One of the joys of the Lamb’s Conduit Street shop is that when readers come in, we often have the opportunity to discuss their thoughts on the Persephone books that they have read. Given that there are now 25,000 Persephone readers on our maiing list (worldwide), we feel that we – and our readers – would be missing something if we did not find a way of extending that discussion more widely.
After all, discussing the books is what it should be all about. Yes, we are very proud of the grey and the endpapers, and the pictures on the front of the Classics, and the paper and the typeface and the ‘feel’ of the books. But the reason we have devoted a decade to publishing (now) ninety titles is, always, always, the books themselves. So the Forum is a new way to discuss the books. It’s an opportunity for you (and for us) to explore the books, their themes, their context, and their authors, and perhaps, through hearing what others think, to think about them in different ways. The Fortnightly Letter and The Persephone Post keep readers in touch with what is going on in the Persephone Books shop. The Forum keeps all of you in touch about the books themselves.
The Forum started with Persephone Book No.1 and will proceed onward through the list in order. This is because the books are meant to be a collection, a balance, an entity and this becomes all the more apparent through reading and discussing them in this way, a month at a time. On the First of every month (except January) we will provide some thoughts and questions about that month’s book (and its author). Where the discussion goes from there is up to you. You can participate by going to the Comments box at the bottom of the Forum’s Home Page. We do hope you enjoy our Forum!
