Spokesman Books

  'Viewing Fish at Flower Pool': A souvenir of Russell's visit to the Western Lake, Hangzhou Bertrand Russell is hugely influential in China, and has been for almost a century. He is recommended reading for high school and university students. The General Manager of The Commercial Press, which has published Russell in translation in China since his nine-month visit in 1920-21, quotes him in speeches. Russell’s statement towards the end of his life, ‘What I have lived for', seems to have made a powerful and lasting impact. Russell's story in China is closely interwoven with that of The Commercial Press, which is itself an institution of some durability in the ups and downs of China’s recent history.  The Commercial Press Head Office, built in the 1950s, is on Wangfujing Street in the centre of Beijing.     Apparently, one of the founders of Commercial Press suggested that Russell be invited to China, and CP put up a considerable sum t...

As we write, our programme is being printed. It's not happened until now because some of the fantastic international events we are bringing you didn't get confirmed funding until a week ago and we've been working our socks off since then to get the final programme completed. So it is an appropriate time to give a big high five to our designer at Silbercow and printers at Russell Press who have been exceptionally friendly, patient and responsive to our increasingly hysterical demands. Sorry, I meant urgent demands. Russell Press themselves have an interesting history, being founded by the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation in 1968 which seems a spectacularly relevant coincidence to some of our international programme, especially an event called Faultlines (14 October) which will be chaired by English Pen and features writers from conflict-ridden and dangerous parts of the world. Tickets for this, and other events, will be on sale via the Nottingham Playhouse Box...

Spokesman Books and Russell Press will be at the Lowdham Book Festival on Saturday. Details of the final day can be found below. All Day Book Fair and Café Saturday 29th June, 10am–5pm Village Hall, Main Street, Lowdham Throughout the day the Village Hall hosts a café run by mmm…deli ,serving hot and cold drinks, salads and panini, cakes and ice-cream. The book fair is spread over the Village Hall, a marquee behind the hall and assorted gazebos. It features publishers, charities, book trade organisations,booksellers with new and second-hand books and cards. There are displays of old-fashioned letterpress printing equipment and bookbinding. Free author talks and talks about books will go on throughout the day. There will be books for children and adults, bargain books and books signed by all the authors appearing during the festival. Entry is free to the book fair and all events on Saturday 29th June. No tickets required. Join us for an hour or the wholeday! For...