Classic Novels Reborn

By John Sellers, Children's Bookshelf -- Publishers Weekly, 10/4/2007

Trafalgar Square Publishing has given several noted 19th-century novels a new lease on life, distributing Bloomsbury UK’s Bloomsbury Classics line of paperbacks stateside. The six books in the series are Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë and Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.

“These books are often studied at school, and therefore seen as ‘school work’ rather than read for pure enjoyment, and we wanted to change this,” says Emma Matthewson, editorial director of Bloomsbury UK Children’s Books, which first published the new editions in Britain last year. To that end, the new editions were given eye-catching pop-art style covers with simple, iconic images. “We wanted to keep well away from the traditional, rather dark painting that is often associated with classic literature,” she says, “and create a look that was much more dramatic and contemporary.”

Each edition also features a “Why You Should Read This” foreword by a contemporary YA author, including Philip Reeve, Meg Cabot and Celia Rees, among others. “The introductions were intended to be as if your very best friend had rung you up and said, ‘Hey, I’ve just read this great book—you must read it!’ ” says Matthewson. “The idea was that it was an instinctive, passionate introduction from an author about the book that they absolutely loved.”

“Extra! Extra!” sections at the end of each book include an “interview” with the novels’ original authors as well as newspaper-style articles that provide context about the eras in which the books were first published. “The additional material at the back was deliberately set in newspaper format to ensure an accessible read,” Matthewson says. “And I think that the information contained within it, about politics, fashion, inventions, important moments of the time, and much else, is incredibly interesting... [and] will help make sense of the book they have just read—or are in the middle of reading.”

“There’s a lot of competition to get the classics onto the chain shelves,” says Brooke O’Donnell, publishing director at Trafalgar, noting that early sales “weren’t a huge success in terms of units, but are trending upwards.” And Trafalgar has had success with other lines of repackaged classics. “We’ve done really well with the Hesperus series [for the adult market],” she says. “I see these fitting in very well with that line because of the packaging.”

Additionally, the distributor has received positive reactions about the Bloomsbury Classics line from other markets. “We get the most feedback from library accounts,” O’Donnell says. “They like the smart packaging and really want to push them to their readership. I think these are just really smart, approachable and have something fun about them that, to me, would make a young reader want to pick them up and not be daunted by the title.”

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