We recently had an exciting request from the BBC – they were preparing a documentary on modern novelists and wanted to film first edition copies of all the books featured in the show. We were able to provide beautiful copies of almost all the novels, and our shop hosted the film crew for two very fun days of shooting.
The series is titled In Their Own Words: British Novelists, and it focuses on archival footage and recordings of the authors, including:
…the only recording of Virginia Woolf in existence, as well as surprising set-pieces: William Golding addressing a room of primary school pupils about Lord Of The Flies; JG Ballard, author of Crash, celebrating the beauty of the motorcar; and Kingsley Amis and John Braine in a smoke-filled Soho restaurant discussing the impact of the Second World War on the British novel.
The first episode, covering the interwar years, premieres tonight at 9 on BBC Four, with two more to follow in the coming weeks. So if you’re wondering what to do with your evenings now that Sherlock has finished, definitely check it out. And if you’re interested in the books featured in the show then have a look at the latest Peter Harrington catalogue, which covers our modern literature stock (contact us to request a paper copy, or view the digital version which will be available online later tonight).
Below, BBC staff prepare to film while owner Pom Harrington (right) looks on:
Filming The Golden Notebook, by Doris Lessing:
