Friday, January 28, 2011

Faber to released illustrated Costa-winner

The Bookseller - 26.01.11 - Charlotte Williams

Faber is to release a new illustrated edition of Jo Shapcott's poetry collection Of Mutability, following its win at the Costa Book Awards last night [25th January].

A new b-format illustrated edition of the collection, priced £7.99, will be released in April. Faber has ordered a further reprint of the title—in hardback and paperback—as a result of the win, which will bring the total number of copies in print to 30,000.

Faber publicity director Rachel Alexander said: "We know how meaningful this collection is to its readers. It is beautiful and very accessible . . . It is an amazing time for poetry at the moment, it really is in very good health. Two wins in two years [at the Costas] for a poetry collection is very significant."

Hannah Griffiths, director of paperbacks, said on the new edition: "I just want to make it really easy for booksellers to take the book in its key slot. We are hoping the book will sit alongside all the big April titles, on the literary end. It is just the most accessible book."

Last year, Christopher Reid triumphed with his collection, A Scattering (Arete), 12 years after Ted Hughes last won in 1998. Faber poet Derek Walcott also won the T S Eliot prize for White Egrets on Monday [24th January].

Alexander added: "It has been such a strong year for poetry across all publishers."

No comments: