A sight for sore eyes

    In Simon's post on Persephone Books' 10th birthday he asks how we all discovered that publisher, which are our favourites of their books and which we'd like to read next. I thought it was worth answering Simon's question here, at greater length, as it is quite a significant subject for me. Books first though, and favourites would be the short stories of Mollie Panter Downes, the novels of Dorothy Whipple, and The Home-Maker by Dorothy Canfield Fisher, while of the ones I've yet to read, Fidelity by Susan Glaspell and Miss Buncle's Book by D. E. Stevenson would come high up the list.
    As to how I came upon them in the first place, in May 2001 I was suffering with an extremely painful eye. It turned out that I had ulcers on the cornea - potentially serious - and I was lucky to have had it treated in time. Apart from having to administer drops hourly (yes, through the night as well!) over two or three days, I paid several visits to the eye hospital to be monitored and it was during one of those that I picked up a magazine and read  - with the good eye - an article about women who'd set up their own businesses, one of them being Nicola Beauman of Persephone Books. That led me to get their catalogue, start buying their books and crucially to read their fortnightly newsletter which was how I discovered the world of blogs. I followed the Persephone links to Dovegreyreader and Jane Brocket, and as a direct result for the last two and a half years I have been "Cornflower" with two websites to my name and countless other benefits of all kinds. So as you see, that article resulted in a lot more than 'just' a few good reads, and was, literally and metaphorically, a sight for sore eyes!

Comments

[Margaret Powling]

I truly can't remember how I first heard of Persephone Books, but I knew about the venture before the first books were published so ordered them from the first copies onwards (although I've curtailed my buying now becuase of lack of space.)

[domesticali]

The thought of you finding blogging through Persephone makes me smile as so very many people have found Persephone through blogging.

The Home-Maker is my favourite too.

[Nan]

I love this post. I'm glad your eyes are alright but how very scary.

[fifiquilter]

I first came across them in an independent bookshop on a trip to Bath. My first one was purchased because it had log-cabin quilt endpapers.

[Danielle]

What a lovely shelf of books! Mine are haphazardly stacked due to lack of space! They look nice all lined up there, however. I'll have to ponder this one myself and answer it later. I think I've enjoyed all the Persephones that I've read so far!

[Lindsay]

I don't think I "get" Persephone Books, though I passed their office recently and diligently perused the window. The Virago judgement "below the Whipple line" struck a chord with me, and the titles you mention create the same reaction as the cover of Sophia's Secret you criticised a little while ago: ie, they make me determined not to read them! And the design - they look like discarded plastic video cases from a period of painful austerity, awaiting recycling.

But I'm just a grumpy old man, and I suspect the word "man" is the key one here; maybe (if you ever forgive me for this comment) you'll convert me yet?

[Simon T]

I loved your Persephone story, Karen - wonderful.
(If people come and give similar ones at my blog, and say a Persephone book they want to read, someone will end up getting a free one from me! There's my shameless plug...)

Lindsay - I'm a man and I love Persephone! I have difficulty forgiving Virago their Whipple line comment, but I've learnt to see it as a temporary insanity on their part....

[Cornflower]

That hadn't occurred to me, but you are quite right!

[LINDA from EACH LITTLE WORLD]

I was Googling "Edinburgh" and found Cornflower. I fell in love with Cornflower and Jane Brocket and ultimately started my own blog. And I've ordered a shelf of my own favorite Persephone titles, which is saying a lot with the way exchange rates have been over the last couple of years. I think the books and certain blogs are all serendipitously linked!

[Karen/NYC]

I discovered Persephone a few years ago at a wonderful independent book shop here in New York on Madison Avenue, Crawford Doyle Books. They don't carry the full range, but I found a few gems there, including Miss Pettigrew as well as Miss Buncle's Book.
Unfortunately, here in the U.S. they don't seem to come with the coordinating bookmark!

[Jane]

Very belatedly found your site through Persephone's own - I hadn't realised it was already 10 years but HAPPY BIRTHDAY PERSEPHONE! I met her before she was born so to speak when I was introduced to Nicola Beauman at a farewell celebration for our common supervisor in English at Newnham College Cambridge. The don who introduced us hoped to do me a good turn thinking that Persphone might publish my biography of Mrs Molesworth (Victorian writer of children's books). She didn't, but I got hooked on those gray covered volumes & have all the quarterlies & then biannuallies (?) from the beginning. My favourite is Miss Pettigrew, closely followed by The Home Maker. I couldn't believe it when I saw two mails on stuck-in-a-book who actively dislike Miss P. Such fun - so bubbly and exhilarating.But I very much like the Dorothy Whipples too, and by far the best non-ficiton one is On the other side. I have 37 Persephones now and occasionally dream of being so independent of shelf space and income that I could order every new one as it comes out! It is sometimes a relief to find that I possess an earlier edition of the occasional title (5 to date) because then I don't have to make that decision - to buy or not to buy.