(Kirsty McHugh & Ian Scott, Bodleian, £14.99)
OK, so this has nothing to do with education technology, but we all read (I hope!). A very interesting examination of the pen names some authors have adopted, and why.
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All life is contained within these pages – because who could have guessed that behind the innocent-seeming name on many a book cover lie all manner of secrets? The case of the Brontës is well-known – malesounding writers’ names generally making more sense in an age when novel-writing wasn’t seen as being respectable, thus shining a light on important aspects of social and economic history at the time. But a pen name was also used in at least one case when an author wanted to hide his royalties from his estranged wife. Many other pen names have been adopted for marketing purposes – such as those times when an author wishes to branch out into a completely different genre. And were you aware that well-known author Nicci French is, in fact, two people? A slim, yet enjoyable volume, it’s a treasure trove of unexpected insights into the storied history of the publishing industry.
This book was first reviewed in Teach Secondary magazine.