Page 2 - Portable Magic News Today

Emma Smith’s Portable Magic sparkles with gems of trivia about reading and publishing, including rejected authors, book burnings and masterpieces that failed at first.

Emma Smith’s wise and funny history of the physical book, from the Bible to boobytraps and Gwyneth Paltrow’s ‘blooks’, is a thing to cherish

The Shakespeare critic and author on her new history of books and readers, and how it’s made her think about the contents of our shelves

We have a 'rosy nostalgia' about books and their civilising power, but they can be wielded barbarically, too

From ancient China to Marilyn Monroe – this fascinating history celebrates the joy of ‘bookhood’

BOOKS do furnish a room. And they furnish people too, as author Emma Smith pointed out on Start the Week on Monday morning (Radio 4).