![]() ![]() ![]() What sells? Nothing is guaranteed but commercial fiction-fantasy, mystery, romance, etc.-in relatively reliable. The odd book will break out-a precious few will be hugely successful-but the vast majority of titles struggle to sell a few hundred copies. No surprise, then, that of the 100 or so English Canadian independents, roughly half specialize in literary fiction and poetry, and maybe another quarter is strong in those genres while also doing other things.Īs a rule, literary fiction doesn’t sell. It allows publishers more scope to follow their inclinations. Nothing wrong with that-it’s a lifestyle choice.įortunately for them, the Canada Council, which is often writing the biggest cheques, favours literary fiction and poetry. They’re as commercial as they need to be to keep doing what they like. It means more to them to win a Giller or a Griffin prize than to build a commercially successful business. Most of the Canadian independents I’ve met are primarily interested in literary fiction and poetry. Publishers tend to produce books that reflect the kind of books they like and the kind of books that governments fund. Inevitably, the availability of public money shapes the Canadian publishing environment. If these grants were to disappear tomorrow, all but a few of our independents would either be out of business or circling the drain within a year or two. An Ontario tax credit, for instance, will cover up to 30 percent of an eligible publisher’s non-printing expenses. ![]() Ontario, BC, and Quebec have additional grants programs of their own. The two major federal grants programs are the Canada Council for the Arts (sends cheques for up to $250,000 annually to eligible publishers) and the Canada Book Fund (sends cheques for amounts equivalent to between 10 and 15 percent of an eligible publisher’s sales). Most find it a struggle to break even with the grants. I don’t know of a single Canadian publisher who wouldn’t be underwater without grants. In my experience, between 20 percent and 60 percent of revenue for the roughly 100 independent publishers this side of the border comes in the form of grants. Written by Morwenna Banks and Rebecca Front, who both star as socially challenged librarians, this is a rare Radio 4 sitcom grower.".I attended an annual conference of the Independent Book Publishers Association in San Diego a couple of weeks ago, in part because I was curious to see how US publishers manage without generous federal and provincial grants. David Hepworth, writing in The Guardian, praised its "lovely" moments, while Jane Anderson, reviewing for the Radio Times, wrote that "any comedy based upon an idea by Armando Iannucci has quality written all over it and this is no exception. And just what is Dr Cadogan's unexpected skill?īoth series of Shush! have so far been very well received. Meanwhile, Simon's feelings for Alice face an unexpected obstacle.Ī wandering poet, a bottle of Calpol and some Roman bathing techniques cause trouble for Snoo and Alice. A very low shelf, a book about zombies, a hosepipe ban and some hummingbirds bring the public flocking in.Īn intruder, an ice-cream van and Daniel Barenboim make life difficult for Snoo and Alice as Simon constructs a deadly cornflakes-based trap.Īlice and Snoo have to elicit the help of Alice's father to save Dr Cadogan from disgrace. Guest stars so far have included Geoffrey Whitehead, Frances Barber and Laurence Fox and the show is produced by Pozzitive Television.Įpisode List Series one No.Īlice and Snoo have to resort to some rather unconventional means to get people into the library. The series also stars Ben Willbond as local library inspector Simon Neilson, and Michael Fenton-Stevens as morally bankrupt celebrity surgeon Dr Cadogan. The idea was originally developed with Armando Iannucci as a television programme, but was instead commissioned for radio in 2014, with the pilot episode being co-written by Father Ted creator Arthur Mathews. ![]() The first series was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2015, with the second series broadcast in May 2017. It follows child prodigy Alice and hapless Snoo as two librarians, trying desperately to keep their local library afloat. Shush! is a BBC Radio 4 sitcom written by and starring Rebecca Front and Morwenna Banks. ![]()
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