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Book review: “Alice’s Oxford – People and Places that Inspired Wonderland”

On July 4th (not coincidentally, on ‘Alice’s Day’), a new book about Oxford connections to Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice’ books will come out.

I am grateful to the publisher, Bodleian Library Publishing, for sending me a review copy so I can give you my honest opinion about this book by Peter Hunt!

Book coverAccording to the press release, the author of this book “combines historical insight with a guided tour of the city, revealing both well-known and lesser-known connections to the Alice books. From the hatters and marmalade makers on the High Street to the dodo displayed at the Museum of Natural History, Oxford’s streets, colleges, and landmark are woven into the fabric of Wonderland. […] The result is a unique blend of travel guide, history, and local culture – perfect for both Alice enthusiasts and those curious about Oxford’s rich literary heritage.”
The author tells us that “[m]any books about the ‘Alice’ books begin with the texts and extrapolate from them possible references to places and people in the real world; this book begins with the places, and traces their association with Dodgson, Carroll and both the Alices – real and fictional.”

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New publication: “A Companion to ‘Jabberwocky’ in Translation”

Are you interested in worldwide translations of Carroll’s famous ‘Jabberwocky’ poem? Then this publication is for you!

Cover of A Companion to “Jabberwocky” in TranslationSeveral language specific studies of ‘Jabberwocky’ in translation have been published in the past. This publication, however, attempts to provide a broader comparative approach. With this 297 page ‘companion volume’, the authors provide insight into the translation history of the poem and make it possible to compare translation strategies and solutions between over 40 different languages. It is important to note however, that this is not a complete collection: the poem has been translated in many more languages, but they do not all appear in this publication.

The book is edited by Anna Kérchy, Kit Kelen and Björn Sundmark, and includes articles by many scholars, critics, translators and poems across the world. Each contributor focuses on one or a few critically and poetically interesting translations of ‘Jabberwocky’.

The book is part of the Malmö University Studies in Children’s Literature, Culture and Media series. It can be ordered as a paperback, but can also be downloaded in pdf format for free! You can download the entire book or one or more chapters individually: https://books.mau.se/catalog/book/264

Book review: Alice Through the Looking-Glass: A Companion

An interdisciplinary study of Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking-Glass and what Alice found there” has just been published! This book consists of many essays by different authors, hoping to shine a light on Carroll’s oft-neglected sequel from their own perspective. I had the privilege to receive a review copy from the publisher, so I will give you my thoughts on this new publication.

After the Through the Looking Glass Sesquicentenary Conference that took place in 2021 in York (UK), a call for papers went out for a ‘companion’ publication to “Through the Looking-Glass”. Just as the conference had covered a broad range of aspects of the ‘Looking-Glass’ story, this companion’s objective would be to reflect the breadth of themes in the story, its cultural and adaptation history, and its ongoing relevance today.

It took several years, but the results of that call for papers have now finally been published in “Alice Through the Looking-Glass: A Companion”, edited by Franziska Kohlt and Justine Houyaux. The book consists of an impressive 516 pages and contains no less than 38 essays by 42 authors!

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Book review: “Alice Through The Smartphone – How Safe Is The Internet Wonderland?”

Author Russell Jeanes was so kind as to send me a digital copy of his new tale “Alice Through The Smartphone”. I’ve written a review for anyone who may be interested in this book, which is mainly aimed at primary school teachers and parents who want to teach their smartphone-craving children how to use them responsible.

Cover of Alice Throug The Smartphone

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Exhibition and sale: prints from the original wood blocks

In the UK there is currently an exhibition of Alice in Wonderland illustrations printed directly from the original wood blocks. They are also for sale.

To be able to print John Tenniel’s illustrations, his illustrations were engraved in wood blocks. To avoid wear of these precious wood blocks, they were not used for the actual printing, but as masters from which electrotype copies would be made. (You can read more about this process on my website). The use of electrotypes does result in a slight loss of definition.

In 1981 the original wood engraved blocks were discovered in deed boxes belonging to Macmillan, the original publishers. Jonathan Stephenson at the Rocket Press subsequently printed 250 sets from these blocks – the first and last time that they were used for actual printing.

These prints, for both Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass and what Alice found there, are now exhibited in Adam’s Gallery. You can buy individual prints, as well as complete sets of all engravings in their original boxes.

woodblock prints exhibition

Date: 4th April to 26th May 2024
Location: Adam’s Gallery, Reigate, UK
More information
: https://www.adamsgallery.co.uk/alice-in-wonderland

New book: “Alice in a World of Wonderlands: The English Language Editions of the Four Alice Books Published Worldwide”

A bibliography of all English language editions of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, “Through the Looking-Glass and what Alice found there”, “Alice’s Adventures under Ground”, and “The Nursery ‘Alice’” has just been published!

In 2015, after years of work and with contributions from many Carrollians (including me), the three volume publication “Alice in a World of Wonderlands: The Translations of Lewis Carroll’s Masterpiece” was published: an overview of all translations of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking-Glass and what Alice found there” ever published around the world, supplemented with various interesting essays about the works and their translations. A very useful reference work and a wonderful example of what a community can achieve.

Since visitors of my website regularly contact me asking whether I can tell them more about an old edition of an ‘Alice’ book that they have in their possession, I then wondered whether an overview of all English-language editions in the world might also exist. So I asked Jon Lindseth, the project leader of “Alice in a World of Wonderlands”, if he was aware of the existence of such a list. My question apparently stimulated him, because instead of just answering “No, there isn’t one”, he decided to turn this into another project! To make not only an inventory of all English editions of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking-Glass and what Alice found there”, but also of “Alice’s Adventures under Ground” and “The Nursery ‘Alice’”. And I was assigned the task of cataloging all the English-language editions of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking-Glass” that had been released in all non-English-speaking countries of the world.

The project took 7 years, but I’m happy and honoured to now be able to present to you: the two volumes of “Alice in a World of Wonderlands: The English Language Editions of the Four Alice Books Published Worldwide”!

The two volumes of "Alice in a World of Wonderlands: The English Language Editions of the Four Alice Books Published Worldwide"

The two volumes of “Alice in a World of Wonderlands: The English Language Editions of the Four Alice Books Published Worldwide”

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Alice’s Adventures under Water available as eBook

I am very happy to announce that my book “Alice’s Adventures under Water” is now also available as eBook!

My book came out in 2021 as a paperback and I was regularly asked whether it was also available for eReaders. Well, it finally is!

The story is available in two formats: ePub and Kindle.
The ePub version can be downloaded from my website (cheapest option), Kobo, and Google Books.
The Kindle reader version can be downloaded from Amazon.

It’s out just in time for Christmas, so you can put it on your wish list, buy it as a gift for a fellow Alice in Wonderland lover, or treat yourself to something to read during the holidays!