David Maybury | Blog

It’s official folks – comics are good for you. So say the folks in the Telegraph, School Library Monthly and researching boffins from the University of Illinois anyway. Time for a thought out and well timed quote I think:

Consider how the pictures and words work together to tell a story, you can make the case that comics are just as complex as any other kind of literature.

And, as if you needed more proof that comics are indeed good for you, the Miami International Book Fair has increased its comics programming – including David Small, Laurie Sandell, Tim Hamilton, Brian Fies, Neil Kleid, Marisa Acocella Marchetto, James Sturm, Carol Tyler, Dan Goldman and Alex Simmons.

Now for something completely different…

Waterstones got a bit of a pounding last week by Stuart Jeffries. The piece pulled no punches – starting with its headline: How Waterstone’s killed publishing and went on in that vein for just about 6 pages…

So the argument goes: in going big, Waterstone’s lost its soul. – Stuart Jeffries.

The Bookseller drafted in Scott Pack (The Friday Project) to write a response – and the result is… close to brilliant. Pack has no qualm slapping some home truths to the ‘fusty old Edwardian bonnet’ that Jeffries wears.

And then it was Waterstone’s turn…

Our sponsorship of the children’s laureate has helped Michael Rosen, Jacqueline Wilson and Anthony Browne champion kids’ books to the nation, and our children’s book prize turns new writers into bestselling authors every year…

…our stores have sold over 400,000 different titles in the last year. Books were the reason the company started, and remain the core of our business…

…it is for booksellers, publishers, writers and readers to shape the industry.

A bit of a storm in a teacup really – but great to see some discussion on bookselling and industry standards – as Scott Pack put it:

It is all a question of balance and Waterstone’s tends to get that right. If they don’t then their customers will vote with their feet and their wallets, in which case Waterstone’s will respond accordingly.