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