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

About time I contributed!

You know you have waited too long to contribute to the Jeremy Mills Publishing Blog when your ‘Blog invitation’ expires. So I think it is time I piped up and introduced myself (once Hazel had sent me a new invitation!). I’m still officially the newest recruit of Jeremy Mills, joining (what feels like way back) in June 2008. Slightly frazzled, straight out of ‘uni’, and without a clue would probably sum me up at that point. But Jeremy decided to take on the challenge and everyone at the office has been immensely helpful and patient in the ongoing task of training me up (especially Hazel and Paul). I’m currently working on a local history title (for our Northern Heritage Publications imprint) which is proving both very challenging and very rewarding. I’ve also recently seen my first publishing project near completion, and the achievement of seeing the work turn into something resembling an actual book was unexpectedly satisfying. It is quite a change; from those student days of worrying whether you really will become malnourished if you have baked beans and pasta, /again/, to spending days grappling with a whole new exciting industry, new skills, and whether ‘baked beans’ should be hyphenated or not. It isn’t, by the way.

Experiences of a newbie at JMP

I'm Natasha, and up until two days ago I was the newest addition to the ranks of Jeremy Mills Publishing. Now Vicky has arrived, so I'm the almost-new girl. I have been badgered by Hazel to write something on the blog so readers can see what a lovely place this is to work, so here I am, blagging away on the blog!

I don't need to think too hard to find something positive to say though, because the past three weeks have been about as good as the start to a new job can be. I was pretty shell-shocked after the first day because Hazel and Alex were good enough to spend the whole of it teaching me about the intricacies of the computer system, book-orders, delivery notes, invoices, TNT collections, the phones and the daily postal run, before Hazel said brightly, 'You do realise that's about ten per cent of the job - the rest is made up of the real stuff, like editing!' I'd forgotten about that bit... I've also managed to make all the computers go wrong in one way or another just by standing next to them, and I think I must be one of very few people, if any, who have succeeded in causing a calculator to freeze. Aside from all that, I'm really enjoying the work! Everyone is lovely and friendly, and I've been made to feel very welcome.

One of the main projects that I am working on is an extremely interesting book by Victor Watson, the former chairman of Waddingtons, which was the company which brought Monopoly to the UK. The book charts the rise of the company under the leadership of his grandfather, and contains many intriguing revelations about the corporate manoevring which took place during the Maxwell bids of the 1980s. We hope to publish this work in October.

We are proud to announce the forthcoming launch of Spanish Rose, Yorkshire Thorns, Catalan author Marta Cardona's first novel in English.
The novel follows the fortunes of Maria Salvans who, wearing a white satin gown in a Catalonian church surrounded by pine trees, marries James, putting faith in their future together despite her and her family’s doubts. The couple emigrate to Yorkshire to work at a grand house on the outskirts of Leeds, but Maria’s hopes of a better turn to disappointment. England can be a cold and unwelcoming place, and the romance soon fades as her husband proves to be feckless and selfish, more interested in repairing cars than taking care of his growing family.
Faced with betrayal by those around her, Maria calls upon her endurance and resourcefulness to raise her children and keep a roof over their heads, eventually finding a strength and independence that she would never have thought possible. Marta Cardona vividly brings to life the atmosphere of Leeds and Huddersfield in the 1950s and 60s. Yet Maria’s own inner thoughts and stuggles are just as clearly portrayed, by a powerful and authentic Catalan voice.

The book is published on April 30th 2008, and pre-orders are being taken at our online shop.

Marta will be signing copies of Spanish Rose, Yorkshire Thorns at Waterstone's, the Kingsgate Centre, Huddersfield, on 17th May at 1pm.

Full details below:

Waterstone's Bookshop
Unit 12/13
Kingsgate Centre
King Sreet
Huddersfield
West Yorkshire
HD1 2QB

Tel: 01484 430701

Sign of the Times

Our new sign on our new premises is up!

• Designed by ourselves
• Uses JMP signature logo (insignia)
  
• Fastsigns assigned to produce
• 3.5 metre brushed steel significant addition
• Signal of growth
• Consignors will never miss us

Go, go, go, Joe!

For my birthday last week, I was fortunate enough (admittedly after months of gently demanding I be taken...) to see Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's fantastic musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, starring BBC reality show winner Lee Mead, at the Adelphi theatre on the Strand.

Having been subjected to listening to the Jason Donovan version on cassette throughout several rainy childhood car journeys, I was desperate to see Joseph in the flesh, as it were, and thanks to the ample use of loin-cloths by Mr Mead's wardrobe assistant, I wasn't disappointed! The experience was, perhaps, slightly marred by the middle-aged fan bopping in her seat next to me and clapping out of time, but overall I couldn't have wished for anything more energetic, colourful and entertaining.

Arguably Joseph's most fabulous era (in the early 1990s, when police had to control the crowds with heart-throb Donovan as its star) was played out against the backdrop of the famous London Palladium in Argyll Street, whose long and varied history is charted in our upcoming title, The London Palladium - The Story of the Theatre and Its Stars.

Fully illustrated throughout with stunning full-colour posters of some of the Palladium's most well-known acts, the book follows the theatre's successes from its time as Hengler's Circus in the late 19th cenutry, to the current run of The Sound of Music. Apparently you can even get married on stage there now. Hmm, I shall have to see if Lee Mead is available...