in the literary world" by the prize's administrators, [Peter] Stothard immediately set the tone for this year's panel, promising he would work "within its great traditions".This former editor of the Times comes with impeccable bookish credentials, having judged both the Whitbread and Forward prizes and penned two acclaimed volumes of diaries--On the Spartacus Road: A Spectacular Journey Through Ancient Italy (he writes "with elegance, erudition and journalistic ease", said the Guardian in its review, a classicist who "quotes his sources in their beloved original Latin") and Thirty Days: A Month at the Heart of Blair's War.
from Alison Flood: The Guardian: Booker prize announces highbrow editor to head 2012 jury
~~~~~~~~~~~
While the UK's library numbers fell from 4,612 in the year to end-March 2010 to 4,579 in the year to end-March 2011, a decline of 0.7%, the drop in visits was steeper at 2.3% to 314.5m, and even greater (down 6.7%) when looked at over a longer period, with the UK's libraries receiving 337.3 million visitors a year five years ago.
"The great scandal is that opening hours are being slashed to ribbons," said library campaigner and twice Carnegie-shortlisted author Alan Gibbons.
from Alison Flood: The Guardian: Library usage falls as branches close
~~~~~~~~~~~
My only worry is that if other people like the map as much as me, the planet will quickly become covered in pins and it'll become difficult to work out what's where. Australia, though, is currently something of a literary desert: let me go and find my copies of Walkabout, and The Thorn Birds, and A Town Like Alice, and start placing my little red pins.
from Alison Flood: Exploring the world book map
~~~~~~~~~~~
No comments :
Post a Comment