Faber to publish collection celebrating the London Review of Books’ 40th anniversary

Faber & Faber will be publishing a collection of new material from the archives of the London Review of Books to celebrate the journal’s 40th anniversary in October 2019. Creative Director Lee Brackstone and Assistant Editor Ella Griffiths acquired World All Language rights from the LRB directly, who will be closely involved in this collaborative project.

The London Review of Books has grown, over four decades, into Europe’s leading magazine of culture and ideas, famed for giving writers the space to explore a vast variety of subjects in exhilarating detail. However, it began life – in the words of its founding editor, Karl Miller – as just ‘a small paper’. This selection of previously unseen literary artefacts – from archives including the Harry Ransom Center as well as personal collections – will offer intimate insights into the evolution of the LRB and its relationships with some of our most important thinkers and writers.

From handwritten first drafts and (extensively) rewritten editorial spreads to reader complaints and cover artwork – via the notebooks and correspondence in which publishing triumphs and disasters played out – this patchwork history brings a unique slice of Bloomsbury’s heritage to life. Published to coincide with anniversary events, the book places legendary figures (such as Angela Carter, Bruce Chatwin, Martha Gellhorn, Seamus Heaney, Doris Lessing, Oliver Sacks, Edward Said, and Susan Sontag) alongside successive generations of heroic letter-writers and unlikely contributors (including Tony Blair). It also features introductions by Mary-Kay Wilmers (one of the paper’s founders and its editor since 1992) and editor-at-large Andrew O’Hagan, as well as pieces by protagonists from the paper’s past and present.

Nicholas Spice, publisher of the LRB, said: ‘I’ve worked here for 37 years and much of this material was a revelation to me, so I can only imagine how much readers who don’t work for the LRB will find in this collection, which will surprise and delight.’

Ella Griffiths, Faber, said: ‘We’re delighted to be joining forces with the LRB on this exciting project. There’s a wealth of fantastic archival material here that gives a vibrant insight into four decades of literary history, and we can’t wait to share this collection with readers.’