I know there are many books about bookshops, looking at them from many different angles, such as the famous drif’s guide but I’ve just read six by bookshop proprietors. Two are by Jen Campbell and four by Shaun Bythhell. Click HERE to see them.
Shaun runs ‘The Book Shop’ in Wigton and I have been there a couple of times. I’m now trying to track down when we might have visited to see if we recognise ourselves in any of the books. I remember it was just like in the movies when we dropped in, being able to park right outside, but as to what I bought …..?
Always nice to spot a cover in a series or by an author when you thought you had got them all but recently, like buses, not one but three came along. Two were Victor Canning titles, where his name is in a distinctive style, as above, with the titles being ‘Firecrest’ and ‘The Scorpio Letters’ I don’t know why PAN felt the need for another cover for ‘Firecrest’ but evidently they did. I don’t know which one came first as they are both 1973. The other was a copy of ‘Smiley’s People’ by John Le Carre but the Canadian edition which has taken so long to arrive I had forgotten all about it. It mentions Canadian TV on the cover and is printed in Canada.
Having mentioned David Graham’s ‘Down To A Sunless Sea’ recently I found I also had a copy of his novel ‘Sidewall’ from 1983. Looking on the net there are several sites which show a different cover but all from the ‘stack them high, sell them cheap’ sites so I’m wondering if this cover actually exists as they all list it as a stock photo? I’d really like to know if it lists the cover artist as the style looks familiar.
Just a reminder that the ‘Vintage Paperback and Pulp Book Fair’ is on in London next Sunday. Unfortunately I can’t make it I but will look forward to seeing the highlights in Jules Burt’s video.
