When Books Go Bad

Tales of Literary Feuds, Publishing Errors and Withering Reviews
Brief Description
The literary world isn't all bestsellers; it is also a world of insults, physical blows, snide acknowledgements, and publishing errors. Books are messy, personal things, and writers have been grappling with them in the metaphorical mud for centuries. Some writers have gone at each other in... Read More
Format: Hardback
$3499
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When Books Go Bad

Explores the scandalous and salacious side of literary history, tapping into the perennial interest in literary celebrity.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The literary world isn't all bestsellers; it is also a world of insults, physical blows, snide acknowledgements, and publishing errors. Books are messy, personal things, and writers have been grappling with them in the metaphorical mud for centuries.

Some writers have gone at each other in ink, while other bookish brawls are more literal. It usually ends in regret or death. But books don't need authors to go bad. They get stolen, misprinted, censored; some are even cursed or bound in questionable materials.

When Books Go Bad is a rousing collection of publishing mishaps, its narrative twists and turns taking a light-hearted look at poor editing, poor judgement, and a whole range of bad behaviour.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780712355834

Publisher: British Library Publishing

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 14 October 2025

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: British Library Publishing

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 200.0mm

Weight: 0g

Pages: 176

About the Author

Alex Johnson is the author of titles about art, music, shed, and books on books including for the British Library, A Book of Book Lists (2017), Edward Lear and the Pussycat: Famous Writers and Their Pets (2019), How to Give Your Child a Lifelong Love of Reading (2020), and The Book Lover's Almanac (2023).

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