Jen Campbell

We're not talking about rooms that are just full of books. We're talking about bookshops in barns, disused factories, converted churches and underground car parks. Bookshops on boats, on buses, and in old run-down train stations. Fold-out bookshops, undercover bookshops, this-is-the-best-place-I've-ever-been-to-bookshops. Meet Sarah and her Book Barge sailing across the sea to France; meet Sebastien, in Mongolia, who sells books to herders of the Altai mountains; meet the bookshop in Canada that's invented the world's first antiquarian book vending machine. And that's just the beginning. From the oldest bookshop in the world, to the smallest you could imagine, The Bookshop Book examines the history of books, talks to authors about their favourite places, and looks at over two hundred weirdly wonderful bookshops across six continents (sadly, we've yet to build a bookshop down in the South Pole). The Bookshop Book is a love letter to bookshops all around the world. -- "A good bookshop is not just about selling books from shelves, but reaching out into the world and making a difference." David Almond (The Bookshop Book includes interviews and quotes from David Almond, Ian Rankin, Tracy Chevalier, Audrey Niffenegger, Jacqueline Wilson, Jeanette Winterson and many, many others.)

The Bookshop Book

'WHAT A BOOK. IT'S SO STRANGE AND MAGICAL AND THE WRITING IS JUST BEAUTIFUL. I LOVED IT.' Louise O'Neill 'ENCHANTING AND ILLUMINATING' Carys Bray, author of A Song For Issy Bradley 'LIKE WALKING THROUGH A MIRROR.' Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry 'THIS BOOK IS FULL OF CHARACTER AND MAGIC, AND I FOUND MYSELF MESMERISED' Claire Fuller, author of Our Endless Numbered Days 'THESE STORIES ARE WEAVED TOGETHER LIKE SILVERY FISHING NETS. LIKE SHIMMERING, JEWEL-BRIGHT WORLDS' Helen McClory 'These days, you can find anything you need at the click of a button. That's why I bought her heart online.' Spirits in jam jars, mini-apocalypses, animal hearts and side shows. A girl runs a coffin hotel on a remote island. A boy is worried his sister has two souls. A couple are rewriting the history of the world. And mermaids are on display at the local aquarium. The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night is a collection of twelve haunting stories; modern fairy tales brimming with magic, outsiders and lost souls. 'I'm fascinated by storytelling, and particularly fairy tales. How humans have always tried to explain things that they can't possibly understand with, sometimes outrageous, stories' Jen Campbell From the author of Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops series and The Bookshop Book.

The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night

أشياء غريبة يقولها الزبائن في متاجر الكتب

Modern fairy tales of magic, outsiders and lost souls. 'WHAT A BOOK. IT'S SO STRANGE AND MAGICAL AND THE WRITING IS JUST BEAUTIFUL. I LOVED IT.' Louise O'Neill 'ENCHANTING AND ILLUMINATING' Carys Bray, author of A Song For Issy Bradley 'LIKE WALKING THROUGH A MIRROR.' Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry 'THIS BOOK IS FULL OF CHARACTER AND MAGIC, AND I FOUND MYSELF MESMERISED' Claire Fuller, author of Our Endless Numbered Days 'A GEM OF A BOOK ... DEEPLY MOVING' Stylist Book Wars v THE BOOK OF DUST. 'THESE STORIES ARE WEAVED TOGETHER LIKE SILVERY FISHING NETS. LIKE SHIMMERING, JEWEL-BRIGHT WORLDS' Helen McClory 'These days, you can find anything you need at the click of a button. That's why I bought her heart online.' Spirits in jam jars, mini-apocalypses, animal hearts and side shows. A girl runs a coffin hotel on a remote island. A boy is worried his sister has two souls. A couple are rewriting the history of the world. And mermaids are on display at the local aquarium. The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night is a collection of twelve haunting stories; modern fairy tales brimming with magic, outsiders and lost souls. 'I'm fascinated by storytelling, and particularly fairy tales. How humans have always tried to explain things that they can't possibly understand with, sometimes outrageous, stories' Jen Campbell From the author of Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops series and The Bookshop Book.

Modern fairy tales of magic, outsiders and lost souls. 'A gem of a book ... deeply moving' Stylist 'A darkly clever, beautifully written and deliciously twisted collection of modern fairy tales' Red 'Campbell writes beautifully' Grazia 'These days, you can find anything you need at the click of a button. That's why I bought her heart online.' Spirits in jam jars, mini-apocalypses, animal hearts and side shows. A girl runs a coffin hotel on a remote island. A boy is worried his sister has two souls. A couple are rewriting the history of the world. And mermaids are on display at the local aquarium. The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night is a collection of twelve haunting stories; modern fairy tales brimming with magic, outsiders and lost souls. 'What a book. It's so strange and magical and the writing is just beautiful. I loved it' Louise O'Neill 'Enchanting and illuminating' Carys Bray 'Like walking through a mirror' Rachel Joyce 'This book is full of character and magic, and I found myself mesmerised' Claire Fuller 'These stories are weaved together like silvery fishing nets. Like shimmering, jewel-bright worlds' Helen McClory 'Magical and sinister at the same time' Kirsty Logan From the author of Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops series and The Bookshop Book.

an enchanting collection of modern fairy tales

In this collection, fourteen of fairy tales from around the world are retold for young readers, restored to their original, grisly versions.

And Other Gruesome Tales

The Sister Who Ate Her Brothers

Jen Campbell's first collection The Girl Aquarium explores the realm of rotten fairy tales, the possession of body and the definition of beauty. Weaving between whispered science and circus, she turns a cracked mirror on society and asks who gets to control the twisted tales hiding in the wings.

The Girl Aquarium

Franklin and Luna are back--and on an adventure to find Franklin's long- lost dragon family.

Franklin and Luna Go to the Moon

'I LOVE it. It is so touching and original and delightful. Katie's illustrations are a perfect match for the text, too' Jacqueline Wilson Franklin the dragon loves stories and loves reading stories to people too, but everyone is too scared to even look at him. One day he meets a girl named Luna who, far from being scared, is fascinated to meet Franklin, having recently read all about dragons in one of her books. They instantly become friends and talk non-stop about what they've read: books about roller skating, King Arthur, spiders and how to do kung fu. Together, they hatch a plan to share their love of books with others by opening a bookshop - a flying bookshop, that is - right on Franklin's back!

Franklin's Flying Bookshop

'Can books conduct electricity?' 'My children are just climbing your bookshelves: that's ok... isn't it?' A John Cleese Twitter question ['What is your pet peeve?'], first sparked the "Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops" blog, which grew over three years into one bookseller's collection of ridiculous conversations on the shop floor. From 'Did Beatrix Potter ever write a book about dinosaurs?' to the hunt for a paperback which could forecast the next year's weather; and from 'I've forgotten my glasses, please read me the first chapter' to 'Excuse me... is this book edible?' This full-length collection illustrated by the Brothers McLeod also includes top 'Weird Things' from bookshops around the world.

Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops

From 'Did Beatrix Potter ever write a book about dinosaurs?' to the hunt for a paperback which could forecast the next year's weather; and from 'I've forgotten my glasses, please read me the first chapter' to 'Excuse me ... is this book edible?' This book includes top 'Weird Things' from bookshops around the world.

Cosas Raras Que Se Oyen En Las Librerías

Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops was a Sunday Times bestseller, and could be found displayed on bookshop counters up and down the country. The response to the book from booksellers all over the world has been one of heartfelt agreement: it would appear that customers are saying bizarre things all over the place - from asking for books with photographs of Jesus in them, to hunting for the best horse owner's manual that has a detailed chapter on unicorns. Customer: I had such a crush on Captain Hook when I was younger. Do you think this means I have unresolved issues? More Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops has yet more tales from the antiquarian bookshop where Jen Campbell works, and includes a selection of 'Weird Things...' sent in from other booksellers across the world. The book is illustrated by the BAFTA winning Brothers McLeod.

More Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops

The Hungry Ghost Festival

Please Do Not Touch This Exhibit explores disability, storytelling, and the process of mythologising trauma. Jen Campbell writes of Victorian circus and folklore, deep seas and dark forests, discussing her own relationship with hospitals -- both as a disabled person, and as an adult reflecting on childhood while going through IVF. Please, Do Not Touch This Exhibit is Jen Campbell's second collection. Her first book-length collection, The Girl Aquarium (Bloodaxe Books, 2019), was shortlisted for the poetry category of the Books Are My Bag Readers Awards 2019 and was a semifinalist for the Goodreads Choice Awards 2019 (Best Poetry category).

Please Do Not Touch This Exhibit

Katie Harnett

A new adventure where Franklin and Luna follow their friend the tortoise into a dusty fairy-tale kingdom. Who will they meet there?

Franklin and Luna and the Book of Fairy Tales

100 Poems

Kuriose Kundenfragen in Buchhandlungen

"Verkaufen Sie Auch Bücher?"

100 Poem Challenge

Franklin elsker historier og elsker at læse dem for andre. Men det er ikke alle, der kan lide det bortset fra en lille pige

Izhdihā'yī kah kitāb mī'khvānad

Adam de Souza

Jen Campbell's collection of terrifyingly gruesome tales lends a modern edge to fairy tale collections for young readers. Drawing on her extensive knowledge of fairy tale history, Campbell's stories undo the censoring, gender stereotyping and twee endings of more modern children's fairy tales, to return both classic and little-known stories to their grim versions, whilst celebrating a diverse range of characters. Featuring 14 short stories from around the globe, The Sister Who Ate Her Brothers is illustrated in a contemporary style by Canadian comic artist Adam de Souza. De Souza's brooding illustrations are a highly original blend of 19th-century Gothic engravings and moody film noir graphic novels. Beautifully produced in a hardback format with a rose gold ribbon marker, The Sister Who Ate Her Brothers is a truly thrilling gift.

Jen Campbell

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