Moving House

Our blog has now moved, and can be found looking all nice and shiny here:

http://www.jeremymillspublishing.co.uk/blog

We'd love to hear what you think - please send us your comments!

Raymond Stokes wins Award

Here at Jeremy Mills Publishing we are excited at the news that Raymond G, Stokes, author of Divide and Prosper: The Heirs of I.G. Farben under Allied Authority 1945-1951 has been awarded the John and Martha Morris Award for the History of Modern Chemistry and the Chemical Industry. Professor Stokes wins the award for his pioneering work on the history of the German Chemical Industry, and will receive the award in 2010. Congratulations, Ray, from all of us at Jeremy Mills Publishing!

To find out more about the prize, click here.

To find out more about the book, click here.

All-a-twitter

Hello Bloggers!
It seems that JMP has been neglecting this poor blog in favour of its shiny new sister, Twitter. We have been twittering away (http://twitter.com/jeremymillspub) about our new books and meeting lots of new publishers, booksellers and book fans in the process. If, like us, you have been spending time with new technology, visit our Twitter page and follow our tweets. If you are staying loyal to blogs, don't worry - we will continue to post our musings here!

Molten Memories*

Neil Wallington is a prolific firefighting author and, as an ex-firefighter himself, knows just what fire enthusiasts like to read about. His latest offering is a large, colourful book detailing the history of something that does not exist today - the British fire engine. One Hundred Years of the British Fire Engine follows the history of these engines and the men who rode them. With sections on Dennis, Leyland and the Green Goddess, this book is a fascinating trip down memory lane for anyone who has ever ridden or seen one of these vehicles. The book traces the decline of the British Fire Engine, as foreign engines become a more familiar sight in fire stations. Click here to find out more about the book.

*Oh, and I am afraid I must admit that this blog entry is not all my own work ... I 'borrowed' the title from my colleague Paul (Porl on this blog!) who used it on a banner for our online bookshop. Sorry Porl, but they do say imitation is the best form of flattery!

Divide and Prosper: Back in Print

This month we have been busy bringing a book back into print! Divide and Prosper: The Heirs of I.G. Farben under Allied Authority was the first book written by Professor Raymond G. Stokes.
Jeremy Mills Publishing thought it rather a shame that the book was no longer in print, and asked Professor Stokes to write a foreword to the new edition. If this is a book you've been looking for without success, you may be interested to know that it can now be purchased by visiting our online bookshop. Click here for more details on the book.

Our New Title is Magic!

Everyone at Jeremy Mills Publishing is excited about our latest book, David Nixon: Entertainer With the Magic Touch! A biography of one of Britain's best-loved entertainers, the book is due for publication this September. If you can't wait until then, here is a little taster of what the book is about:

For more than twenty years, millions of British television viewers tuned in to watch a true wizard at work. As a panellist on What's My Line? or as the host of It's Magic and many other shows, David Nixon was not just a magician, but a peerless performer whose warmth and wit made him a natural star. David Nixon: Entertainer with the Magic Touch tells the story of a remarkable life: how David's childhood fascination with conjuring tricks led to wartime adventures with ENSA, and how he rose from running concert parties to being the nation's best-loved star.

David's personal life was one touched by tragedy. Yet for all his mastery of illusion – the mind-reading Nap Hand card trick or the mysterious mid-air disappearance of a lady in the Dizzy Limit – the easygoing on-screen image that made him a friend to every viewer was no deception, but a true reflection of a hardworking optimist who lived to entertain.

For the first time, Edwin A. Dawes and Steven Short have interviewed David's many friends and loved ones to present a full portrait of his life. Lavishly illustrated using family photographs, publicity posters and television stills, David Nixon: Entertainer with the Magic Touch is a truly enchanting book.

Click here to view the book on our website.

Link Support

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modern art - online art

Turner and Leeds in the YEP

On Saturday (18/07/09), the Yorkshire Evening Post published a feature on Turner and Leeds. Written by Justine Gaunt, it examines how a formative period in the city's history is portrayed in the work of an artist whose work, as author Professor David Hill comments, is 'almost never without social commentary'. The article's publication was timed to dovetail with Professor Hill's lecture on Turner at Harewood House, which was delivered on the same day. The piece really impressed everyone at JMP, so here is a link to it:

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/features/Portrait-of-the-artist.5462868.jp

My first month and a bit at JMP

I have now been Publishing Assistant at JMP for five and a half weeks. Excepting my three-leg, hour and a half-long, twice daily commute between Moortown and Lindley, however, it doesn't seem like it. This is probably because of the sheer variety of the work that I've done since arriving here which, as well as making it enjoyable, serves as my excuse for the steady stream of mistakes that follows me around like an aura. As it happens, I have not actually been sent by a rival company to sabotage this one but, judging by the number of errors I've made in processing book orders, this may seem surprising.

However, Yorkshire Sculpture Park has been the client for which I've done the largest single chunk of work so far. I say 'single chunk' - it's really been more of a cluster of granules squeezed together. I've done all sorts of work for our marketing and distribution agreement with the park: written the blurbs for the YSP titles on our website; submitted information to Nielsen Bookdata about the books; contacted art galleries in the hope of persuading them to buy books that are relevant to their exhibitions; and uploaded the books onto the JMP site. The first of these proved a stern test of my reserves of adjectives, but I think I coped all right.

I also did the OCR checking for a book, which was the main editorial project that I've had to date. This task demanded speed as well as care, since I had to spot barely visible errors caused in the scanning process, like commas that had been rendered as semicolons because of specks of dust on the page. The highlight of the experience was probably the satisfaction that I gained from noticing that the original text had rendered the phrase 'dead-bolt' differently on two consecutive pages (once with a hyphen and once without). You might suspect that I am being sarcastic in describing this as a 'highlight'. If so, you suspect wrongly: aspiring editors are desensitised to irony where grammatical rigour is concerned. Indeed, the burst of pride that I felt upon telling the client that I had corrected the error in my subsequent letter suggests to me that my incipient desire to be an editor has at least some basis in self-awareness.

In the past couple of weeks, packaging books has become more prominent in my timetable. In large part, this has been due to the enormous demand for copies of Chris Woodward's book The London Palladium. On one occasion, I packaged thirty-five copies of the book to send in one go. Doing book orders tends to mean hectic finishes to my days, partly because I always underestimate the amount of time I need to package books, and no doubt many locals wonder why there is a smartly dressed young man staggering across the village underneath a pile of cardboard boxes every day. But each day ends with a feeling of slight heroism at the knowledge that I have got the post to the post office on time.

Despite the commute, I like working here. (By 'here', I mean both the office and the village.) To someone who is used to the feverish pace of life in Leeds and the instances of foot fury (the pedestrian equivalent of road rage) that you see whenever you're in the vicinity of the station, it feels therapeutic to be working in an office with four other people in a village that doesn't seem to have changed since the 1950s. The whole atmosphere of Lindley is embodied in the fact that it has two lollipop wielders: one at either end of Lidget Street which, if the label is applied slackly, is the high street.

A similar calm pervades the office. Normally, there are only three of us on the ground floor. This is useful for me whenever I need to ask Hazel to correct one of my mistakes. It is probably a less desirable arrangement for Hazel. There are, however, some more evenly apportioned benefits. There's little danger of information getting lost or misinterpreted in the corridors of a gangly bureaucracy, for example. I know that every school/university/workplace/pub/recreational society/town in the country likes to think of itself as 'friendly', but the atmosphere in our office genuinely evokes the word.

Town and Country: Turner, Harewood and Leeds

To celebrate the publication of Turner and Leeds: Image of Industry, a new book exploring the art of J. M. W. Turner and the Industrial Revolution in Leeds, West Yorkshire, Harewood House, outside Leeds, is exhibiting some of Turner's best paintings in a brand new exhibition. Town and Country; Turner, Harewood and Leeds will showcase Turner's images of Harewood, many of which were commissioned by Viscount Lascelles (1764-1814). The exhibition focuses on Turner's use of figures in the landscape, and is the first opportunity for some time to see Turner's paintings of Harewood House and the Harewood estate together. To find out more about the exhibition, click here. To find out more about the book, click here.

The exhibition will also explore the relationship between Harewood and Leeds through a series of contemporary artists' projects in association with Project Space Leeds. See www.projectspaceleeds.org.uk for more.

NEW: Leeds Museums and Galleries Publications mini-site

The new mini-site for Leeds Museums and Galleries publications, powered by Jeremy Mills Publishing, is now up and running! Click here to visit the site, where you will find information on all titles published by or for Leeds Museums and Galleries and links to buy all the books shown.
New titles include A Lasting Moment: Marc Riboud Photographs Leeds 1954 & 2004, a fascinating look at old Leeds and Turner and Leeds: Image of Industry, an exploration of J. M. W. Turner's association with Leeds and the surrounding area. We hope you enjoy visiting the site!

Goodbye Natasha!

We must say goodbye to Natasha Roberts, who recently left Jeremy Mills Publishing. Natasha, a very gifted editor, has decided to indulge her love of history and pursue a career in museums. We wish her the very best with her career, and miss her already!
Good luck Natasha!

Brand New Bookshop

The JMP Bookshop has had a makeover! Click here to visit our new and improved bookshop, where you can see our latest titles, browse our list of books, find out about special offers and perhaps even win a copy of In Parallel: A Yorkshire Childhood! You can also read an interview with author Chris Woodward, of The London Palladium fame, who discusses his book and his memories of London's greatest theatre with us.

Enjoy - and do let us know what you think. We'd love to hear your thoughts!

A Yorkshire Book Signing

Janet Barker, author of the immensely popular memoir In Parallel: A Yorkshire Childhood will take up residence at Waterstone's in Hull this month to sign copies of her book. Set in Hull and Doncaster, In Parallel tells the story of Janet's childhood during and after World War Two. Beautifully written and difficult to put down, the book has received rave reviews!

If you would like to come along and meet Janet (and please do!) details of the event are listed below:

Date: Saturday 21st March 2009
Time: 12pm - 1pm
Venue: Waterstone's Hull (Jameson Street)
Contact: Waterstone's Hull 01482 580234

The event is free. See you there!

An Evening with Basia Armitage

Author Basia Armitage will be signing copies of her book, Touching the Cross: Real People, Real Testimonies on a special evening at Waterstone's in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, in April. A selection of real-life accounts from people whose lives have been touched by Christianity, Touching the Cross is a compelling read.
Find out more by visiting our website, or attend the event for a chat with the author! Three of the people featured in the book will also be at the event.

Date: Thursday 9 April 2009

Venue: Waterstone's Bookshop, 41-43 New Street, Huddersfield (01484 431051)

Time: Doors open at 6.45pm. Event starts at 7pm. Finishing time approx. 8.15pm.

Price: Tickets are £1.00

Refreshments will be served!

Rescheduled Poetry Book Signing

We are pleased to announce that Natalie Williams' book signing event at Borders Cheshire Oaks (previously postponed due to illness) is now scheduled to take place on 21st March 2009.

Event Details:

Daydreams in Mermaid Grass Book Signing - 21st March 2009.

Where: Borders, 34 Coliseum Way, Cheshire Oaks, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, CH65 9HD (Telephone: 0151 356 7716)

Date: Saturday 21st March 2009

Time: 2 p.m - 5 p.m.

Cost: Free

Book will be available to buy at the event, or can be purchased direct from Jeremy Mills Publishing at http://www.jeremymillspublishing.co.uk/shop2/item.php?i=g1daydreams&s=2

Goodbye Vicky!

This week we bid farewell to one of our members of staff, Vicky, who has gone on to a new job. Apart from providing the blog with many amusing entries, Vicky worked hard on a number of titles for Jeremy Mills Publishing, was our marketing guru and will be missed! We wish her the best of luck with her career!

Long Time, No Blog

I must admit that I have been neglecting my blog duties for some time now, so I thought I'd rectify that with a couple of pieces of exciting news from the JMP office!

Website
After much hard work (with particular thanks to Paul, our head designer) the shiny new JMP website is finally up and running! Please visit and check out our bright new design, updated info and, my favourite, our new 'look inside' feature ‒ click here to see inside some of our favourite titles. Our bookshop has also had a makeover ‒ click here to visit the brand new online bookshop. There is more to come, so keep checking back: www.jeremymillspublishing.co.uk!


All a-twitter
As part of our recent technological update, JMP has joined the latest internet craze ‒ twitter! I hope you'll all enjoy reading our mini updates on life in the JMP office ‒ follow us on twitter here. Whether I'm writing about my latest editing work, published title or simply what I'm doing for lunch I shall be updating or, as they say, twittering.

Poetry Book Signings

Please Note: The event on the 28th of February has been delayed until further notice due to illness.

Natalie Williams, author of Jeremy Mills Publishing’s newest poetry publication Daydreams in Mermaid Grass, will be hosting book signings on 28th February 2009 at Borders in Cheshire Oaks and 14^th March 2009 at Borders in Warringto.

Natalie was born in April 1981 in Harare, Zimbabwe. One of three children, she began her creative career at an early age, winning a Honours Eistedford Award for her poem, 'The Thicket and The Musgrove'. She has been published in various literary journals, both online and in print, and was featured in the Zimbabwean newspaper for her poem in her native language Ndebele, 'Bayete Amanzi' (Bring Us Water), prompted by the three year long drought experienced by Zimbabweans from 1995-1998.

Natalie’s debut published poetry collection, entitled Daydreams in Mermaid Grass was inspired by the city of Liverpool, Capital of Culture 2008. In her verse, Natalie summons up the world of Bracken, a mesmerising realm populated by fantastical creatures. Serpent dragons journeying on quests that reflect all wrongdoing, princesses clothed in darkness and the enigmatic 'Speaker' are just some of the treasures that await. Her key inspirations include the Chronicles of Narnia and Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.

Event Details:

Daydreams in Mermaid Grass Book Signing - February 2009. Delayed until further notice due to illness.

Where: Borders, 34 Coliseum Way, Cheshire Oaks, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, CH65 9HD (Telephone: 0151 356 7716)

Date: Saturday 28th February 2009

Time: 2 p.m - 5 p.m.

Cost: Free

Daydreams in Mermaid Grass Book Signing - March 2009

Where: Borders, Riverside Retail Park, Wharf Street, Warrington, Cheshire, WA1 2GZ
(Telephone: 01925 415 315)

Date: Saturday 14th March 2009

Time: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Cost: Free

Book will be available to buy at the event, or can be purchased direct from Jeremy Mills Publishing at www.jeremymillspublishing.co.uk

‘Curtain up’...on the London Palladium.

Other breaking news this month from the Jeremy Mills Publishing office includes the latest title from our Northern Heritage Publications, The London Palladium: The Story of the Theatre and Its Stars by Chris Woodward, being available for pre-order. It is available direct from Jeremy Mills Publishing at the discounted price of £30.00 (£35.00 RRP) with free delivery, and pre-orders will be dispatched on the 16^th of March before general release of the title.

This title explores the glamor, excitement, riotous laughter, beauty and memories of the London Palladium theatre over the century of its existence.

Author Chris Woodward, a professional magician and theatrical writer, has had a long standing enthusiasm for the London Palladium since his parents took him there as a child. It inspired him instantly, becoming “a stage that one day I was determined to stand on myself”. He now has one of the largest collections of theatrical memorabilia in England and has packed his book full of old programmes, posters and photographs which bring to life the experiences and memories of countless individuals who have played a part in the Palladium’s journey. Chris charts the theatre from its heyday as the flagship theatre for Variety, when it played host to all the stars of the day, to the present time where it has evolved into a venue for hit musicals and popular television programmes such as the BBC’s How do you solve a problem like Maria?.

Indeed, Natasha (the book’s editor) was so inspired by her work with Chris that she even incorporated a visit to the London Palladium into a recent trip to the capital!

Further information on the book can be found at http://www.jeremymillspublishing.co.uk/html/london_palladium.html.

To place your advanced order for The London Palladium: The Story of the Theatre and Its Stars by Chris Woodward, please visit www.jeremymillspublishing.co.uk.

Another new title is published...

It’s been a busy month here as February sees the publication of Turner and Leeds: Image of Industry by David Hill. Published by our Northern Arts Publications on behalf of Leeds Museums and Galleries, this book explores Turner's extensive associations with Leeds. Over a period of nearly thirty years he made hundreds of sketches in the city and its environs, and from these made some of his most important pictures from Kirkstall Abbey to the great estates of Harewood and Farnley; though the scenery of Airedale and Wharfedale, to the developing city of Leeds itself.

Written by History of Art Professor at the University of Leeds, David Hill, the 208 page book with over 100 full colour images retraces Turner's footsteps at all of his sites, and reproduces the most important paintings and sketches. It charts Turner's developing understanding of the world changing as the agrarian past made room for an industrial future.

As the book’s editor, Hazel, comments “editing Turner and Leeds has been one of my favourite jobs at Jeremy Mills Publishing, including the extensive picture research required. It is not just a biography of Turner, it is a biography of the city of Leeds”.

For more information please visit http://www.jeremymillspublishing.co.uk/html/turner_and_leeds.html.

The book is available direct from the Jeremy Mills Publishing website (www.jeremymillspublihsing.co.uk) and the Leeds City Museum for the special discounted price of £23.99 (RRP £34.99).

The snow hasn’t defeated us yet!

Despite the slightly treacherous hills that surround every route in and out of Lindley, Jeremy Mills Publishing has beaten the ‘wintery’ conditions and stayed open as usual. Natasha and Paul have been hit particularly hard, Paul almost literally in a local pile-up (luckily he and his car were fine) and Natasha battling very early starts waiting for trains to turn up. Together we’ve managed staff shortages and ice-skating down to the post office, and made a conscious decision (fuelled by Natasha’s enthusiasm) to embrace the snow. This includes making our very own Jeremy Mills Publishing snowman (pictures to come!) and looking forward to the slight excitement at the end of the day as to whether we will actually be able to drive out of the car park.

Thankfully, the dedication of the staff (and expert shovelling of Jeremy), has meant the war with the weather has not stopped our newest publications from progressing, including Turner and Leeds: Image of Industry by David Hill and The London Palladium: The Story of the Theatre and Its Stars by Chris Woodward.

For more information on these, or any of our other publications, please visit www.jeremymillspublishing.co.uk