Authors for Japan

Authors for Japan is the brainchild of author Keris Stainton. She appealed on twitter for authors to donate signed books, signed proofs, or time and advice for aspiring authors and she has received 70 offers which are being auctioned for the IRC for Japan.

You can bid in GBP by leaving a message on the right blog post - all donations at the end of the auction will be made by the winner directly to the International Red Cross so it is an excellent cause.

Ibooknet sellers new to twitter and blogging

Stephen Foster has a blog Bookselling in Bell Street

and Stella and Rose's Books are now on twitter.

Around Ibooknet Members' blogs

Books, Mud and Compost is appalled by mummified frogs.

Bagotbooks's Blog is sorry, but he doesn't have a clue.

Juxtabook is scared and soggy but enchanted.

The Commonwealth Writers’ Prize 2011

The Commonwealth Writers’ Prize 2011 has announced four regional shortlists for the Best Book and Best First Book awards. The regional winners of the Best Book and Best First Book prizes will be announced on the 3rd March, with the final programme commencing on the 16th May at Sydney Writers’ Festival in Australia.

Regional shortlists:

Africa Best Book:
The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna (Sierra Leone)
Men of the South by Sukiswa Wanner (South Africa)
The Unseen Leopard by Bridget Pitt (South Africa)
Oil on Water by Helon Habila (Nigeria)
Blood at Bay by Sue Rabie (South Africa)
Banquet at Brabazan by Patricia Schonstein (South Africa)

Africa Best First Book:
Happiness is a Four Letter Word by Cynthia Jele (South Africa)
Bitter Leaf by Chioma Okereke (Nigeria)
The Fossil Artist by Graeme Friedman (South Africa)
Colour Blind by Uzoma Uponi (Nigeria)
Voice of America by E. C. Osondu (Nigeria)
Wall of Days by Alastair Bruce (South Africa)

Canada and Caribbean Best Book:
The Sky is Falling by Caroline Adderson (Canada)
Room by Emma Donahue (Canada)
The Master of Happy Endings by Jack Hodgins (Canada)
In The Fabled East by Adam Lewis Schroeder (Canada)
The Death of Donna Whalen by Michael Winter (Canada)
Mr. Shakespeare’s Bastard by Richard B. Wright (Canada)

Canada and Caribbean Best First Book:
Bird Eat Bird by Katrina Best (Canada)
Doing Dangerously Well by Carole Enahoro (Canada)
Mennonites Don’t Dance by Darcie Friesen Hossack (Canada)
Light Lifting by Alexander MacLeod (Canada)
The Cake is for the Party by Sarah Selecky (Canada)
Illustrado by Miguel Syjuco (Canada)

South Asia and Europe Best Book:
Lyrics Alley by Leila Abouleila (UK)
The Betrayal by Helen Dunmore (UK)
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell (UK)
The Long Song by Andrea Levy (UK)
Sex and Stravinsky by Barbara Trapido (UK)
Union Atlantic by Adam Haslett (UK)

South Asia and Europe Best First Book:
Serious Men by Manu Joseph (India)
Saraswati Park by Anjali Joseph (India)
The House with the Blue Shutters by Lisa Hilton (UK)
Children of the Sun by Max Shaefer (UK)
Grace Williams says it Loud by Emma Henderson (UK)
Sabra Zoo by Mischa Hiller (UK)

South East Asia and Pacific Best Book:
Reading Madame Bovary by Amanda Lohrey (Australia)
That Deadman Dance by Kim Scott (Australia)
Time’s Long Ruin by Stephen Orr (Australia)
Hand Me Down World by Lloyd Jones (New Zealand)
Notorious by Roberta Lowing (Australia)
Gifted by Patrick Evans (New Zealand)

South East Asia and Pacific Best First Book:
21 Immortals by Rozlan Mohd Noor (Malaysia)
A Man Melting by Craig Cliff (New Zealand)
The Graphologist’s Apprentice by Whiti Hereaka (New Zealand)
The Body in the Clouds by Ashley Hay (Australia)
Traitor by Stephen Daisley (Australia/New Zealand)
A Few Right Thinking Men by Sulari Gentill (Australia)

Save our Libraries

Ibooknet seller Jane Badger is quoted in a piece in The Independent regarding the possible closure of Irchester library. I have my own piece on libraries at Juxtabook, which I was surprised and flattered to see translated into Spanish.

Dick King-Smith dies aged 88

Children's novelist Dick King-Smith has died aged 88. Born in 1922 Gloucestershire, Mr King-Smith fought in Italy with the Grenadier Guards in World War II, before returning to England where he was a farmer for 20 years beginning to publish books only in his 50s.

His first book, The Fox Busters, was published in 1978 and was followed by dozens of others. His best know is probably The Sheep-Pig after it was made into the hit film Babe. Other titles include the Sophie series, The Invisible Dog, Harriet the Hare and The Witch of Blackberry Bottom.

Dick King-Smith was made an OBE in December 2009.

Illustrated by a first edition of Sophie Hits Six by Dick King-Smith, from the stock of Stella & Roses Books.

Sales and Offers from Ibooknet booksellers

Lund Theological books. New Year 10% discount on all books on website. Put atwit11a in Promotional code box. Offer good till 10 January.

Jane Badger Books January Sale - Children's Books: For the whole of January, I'm doing 20% off all non-pony children's books.

Illustrated with one of Jane's sale books:

"BB" [Watkins-Pitchford, Denys] Manka the Sky Gipsy
London Methuen 1979 0416145809 / 9780416145809 Hard Cover VG++ VG++ Price: was 20.00 GBP now 16.00 GBP