Bluffer's Guide to Frankfurt

Among many of Can of Worms' enterprises is a consulting role to other publishers. Oval Books is the publisher of the five million best selling Bluffer's Guide series, and the humorous Xenophobe's Guides. The Bluffer's Guides are all sporting an impressive new cover design.

You can see the Bluffer's Guides at Stand H943 and online at www.ovalbooks.com

Bright and Early

Our first visitor of the day was Catherine Bruzzone of b small publishing who usually has a stand opposite us but this year is down the aisle at E978. They publish children's high quality activity books for fun and education.

In the pink

The last post of Wednesday evening has to be my shirt. Best described as loud, anyone visiting Can of Worms on Wednesday was in for a rude awakening. My shirt was most certainly colourful, and seemed to imbibe most with a joie de vive that is all to easy to forget in the Buchmesse. Some complained that it was not appropriate to wear dark glasses in the halls. Thursday I have been asked to wear lime green. Good night.

Frankfurt Friends

Accommodation in Frankfurt is always a considerable difficulty. This year I am blessed with the fruits of a chance encounter with a Frankfurter last year. As a result of this meeting an entire apartment was offered to us for the duration of the fair. I can only describe the place as an "uberflat" with high ceilings, poured rubber floors and all the amenities of a model interior design magazine feature residence. My thanks to Randall for clinching and organizing the deal. This photo does not do justice to what we have.

Bill Please

I enjoy meeting and greeting everyone I cross paths with in Frankfurt, but none more than Bill Newlin. Bill is Senior Vice President and Publishing Director of Avalon Publishing Group which includes the Moon Handbooks, though to me he is much more than that. Bill is responsible for getting me into publishing. He introduced me to Magnus Bartlett of Odyssey Publications with whom and along with Chris Burt I set up Compass American Guides, now wholly owned by Random House, NY. But even before that Bill and I Published a magazine together while in college together in the United States. Today he is still an inspiration to me and a close and cherished friend.

Bridget Shines at Kogan Page party

A jolly gathering of IPG members and others celebrated at Kogan Page.

Kogan Page Party

Philip Kogan was in fine form at his evening party at Stand C918. "Bad publishers make great agents", he told me.

All's Beautiful at Beautiful Books

Simon Petherick and Tamsin Griffiths with whom Can of Worms shared a stand at the Bologna Children's Book Fair are displaying yet more beautiful books at Stand J971

Sportsbooks agrees first deal of Fair

One of the pleasures of the fair is catching up with friends in the business.

And never is this more enjoyable than when they can report a deal. Well I am happy to report that Randall Northam, of SportsBooks Ltd of Cheltenham and publisher of the top selling "Ode to Jol (A Spur's Fans Diary)" on Amazon has agreed with Rupa & Co, Delhi to publish Lala Armanath: Life & Times written by his youngest son Rajinder Armanath. Lala Armanath was known as the "Indian Don Bradman" and in India's first test ever played at Lord's Cricket Ground took five wickets in an inning earning him the right to have his name engraved on the famous tablets in the Long Room.

Can of Worms shares with Ransom Publishing

Jenny Ertle of Ransom publishing is sharing with Can of Worms. Ransom specialises in childrens books and in particular children and young adults with special needs. Ransom's new Dark Man series for reluctant and struggling readers has attracted a lot of attention and is especially pertinent at this year's fair with the Literacy Campaign initiative.

Can of Worms opens at Frankfurt Book Fair

Can of Worms has enjoyed a fast paced first morning at Frankfurt. Considerable interest has been shown in the Graphic Shakespeare series, Sugar Cubes and Boing-Boing.

THE PAGE BECOMES THE STAGE
We have just received advance copies of the next two plays in our Graphic Shakespeare series: King Lear illustrated by Ian Pollock and Macbeth illustated by Von.

For more information visit Graphic Shakespeare.

King Lear is the bitter chronicle of a man's dark journey from ignorance to understanding.

"Pollock's style, odd, disturbing and surreal, captures all the black absurdity of King Lear's cosmic tragedy."
Book & Bookmen
This edition is the complete play.
ISBN: 190410407X. Price: £9.99

Macbeth is the gruesome tale of self-destructive ambition and bloodthirsty violence.

"Blood drips, eyeballs stare, and marsh-gas swirls across the page-as-stage. Marvellous."
The Literary Review
This edition is the complete play.
ISBN: 1904104061. Price: £9.99

These books are being published in the United Stated by Black Dog & Leventhal under license from Can of Worms Enterprises.