‘Over the past four years blogging has introduced many wonderful bookish things into my life; new friends, book groups, eye-opening book recommendations, the works. Far more than I ever could have hoped for, and then some.
Even after all this time you brilliant people out there are constantly introducing me to the excellent things I must have in my life right now. Slightly Foxed was one of them and it was this scrummy post by Bundle of Books that led me to it.
SF was set up a decade ago by two editors with heaps of industry expertise and a desire to create a beautifully crafted, quarterly publication for book-lovers without an agenda. Rather than bombarding readers with the same ‘hot’ book or ‘hot’ author, the focus would be on the countless long-neglected, sorely-overlooked yet sublime writing out there that needed a champion. From forgotten classics to niche authors and their back catalogue, there’s no glamour or pretense here, just quality.
Discovering this magazine has really put me in a bit of a bookish daze. From the flawless customer service (i.e. a personal phone call from a lovely lady at SF HQ when there was some confusion with my credit card), to the sumptuous presentation (my first spring issue came bedecked with ribbons and, since it was my first, thoughtfully stuffed with goodies – bookmarks, etc – from previous issues I’ve missed) to the perfect writing and literary musings within, my experience so far really couldn’t have been better. Focusing on a huge range of topics from childhood favourites to well-loved literary figures, I’ve learnt so much already and have already added a number of new discoveries to my wishlist.
As well as all this marvellousness, the Slightly Foxed peeps don’t just stop with a magazine. Not content to merely wax lyrical about these neglected books, they are making an attempt to restore some of those previously unavailable back into our literary lives through a series of expertly printed and bound editions; handcrafted in that-there Yorkshire. If that wasn’t enough, rumour has it that their bookshop in that-there London is now officially the best way to while away the weekend . . . now, someone direct me to Gloucester Road!’