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A podcast from AbeBooks. This series is dedicated to telling the stories behind books and the people who love them. We'll salute classic novels and famous authors, investigate long-forgotten books, ... more
FAQs about Behind the Bookshelves:How many episodes does Behind the Bookshelves have?The podcast currently has 158 episodes available.
March 05, 2022David Ruggles Book Collecting PrizeToday we are learning about the David Ruggles Prize, which is a book collecting contest designed to encourage and support young collectors of color. Our guests are Sara Powell, who is one of the prize judges, and Pat Olson, who is Assistant to the Prize Jury....more25minPlay
February 28, 2022On Gold MountainOn Gold Mountain by Lisa See was published in 1995. It’s a remarkable memoir that tells the story of one Chinese American family and their immigrant experience. The book is still making headlines today. It has been adapted into an opera with a new production planned for May, and it has also become a teaching resource. Lisa explains how the memoir has impacted her own family and influenced her career....more33minPlay
February 22, 2022The First KennedysAuthor Neal Thompson is our guest as we discuss his latest book - The First Kennedys: The Humble Roots of an American Dynasty, which describes the early years of the family made world famous by John F Kennedy. We learn how two young Irish people arrived in Boston, met and married and created a family that would go on to shape American politics. The book’s principle figures are Bridget, one of those two immigrants, and her son PJ, who was JFK’s grandfather. PJ was the first Kennedy elected to public office....more25minPlay
February 08, 2022HeartbreakToday we consider broken hearts. Our guest is journalist Florence Williams who has written a book called Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey. Sadly, Florence’s marriage unexpectedly collapsed after 25 years and she decided to investigate the science behind a broken heart and turned her learnings into a book. This is a podcast about love, loneliness and recovery....more23minPlay
February 03, 2022Gwendolyn Brooks at the MorganIn 1950, poet Gwendolyn Brooks became the first Black person to win a Pulitzer Prize following her second book, Annie Allen. We speak to Nic Caldwell from the Morgan Library & Museum in New York about their latest exhibition - Gwendolyn Brooks: A Poet’s Work In Community. We learn about Gwendolyn's Chicago roots, her passion for mentoring, and the importance of her poetry....more17minPlay
December 10, 2021Bookselling in MaineWe speak to Steve Powell, who runs the Bar Harbor Book Shop on Mount Desert Island in Maine. He sells as the Mystery Cove Book Shop on AbeBooks. Steve's been selling books for 40 years and is an expert in collectible mystery and crime books. Learn about his most expensive sale, a couple of bookshop dogs called Simon Templar and Lord Peter Wimsey, and life in this corner of the United States....more32minPlay
November 26, 2021Moraine Books in FinlandJoin us as we speak to Mikko and Mari Vartiainen from Moraine Books in Finland. This is a family business selling used and antiquarian books - Mari is Mikko's daughter. We learn about the evolution of their business, which included publishing, and discuss the huge influence of Tove Jansson and the Moomins on Finnish culture. With only 5.5 million people in Finland, Mikko and Mari provide a wonderful insight in this country's deep love of books and literature....more30minPlay
October 25, 2021Grapes of Wrath manuscriptThis episode is about the great American author John Steinbeck and his novel, The Grapes of Wrath. We are speaking to Ellen Ffrench from SP Books, which has published a large format reproduction of Steinbeck’s original handwritten manuscript. Steinbeck wrote The Grapes of Wrath in 1938, writing in 2 oversized ledgers. The book would become his greatest achievement and the defining novel of America’s Depression era. Listen to Ellen explain about the manuscript's notes and marginalia, and how Steinbeck crafted this masterpiece....more19minPlay
October 22, 2021The Haunted BookshopJoin us as we speak to Nialle Sylvan from the Haunted Bookshop in Iowa City. We learn about the 1847 building that houses her used bookstore and numerous cats, life in a university town, and how this bookshop got its name....more15minPlay
September 17, 2021Hammonds BooksWe are joined by Jovanka Hammond who owns Hammonds Books & Antiques in St Louis, Missouri. Jovanka's journey into bookselling began in 1979 with Art Deco collectibles. Today, her store features books, jewelry, antiques and prints. We learn about Jovanka's dogs and a parrot with a taste for literature, the prohibition tunnel in the basement, and how customers sometimes get locked in the store....more30minPlay
FAQs about Behind the Bookshelves:How many episodes does Behind the Bookshelves have?The podcast currently has 158 episodes available.