fans of GoT to let him work

George R.R. Martin likely feels fortunate in many ways. But that doesn't preclude him from needing to remind people to back off a bit. Last year the author of the famed A Song of Ice Fire series - understandably - responded to the Swiss daily, Tages Anzeiger, in strong terms regarding concerns about his age and health. We won't link to that (keeping things fairly polite).

Obviously stressing Martin out isn't going to help him complete the next installment any quicker. And now he's sought to remind fans of the TV series Game of Thrones, adapted from the A Song... books, exactly that. On his 'Not A Blog' livejournal page, Martin addresses one or two other matters and then is quite clear:

Meanwhile, other wars are breaking out on other fronts, centered around the last few episodes of GAME OF THRONES. It is not my intention to get involved in those, nor to allow them to take over my blog and website, so please stop emailing me about them, or posting off-topic comments here on my Not A Blog. Wage those battles on Westeros, or Tower of the Hand, or Boiled Leather, or Winter Is Coming, or Watchers on the Walls. Anyplace that isn't here, actually.

Yes, I know that THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER named me "the third most powerful writer in Hollywood" last December. You would be surprised at how little that means. I cannot control what anyone else says or does, or make them stop saying or doing it, be it on the fannish or professional fronts. What I can control is what happens in my books, so I am going to return to that chapter I've been writing on THE WINDS OF WINTER now, thank you very much.

Hard to argue with, that. We wouldn't want to either - this is the man who in July 2013 destroyed a guitar, with Neil Gaiman for support. Seriously, let's just let him work. After all, it's not like there's a shortage of other great books to read in the meantime.

Chris Riddell, children's laureate - and why it matters

Tuesday saw the crowning of a new Children's Laureate. The position, which we think deserves our capitalisation (others seem to disagree), is one worth highlighting. Equally so too is the new holder of the role.

What is the children's laureate?

Of course the poet laureate comes to mind, and it's not far off. It's similar, except with a brief for promoting excellence in writing or illustration of children's books. Illustration is particularly significant this time around.

The role was conjured up by former poet laureaute Ted Hughes and children's writer Michael Morpurgo. The aim was to honour and highlight excellence in the field, inspire others, and is managed by the Book Trust, with support (mainly) from Waterstones.

Who is it?

The Doodler! Or perhaps, illustrator and writer Chris Riddell. Whoever is the true recipient of the honour, they receive £20,000 and an inscribed medal as they take over from Malorie Blackman. The Doodler/Chris is the ninth children's laureate, and is already scribbling about his experiences on his Facebook page.

Should you know him?

Probably moreso if you've children - or you're a child yourself. Chris is behind the much-loved Goth Girl series of books, which are well worth a look. He holds the the British librarians' annual award for the best-illustrated children's book, and has won two Kate Greenaway medals for "distinguished illustration".

So there you have it - the new Children's Laureate is a man who wields his pen and pencils wonderfully. The Doodler! Chris Riddell! For the good of children's books.

Good luck to him. For his two year tenure and beyond.

Book claims Zodiac Killer was author's father

A new book to be published by HarperCollins could hold the identity of the infamous Zodiac Killer within its pages. The Most Dangerous Animal of All, written byGary L. Stewart reveals the author's belief that the notorious Zodiac Killer was in fact his biological father. The book is released next week in the UK, but is already available in the US where it is - it's fair to say - grabbing quite a lot of attention.

The identity of the Zodiac killer, active in the 60s and 70s in California, has never been established. That is despite an extraordinary amount of time spent on the case and  killers own letters to police and media alleging to contain clues as to his own identity.

Stewart though believes the killer was his father, and in an interview with People told that he thinks the killers victims resembled his mother, Judith Gilford, a 14 year old who Best ran away from home with in 1963. Best was later arrested and imprisoned for offences inclusing raping a minor.

Speaking about the book HarperCollins spokesperson, Laura Lees, has offered:

"Years of research led Gary to the conclusion, after he launched a search for his biological father shortly after his birth mother made contact with him. He also says he unearthed forensic evidence among the clues he found."

The author's evidence is included in the book, and the cover displays an image of Best some may feel compelled to compare to a police artist's sketch of the Zodiac killer.

Earl Van Best though, if he was the killer, died in 1984. And the San Francisco Police Department have refused to compare the author's DNA with that held on file.

Stewart says the evidence was "the last thing" he wanted to find when looking into his past, having been contacted by Gilford in 2002.  But he does hope the book may "bring some closure to the families of my father's victims".

Title tells of UK's first spin doctor

The story of the UK's first 'spin doctor' should make for fascinating reading for anyone with an eye for communications...or  maybe those with a strong love/hate for PR. Former journalist-turned-author Richard Evans has written a book about the UK's first spin doctor, Sir Basil Clarke, the man to be credited for enabling the Alastair Campbells of the country.

That might be unfair, for the former sportsman Sir Basil intended to be a pioneer in founding the country's first PR firm. He succeeded in 1927, and the UK government made use of his "propaganda by news" - an approach which meant providing facts specific to a preferred story.

Indeed author Richard Evans explains to Hold The Front Page exactly how Sir Basil was key in bringing PR to our shores.

“Although PR was well-established in America, no-one had thought it necessary in Britain. The war changed all that because everyone could see the power of propaganda.

"When Sir Basil started in the role, it was a pioneering move and he later moved to Dublin Castle as the occupation of Ireland was deeply unpopular.”

Although he was knighted for services in Ireland, Sir Basil did come in for heavy criticism. As the author of a British response to 1920's Bloody Sunday, he was accused of conjuring fiction by Sinn Féin.

Evans though believes, "All the evidence points to it being a mistake". Adding, "As founding fathers go I think he did believe in the ethics of public relations and had a reputation for standing up to people.” Apparently now and again he would do that with his fists; not a man to back down.

The whole of Sir Basil Clarke's story may no longer be well known. Yet From the Frontline: The Extraordinary Exploits of Sir Basil Clarke at Dunham Massey seeks to lift the lid on the UK's chief crafter of comment.

Pan Macmillan hands Miranda Dickinson six-figure deal

Pan Macmillan has handed Miranda Dickinson a six-figure, three-book deal, the Bookseller has reported. Six figures is sizable, and when the fifth largest publisher in the UK spends such an amount it's probably not on a whim. So just who is Miranda Dickinson, and why the sum?

The short answer is this: Dickinson is a Sunday Times bestselling author, about whom Caroline Hogg (a Pan senior commissioning editor) says, “If you’re a fan of women’s fiction, you’ll know what an inspiration Miranda is within the community."

The deal sees Ms Hogg acquire the world English rights for Dickinson's next three titles, so of course such praise is expected. Still, Dickinson is the author of six novels with the latest (Take A Look At Me Now) boasting a 4-star Amazon average and a 3.78 Goodreads score. And the author clearly has a fair amount of fans.

Miss R. Saberton writes about Take A Look At Me Now:

Well written, sympathetic characters that stay with the reader and, as always, delivered with Miranda's trademark compassion and humour. I loved it.

And a review from Pajama Book girl reads:

My first Miranda Dickinson novel has finally been read and I must say I enjoyed it greatly. Take a look at me now is extremely thorough in explanation and has a quirky and unique way in which it is wrote, this means that you are straight away dragged into the book by your hair!

Pan Macmillan will obviously be hoping for more of the same from the author, who has been delivering her stories like clockwork for the last five years. Since 2009 every late-October or early November has seen a new Dickinson novel.

Following the sequence we'd assume the new deal includes a release later this year, as well as books to be released in 2015 and 2016.

Yep, we've probably jinxed it!

Not everyone may be a fan of the author's work - being cliché and being too twee, the main criticisms - but every author has their critics, and we doubt Pan Macmillan is too worried.

Obviously we wish her well with the new deal. Dickinson herself writes in an update, "I'm moving on to the next big chapter of my writing life – and I’m so excited!"

Mills & Boon hotel 'The Chatsfield' launches

Mills & Boon publisher Harlequin has launched an intriguing online extension to the series' scandalous world - in the shape of a digital hotel, The Chatsfield.

We'll admit we're perhaps not the biggest followers of the series, but both fans and the curious should check out what is an interesting undertaking by the publisher. And one aiming to deliver "the next chapter in storytelling".

That line comes from Harlequin's UK MD, Tim Cooper, as The Chatsfield seeks to deliver an engaging expansion of the Mills & Boon world through a unraveling three month story. And explaining the launch, Cooper adds:

Women are engaging evermore with on-going characters and wanting to interact and learn more about them and are consuming content in different formats across different platforms. So I looked to create an intersection between our series publishing programme and other media.”

The site will act as the home for all manner of  scandal, delivered through a mix of multimedia linked to social media, uncovering a plot involving over 800 bits of content about a hotel which is rich in style, luxury and your typical Mills & scandal.

If that sounds right up your street get over to the site, perhaps 'check in' and enjoy the experience. If it doesn't, you may return to your favoured genre or series.

But before you do, it is worth noting that Harlequin's move is a noteworthy attempt to expand the fictional into the digital; potentially offering many fans another way to connect to their favoured titles. Perhaps the best way to do so is to just read them - but we can't help but admire potential innovation and added content.

We're certainly fans of David Mitchell's recent interactive leanings and - as the unofficial home of J.K Rowling's Hogwarts shows - there's high interest in making digital the worlds which much-loved characters inhabit.

Mills & Boon fans may perhaps already know that the series had a new site launched earlier this year. And with Harlequin becoming part of HarperCollings, support for any evolution will likely be well-backed.

Letters of Note book auction live

Letters of Note is welcoming bids for copies of Letters of Note and To The Letter, signed by performers from the most recent Letters Live event. Letters of Note has lifted itself from the ether of the Internet in recent times, turning the site founded by Shaun Usher into a self-titled book as well as a fledgling series of live events.

The most recent of these fine events took place on April 23rd, to coincide with the Reading Agency's annual World Book Night. It saw a host of readers including Stephen Fry, Lisa Dwan, Russell Brand, Louise Brealey and Andrew Motion all reading selected...well, letters of note.

Now, in a positive push to raise some funds for the Reading Agency, two books signed by the night's performers have been put up for auction. The details of the listings, still very much live, read:

One copy each of Letters Of Note and To The Letter were signed by: Stephen Fry • Caitlin Moran • Russell Brand • James Rhodes • Lisa Dwan • Matt Berry • Louise Brealey • Andrew Motion • Morgana Robinson • Andrew O’Hagan • David Nicholls at a World Book Night event in association with The Reading Agency, at Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall on Wednesday 23 April. 

There's not a lot else we can add to that. The Letters of Note book auction will be live for the next four and a bit days, with the current top bid standing at £260.

So, if you fancy snagging the two titles - or just ensuring that the Reading Agency gets a fair sum of money (and you some excellent books in return) - head here.

Happy bidding!

Busting boundaries: English Pen's World Bookshelf

Being that W&M is relatively new in the world of books, we thought we'd get out from behind our desk and be active. So, because we like shifting our horizons (and because we were thankfully allowed to attend), we were at the launch at English PEN's 'World Bookshelf'. held at Foyle's on Charing Cross Road.

For the uninitiated, English Pen is the founding member of the Free Word Centre, and the founding centre of the international association of writers. If that means little, it is a charity set up to support the rights of readers and writers both in the UK and internationally. To give a small hint of its beliefs, it's actively fighting for a reversal of the UK's prison book ban.

Needless to say then that English PEN's belief in literary freedom is plastered all over its bookshelf.

Happy to be in like-minded (if far superior) company, we arrived in Foyle's 'gallery' area and took a seat surrounded by book lovers and industry professionals. We then moved seat; not wanting our mind to be the only thing able to stretch. Frankly, we weren't disappointed, as what was to follow was enlightening, enjoyable and highly interesting.

Harriet Gilbert of BBC Radio 4's 'A Good Read' and the World Service's 'The World Book Club' led things. Joined by novelists Nikita Lalwani, Elif Shafak and the translator Frank Wynne, the evening was relaxed, welcoming and genuinely revealing.

Each of the guests talked openly about their experience of writing in (and having text ported to) different languages. With the guests reading excerpts from personally chosen titles, we were treated to books in translation which inspired, intrigued or challenged them. All the while Gilbert listened avid as the rest of us, yet guiding the evening with insight and purpose as needed.

For those, like us, who read very little translated material, it was dazzling to be made aware of the artistry that goes in to making a book region-suitable. Titles, phrases, indeed whole passages of text have to be considered for suitability.

Elif Shafak recounted that one of her books Iskender, was translated to English (Honour) and Italian (House of Four winds) with changed titles. In English, Iskender (Alexander) may be taken as a history of Alexander the Great. In Italian, Honour (Honore) might be taken as a mafia-themed title.

Such considerations were alien to us. And we likely weren't alone: With English-writing authors works dominating British bookshelves, much of the magic of translation - and of the rhythm, themes and stories skilfully carried from other languages - are missed by many of us.

And so 'The World Bookshelf'.

Not content with letting readers miss out on international literature, English PEN has opened and committed to an "online gateway" showcasing the works of international writers - all made accessible through translation.

A portal full of author, book and translator info, complete with a blog and the possibility of future events. Meanwhile, a PEN Atlas section allows exploration and discovery of literature and by the continent.

We'd be stunned if we weren't so impressed by the portal. More importantly though, we're now struck by a daring feeling: the feeling that we may hold truly dear a book not native in English, but powerfully adopted.

What that book might be we're not yet sure. But we know who might help.

--

A podcast of the evening should shortly be available; we'll be sure to link to it here when it is!

Capital In the Twenty-First Century tops Amazon charts

Professor Thomas Piketty'sCapital In the Twenty-First Century has stormed Amazon, and is currently sitting at the top of the book giant's bestseller list.

We thought we caught a sense of something unique when sniffing the ether for the French academic's new work; now it seems that our initial thoughts were fairly sensible.

The 696 page title, released last month, deals with the central issue of economic inequality. And it is, Ryan Cooper of The Week believes:

...a brilliant, surprisingly readable work that synthesizes a staggering amount of careful research to make the case that income inequality is no accident.

Obviously some interest in economics will be needed to consider purchasing the title, but Capital has so far managed to impress critical reviewers and many readers with its unique and striking approach to capitalism and the inequality around us.

Admittedly, we're not particularly economically minded - indeed we're looking forward to reading the book ourselves! -  so here's Prof. Piketty explaining the title far better than we ever could.

The Young Atheist's Handbook sent to schools

Free copies of The Young Atheist's Handbook: Lessons for Living a Good Life Without God have been sent to every school in England and Wales by The British Humanist Association (BHA). The news, which first emerged in the TES, comes at a time when the former Archbishop of Canterbury has called Britain 'Post-Christian', as the debate about British religious sensibilities drives on.

The Young Atheist's Handbook was written by Alom Shaha, a science teacher, who relays his story as a child growing up in a strict Muslim community in SE London.  It's description tells:

Shaha recounts how his education and formative experiences led him to question how to live without being tied to what his parents, priests, or teachers told him to believe...

The report suggest the idea is inspired by Michael Gove's 2011 decision  to send copies of the King Jame Bible to schools - marking the book's 400th anniversary. Yet the idea clearly carries a significant additional point.

BHA's Sara Passmore has said the organisation wants to provide a "bit of balance", and that, "Alom's book will help schools to be places where pupils can encounter the broad rangeof religious and non-religious worldviews in modern Britain.”

We can't help but think that healthy representation of British religious and non-religious beliefs within schools is fair regardless of belief. Yet Trevor Cooling, professor of Christian Education at Canterbury Christ Church University, told the TES he thought the sending of the book was unnecessary:

The evidence suggests that most children’s understanding of science is already largely atheistic. The BHA itself says that most children have non-religious beliefs, so why do they feel it is so important to send out this book?

The BHA's chief executive, Andrew Copson, explained his thoughts about the decision by saying title could help young people "think critically about the world around them", while making it clear it is "possible to live a compassionate, fulfilling, and meaningful life without God or religion.

Save Kew Bookshop petition launched

We're not the first to break this news, but we'd urge all readers to consider signing the Kew Bookshop petition. The petition was started, with a deadline of June 1st, after landlords submitted planning permission to demolish the "beautiful century-old wooden" property, and replace it with a two-level brick structure.

A report by The Bookseller tells that Isla Dawes, the shop owner, strongly rejects the terms of the planning permission:

 “The applicant has made a case that the present building is not fit for purpose, but this is not true, and all this building needs is to be re-clad in wood and it would be fit for purpose for a further 100 years without destroying its character and with it the character of Kew Village.”

We're not ones to stand in the way of genuine, well-considered progress. But the shop, which currently does business to the tune of £300,000 per year through retail, is fighting fit in terms of its business.

Further, unsympathetic demolishing of a century-old building could be argued to show a lack of interest in heritage while setting a dangerous precedent.

And what if the plans were to go ahead? Dawes tells that she wouldn't be able to afford the rent of the new property and would be forced to close the shop. With independent stores across the country closing due to ailing enterprise, what sense to close one that is going strong?

The petition reads, "Before long, only the big chains and estate agents who can afford the high rents will move into Kew, destroying its village character for ever."

We firmly believe bookshops are more than buildings. And when the buildings are as well-regarded and long-standing as Kew Bookshop, we stand fully supportive. In fact, we've already signed the petition.

Win a signed copy of Heather Reyes 'An Everywhere'

Because it's Tuesday, and because we have a wonderful prize from the fine folks at Oxygen Books, here's our first competition. We're giving away a signed copy of Heather Reyes wonderful ' An Everywhere: a little book about reading'.

It's an inspiring book which delights in highlighting the joy to be found in books - even during the toughest of times.

Helen Dunmore, winner of the Orange Prize says of it:

I have so much enjoyed An Everywhere. It is a brilliant travel guide to the city of books: the city we hold within us, and the one we share with all its other citizens.

Reading it ourselves we couldn't agree more.

To be in with a chance of winning, write a paragraph on the most memorable journey a book has taken you on (real or otherwise), and send it over to us at wordsandmatter [at] gmail [dot] com.

We'll pick the winner from all entries by the end of Thursday, and hope to have the prize delivered by the weekend!

Ebury acquires Steve Davis autobiography

The autobiography of snooker player Steve Davis will be available in 2015, and published by Ebury, The Bookseller has reported. The sportsman is no stranger to seeing his name in print, and actually quite the deadpan character - in spite of the accepted view of his being one of British sport's less exciting personalities.

The London-born veteran of the snooker circuit has been known as "Interesting"  and the "Romford Robot" in his 36 years on the felt. But Ebury's deputy publisher, Andrew Goodfellow, is looking forward to producing a book rich on insight, and knows the man himself his well worthy of the deal.

“Steve, the man behind the ‘boring’ tag, has actually always been the sport’s smartest, sharpest and wittiest man – I’m thrilled to have him on board. He’s a bona fide sporting legend and I think his autobiography could become the defining book on snooker.”

In what is set to be both a key title about the world of snooker - and the definitive story of Davis himself - snooker and sports fans are likely to find an engaging and telling read.

Davis himself has said he is "excited" to be working with Ebury, although we're assuming his promise to reveal "what sort of chalk I was using in the '80s", as well as delivering, "a rollercoaster of unemotional analysis" won't be part of the marketing drive.

The book is expected in the Spring of 2015, to coincide with the Snooker World Championship.

Chris Hadfield: an author with global vision

Stephen King has written that books are a "uniquely portable magic". Yet some books force us to redefine the type and level of the magic which lay within their pages. Broadening horizons, educating and entertaining, the very best books bring us something unique. A magic to be taken with us, and a glow to last long after.

Ordinarily, perhaps historically, the news that the former Commander of the International Space Station was to publish a second book might excite a decent amount of people. It might not necessarily grab the attention some would feel such news deserves.

Yet the announcement that the former Commander Chris Hadfield is to publish his second book is most certainly attracting attention.

Hatfield, now retired, achieved his dreams and probably more than he ever dreamed about. As a boy he watched the moon landing and wanted nothing more than to following in the footsteps of his heroes. He joined the Canadian astronaut program in 1992 and flew into space aboard the STS-75 shuttle three years later.

In April 2001 he first visited the International Space Station, embarking on a space-walk to help install the 'Canadarm2' - a crucial bit of equipment for logistical and maintenance operations, otherwise known as the Mobile Servicing System.

As if to better enhance and brighten his later glorious views of Earth and space from orbit, he suffered a problem. While working to attach the Canadarm2 Hadfield went temporarily blind. In both eyes. Due to an anti-fogging agent Hadfield temporarily lost his sight while on a space-walk. It sounds absolutely terrifying, although he has recently said such issues are prepared for in training.

Twelve years later Hadfield would see beauty and capture imaginations on a global scale, sharing pictures of his views from space with us on Earth. Having joined the ISS on expedition 34 in December 2012, he became Commander of the Station in March 2013.

Clearly things are just a bit more eye-catching from space, and Hadfield made full artistic use of his time:

Naturally, space provides a simply astounding view on things; something the former Commander has conveyed wonderfully since his return to Earth:

"It's an entirely different perspective, you're not looking up at the universe...you and the Earth are going through the universe together.

And you're holding on with one hand, looking at the world turn beside you.

It's...roaring silently with colour and texture as it pours by just mesmersingly next to you."

It's that colour and texture, shown through the many beautiful images posted to his Twitter profile, which have captured the attention of millions. Pictures of deserts, lakes, cities and fault lines shown as only an astronaut sees them. Yes, space is different. "You see a sunrise or a sunset every 45 minutes", Hadfield told the audience at a TedX talk.

Some of what he's seen - in many photos the world has yet to - will make it into his second book, You Are Here: Around the World in 92 Minutes. The title will be the follow up to 2013's An Astronaut's Guide To Life.

Pan Macmillan's Jon Butler imprint has acquired UK and commonwealth rights and, just as King wrote, we can expect some "uniquely portable magic". Perhaps magic like no other. The book will feature stunning images, as well as engaging and - hopefully - captivating commentary.

Now unfortunately Chris Hadfield was unavailable for comment for this feature. Because we didn't even try to get hold of him.

We know he's busy in any case. After all, he has a lot of exquisite and awe-inspiring images to work through.

Pelican Flies Again

Penguin Random House has seen fit to let the iconic Pelican imprint fly once more, as the above short video neatly tells.

Founded in 1937, Pelican was (and still is) renowned for delivering intelligent non-fiction works at smart prices. Its founder, Allen Lane, put this perfectly writing:

 ‘We…believed in the existence in this country of a vast reading public for intelligent books at a low price, and staked everything on it.’

We believe in it too, and it's great to see Pelican returning on May 1st after an absence of 30 years.

Initially there will be five titles on offer, and topics include Economics, Revolutionary Russia, Human Evolution and The Domesticated Brain.

£7.99 is the - quite reasonable - price for each. Yet for those wanting a better bargain, Waterstones has a pre-order code here which cuts the price by £2. Not bad at all!

Unpublished Garcia Marquez manuscript revealed

The late Gabriel Garcia Marquez left an unpublished novel featuring themes not dissimilar to his most-loved works, it has been revealed. The Colombian writer and winner of the Nobel Prize for literature died on the 17th of April. He stopped writing in 2004, and the unpublished manuscript, En Agosto Nos Vemos ("We'll See Each Other in August"), was completed around that time.

Garcia Marquez biographer, Gerald Martin, says the new work isn't wholly unexpected, but has changed quite a bit since he was made aware of it:

"The last time I talked to Gabo about this story it was a stand-alone which he was going to include in a book with three similar but independent stories. Now they're talking about a series of episodes in which the woman turns up and has a different adventure each year."

It really does seems the writer was busier in his final writing years than most had thought, shaping We'll See Each Other in August into a fuller body of work - and one which ponders the themes of secret lives, love and eroticism which Garcia Marquez' so masterfully handled.

It would of course be wonderful to have another of the writer's works available, but whether we'll get to see the novel in print is currently undecided.

The decision to not publish it was made by Garcia Marquez himself, and any decision to make it available would now be one for the writer's family. Speaking to the Huffington Post, Cristobal Pera of Penguin Random House Mexico's said such a decision was yet to be made.

For now then, we only have an excerpt from the manuscript - printed in Spain's La Vanguardia newspaper.

It introduces us to a woman in her 50s. The lady makes annual visits to her mother's grave on a tropical island where, each year she has adventures. In the excerpt, which may be the first chapter, the lady has an affair with a man of similar age at the hotel in which she is staying.

Unfortunately, the chapter is only published in Spanish (found here). Non-Spanish speakers might get a functional sense of the story with in-browser translation. But who wants functional? We'd rather (hopefully) wait for an full English language version.

Orchard Books team with National Literacy Trust for school challenge

Orchard Books has joined forces with the National Literacy Trust to deliver 30,000 books to children in the UK through a reading challenge.

The admirable challenge will see around 5,000 children receiving Orchard's highly popular Rainbow Magic or Beast Quest series, and achieve points for progress in reading through their given series.

In a clever 'gamification' approach to reading, points are awarded to children who carry out ten minute challenges - at home and at school - in an effort to complete their books and clock up 11.5 hours  of reading.

To help encourage progress, teachers are to be supplied with wall reading maps, reading logs and challenge certificates - all of which, we're sure are highly useful tools.

To reward those achieving series completion, a chance to win prizes and a visit from a series character is on offer, along with - one of our favourite things - book vouchers.

Susie Musgrove of the NLT believes: "the challenges provide teachers with a platform for encouraging children to read for pleasure – something we know is hugely important for future achievement.”

We loved reading at school, and we couldn't agree more.

Pussy Riot member joins campaign to reverse prison book ban

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, a member of the Russian punk rock band  Pussy Riot has given heartfelt support to the campaign looking to overturn a policy banning books for UK prisoners.

Tolokonnikova is among several new international artists supporting the English PEN and Howard League for Penal Reform backed campaign, and has written strongly of her own experiences of incarceration.

Three members of the band were imprisoned in 2012 over charges of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred". And Tolokonnikova tells how her 21 month period behind bars was enlivened by her access to books:

Books make up your entire world when you are a prisoner. Because you have books you know that every day you spend behind bars is not a day spent in vain.

In a letter posted on the English PEN website, Tolokonnikova also writes, "Prison is probably one of the most text-centric places in this, our contemporary reality."

The campaign has fostered international support from Europe, Africa and South-east Asia, and among those joining the campaign is Belarusian journalist Iryna Khalip.

Khalip was detained and charged for organising protests against the  Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, following his 2010 re-election. She has likened a lack of books to a lack of air.

WhenI was arrested and brought to a prison cell I noticed almost automatically that there were books on one of the shelves...‘It’s possible to live here,’  I thought,  ‘there is something to read.’

Khalip adds in her letter that in prison books "become the air. Your body needs air to breathe. No books — you cannot breathe. And if you cannot breathe there is no life."

To find out more about the campiagn to overturn a ban on books in British prisons, visit English PEN's website, here.

Cloud Atlas author offers interactive clues for new novel

We're not going to say much here except to say we think the below visual offering from Cloud Atlas author, David Mitchell is brilliant. What we have is an interactive teaser 'cover' for the author's September 2nd novel The Bone Clocks.

The book is described as a 'metaphysical thriller' - following themes of time and space Mitchell is clearly fond of exploring. Readers will witness the life of Holly Sykes through her years, backdropped against exhausting European oil supplies.

Intriguingly Holly is an "unwitting player in a murderous feud played out in the shadows and margins of our world."

More about The Bone Clocks can be found here. Otherwise, have a click away below.