Persephone Books is a bookstore in the UK. When I was in the UK I didn’t know about this wonderful bookstore and I will certainly visit it next time I’m there. I’ve had contact with the staff through email and have found them always to be courteous and helpful. Persephone Books reprints neglected fiction and non-fiction by mid-twentieth century (mostly) women writers. Each one of their collection of 110 books is intelligent, thought-provoking and beautifully written, and most are perfect presents or a good choice for reading groups. I am always so excited when I receive my copy of the Persephone Bianually. I have recently recieved the Biannually for Autumn/Winter 2014-15 with a portrait of Nina Hamnett painted by Roger Fry (A member of the Bloomsbury Group) in 1917 on the cover. She is wearing a dress desighned by another Bloomsbury member, Vanessa Bell and made at the Omega Workshop.
Persephone Books now have twenty e-books. To quote from the Biannually: We know that our readers like the beauty of our books, and they like to feel a book in their hands; nevertheless we feel it is important to offer some of our titles electronically – partly for readers abroad who do not want to pay the cost of postage, partly because an e-book reader is so much lighter to carry than a book, partly because we would look old-fashioned if we eschewed e-books entirely.
But do we like them? Well, we do not dislike them.
On their list (110 books) no. 33. The Far Cry by Emma Smith, is a beautifully written 1949 novel about a young girl’s passage to India: a great Persephone favourite. R4 ‘Book at Bedtime’ in 2004. Preface: author.
Have a good writing week (with Christmas fast approaching time may be limited).
Elise x
what elise wrote 