THE GREENISH VERSION

We often get asked why we publish - alongside books of which ours is the uniquely current edition - titles which are readily available from other publishers.

Although the rehabilitation of 'lost' works is the driving force behind the Capuchin project, we have always felt that the imprint ought to become established in such a way that readers might like to possess the Capuchin version of already well-known classics, either because they were collecting our series, or because they admired our presentation of particular books.

Interestingly, some of these books have sold in quantities which compare very favourably with any title on the Capuchin list, the most popular being Dracula, Plain Tales from the Hills and Gulliver's Travels.

David

VARYING HEIGHTS

Having just seen our own classically-styled version of Wuthering Heights spring into existence, I thought it would be interesting to post some examples of how other publishers have represented the story on their covers.

The traditional painting is popular:

as are images of Cathy.

Covers without human figures include a brooding Germanic version:

and there are many hundreds more.

Does anyone have a favourite?

David

FOUL WEATHER FOR FAIR

Apologies for the delay since the last post. This was partly because I had been preparing for and then attending the London Book Fair on behalf of Capuchin and our sister publisher, Stacey International.

Eyjafjallajokull's fallout hung heavily over what is usually a highly international gathering, with many overseas visitors being understandably unable to attend, and meeting schedules being drastically reduced as a result. The positive consequences included being able to move around Earl's Court much more easily, waiting less than half an hour for a coffee and the excitement (I-Spy style, if you remember those books) of identifying foreign visitors, as cries of "I've got an American / African" (etc. delete where applicable) rang through the air.

Some amazing stories of determination and courage emerged, including that of a South African couple whose itinerary included a taxi ride from Lisbon to Paris, but there was a generally eerie, deserted atmosphere about the whole affair.

The latest batch of Capuchins: Scenes from the Latin Quarter; The Green Child; The Knot of Vipers and Wuthering Heights; have now burst out of their packing crates and are winging their way to bookshop and domestic shelves across the globe.

David

REVAMPED CLASSIC

I was amused to learn, via The Bookseller's e-newsletter, that the popularity of Stephanie Meyer's vampire series Twilight has, according to The Daily Telegraph, led readers of this series on to more traditional gothic literature, and especially Wuthering Heights. The article says:

Citing BookScan data, the newspaper points out that before the first Twilight book came out in 2005, Bronte's novel sold 8,551 in one year. However, after Harper Collins reissued Wuthering Heights last year, with Twilight-inspired cover artwork and the tag-line: "Bella and Edward's favourite book", this figure peaked at 2,634 in one week and totalled 34,023 during the year.

It seems we, with our collective ears ever attuned to the zeitgeist, are publishing our own version of the novel in a timely fashion.

David

THROUGH A GLASS, BEAUTIFULLY

We're thrilled with the appearance of the Capuchin Classics books and posters in the Waterstone's Gower Street window and in the Fiction section on the ground floor. It's lovely to see so many of the books displayed together, and to have the support of one of the best bookshops, not only in the capital but in the country.

I was delighted to have such difficulty in photographing the window yesterday, as so many people who were walking by stopped to admire the display.

We hope to replicate, to some extent, this showcase in other shops in the near future.

David