I have a particular predilection for small decorative books published in collectible series, which British publishers are particularly good at producing. I have posted about two of my favorite series before, Britain in Pictures and King Penguins, and on this recent trip I encountered some more! The very traditional and well-stocked Daunt Books, which in addition to selling books has its own imprint, had several series on display in their main store on Marylebone High Street in London, and Waterstones (now managed by James Daunt) had a beautiful display of the new Penguin Monarchs series AND two big bookcases full of classic Penguins. The British love their Penguins, and who can blame them?
All sorts of books at Daunt including pamphlets: the Candlewick Press “Poetry Pamphlets” are marketed with the pitch phrase “instead of a card”; the “Little Black Classics” were issued in a series of 80 volumes last year to commemorate Penguin’s 80th anniversary.
Over at Waterstones on Gower Street, there were vintage paperback Penguins in orange and blue, and the new Penguins monarchs series, “ short, fresh, expert accounts of England’s rulers in a collectible format” with commissioned covers. I want all 45 of them (44 kings and queens + Oliver Cromwell, of course).
March 29th, 2016 at 7:02 am
Lovely pictures! <3
March 29th, 2016 at 2:57 pm
http://www.quincetreepress.co.uk/ publish the uktimate pocket books and county maps as well/
March 29th, 2016 at 3:48 pm
Daunt Books is perhaps my favourite bookshop – though I don’t live in London, I make a point of visiting Daunt whenever I manage to get there. It’s really a lovely little shop.
March 29th, 2016 at 6:25 pm
It really is–packed with books and no extra stuff (coffee, paper stuff, etc…)
March 29th, 2016 at 4:45 pm
Hi Donna, yet another stop on my next trip to London. Thanks for the reminder…