Last week, I received an email from Penguin Group’s publicity office, letting me know about “Penguin Classics On Air,” a new web radio show that’s part of Penguin’s new “Publisher’s Office” online network.
Besides being completely excited about receiving my first “official” LND email, I was intrigued by the premise – and by the fact that the first broadcast was titled, “Why We Love Jane Austen.” (You know I love me some Jane Austen.)
Each episode or broadcast is set up similarly: an editor or scholarly expert talks about or interviews someone related to the topic, then a publisher reads the first pages of the book or work in question. There’s also a segment called “Reading the Classics from A to Z” in which a Penguin Group director attempts to read one Penguin Classic by an author per letter from the entire alphabet.
The Jane Austen episode has fun, spritely music in the background that you can just imagine being played in Regency England, perhaps at a ball that Elizabeth might have attended. The bulk of the episode involved an interview with Austen scholar Juliette Wells, a professor of literature who uses Austen in most of her courses. She talks about Austen in the classroom and how the novels transcend time, infusing pop culture today. She also discusses life in Austen’s England and some of her favorite places in England to find Austen.
There are other episodes available, ranging from Russian and Jewish literature to Washington Irving and colonial New York. As the Publisher’s Office continues to grow and develop its content, more episodes will be added.
I first came across the Publisher’s Office a few weeks ago and was suitably impressed upon my first visit. But I have to say (and I’m definitely not getting anything in return for saying this) – the direct email to LND and the incredible amount of information on the site have won me over. I’m a Publisher’s Office convert now. It’s definitely worth checking out. Between the interviews, the videos and the radio series, there’s something for everyone.
[Photo Credit: Getty Images]
