The long-awaited golden days of ‘in the summer, when it’s quiet’ have finally arrived in our usually bustling little office here in Hoxton Square. Ozalids for the autumn issue and our next books have been approved and sent off up to Smith Settle for plate-making, the bookshelves are restocked, the filing is ordered, the packing table loaded with supplies and all is calm. With everything spick and span we ruminated a little on what next to do before realising it was time for our next newsletter.
The trouble with the newsletter is that people seem to enjoy it and then stock up on books and summer reading, all packed up by the foxes’ fair hands. Would our dear readers notice if we missed one out? Even if they did notice, would they mind? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a few quiet weeks of long lunches spent reading in the sunshine . . .
We pondered a little, took office dog around the square, and pondered a little more before deciding that we really ought to brace up and let you all know about the new additions to the website, such as a selection of favourite titles published by our friends at Little Toller Books, some beautiful pen and ink cards by Sarah Woolfenden, a new fox and book inspired album by The Bookshop Band and, most excitingly, a small selection of overruns of early Slightly Foxed Editions, unearthed by the printers in a recent clear-out. There’s a handful of copies of titles including My Grandmothers and I, A Boy at the Hogarth Press and Corduroy, among others, but do be quick as once they’re gone, they’re gone.
You’ll find news of all such things further down the page but on the way let’s take a trip up Brensham Hill with an extract from our latest Slightly Foxed Edition, No. 34, John Moore’s Brensham Village. Happy reading!