Press Release: Events
And Then He Kissed Her... 100 Years Of Mills & Boon
Posted at 8:16AM Monday 19 May 2008
The Mills & Boon® Centenary Exhibition6th June – 31st July 2008 Manchester Central Library, St. Peter's Square, Manchester, M2 5PD The Mills & Boon Centenary Exhibition will explore the evolution of 20th century social and sexual mores in Britain, alongside the development of the world's leading romance publisher. The Exhibition features a company history and centenary time line, a fascinating collection of books and cover art (including the first ever Mills & Boon book to be published), writer biographies, manuscripts, original correspondence between authors and editors and associated memorabilia. The Exhibition will tie in with a programme of reading events and writing workshops, including a Regency Romance day on Saturday 14th June and an author forum featuring best-selling writer Penny Jordan (over 80 million books sold worldwide) at the Manchester Literary Festival on Saturday 18th October. Regional Romance – As part of the Centenary celebration, Manchester residents will be asked to share their own personal love stories. The Exhibition will be officially opened with a glamorous launch event on Thursday 5th June, featuring the Manchester-based Hallé Singers (the Hallé Orchestra celebrates their 150th anniversary this year). About the Exhibition: 'This colourful exhibition features many wonderful book covers, photographs, cartoons and memorabilia. It weaves together the books and their writers and the women readers of romance, against the backdrop of history from the suffragette era through two world wars to the present day. The exhibition traces the evolution in romantic fiction of Mills & Boon over 100 years, reflecting the enormous changes in women's lives in work, family and, of course, sex. But it also highlights the contribution of Mills & Boon to the enduring appeal of romance, and the happy ending with the hero and heroine falling in love. Our research is based on the Mills & Boon archive, interviews and the books themselves. We tell the colourful story of this amazing company which grew from tiny beginnings as a general publisher to the biggest romance publisher in the world.' – Margaret O'Brien, Exhibition Curator 'We're really happy to be working in partnership with Mills & Boon – it's a match made in heaven. Just like them, the library has supplied countless thousands of Mancunians with romance and escapism over the last century and we're thrilled to be able to help celebrate this landmark by hosting this fascinating exhibition. Happy birthday Mills & Boon.' – Cllr Mike Amesbury, Manchester City Council's Assistant Executive Member for Arts and Leisure 'The exhibition is a marvellous exposition of our heritage, both literary and commercial, and gives an insight on how changes in society are reflected both within Mills & Boon titles through the decades – but also without – in the highly evocative covers. We are delighted that Manchester Libraries have given us the opportunity to stage the exhibition in such an august and historical venue. I hope the exhibition will engage local fans and readers, but also prove a fun and informative experience for those who have not yet experienced the Mills & Boon magic! – Clare Somerville, Retail Sales and Marketing Director, Harlequin Mills & Boon Ltd Mills & Boon in Numbers: A Mills & Boon book is sold in the UK every 3 seconds. 130 million books are sold worldwide each year. Last year, 1,200 unsolicited manuscripts were submitted, of which only 27 went on to be published. Mills & Boon books are sold in 109 countries and published in 26 different languages. Mills & Boon Centenary 1908 – 2008 Celebrating 100 years of the nation's favourite publishers of romance This year, Mills & Boon celebrates a century as one of the most enduringly popular brand names in publishing. Over the past 100 years the Mills & Boon imprint has become synonymous with romantic fiction and today is part of Harlequin, the world's largest publisher of romance fiction. A little known fact is that in 1908 the firm began as a general publisher. In addition to early novels from P.G. Wodehouse, Jack London and Hugh Walpole, their list included non-fiction titles such as The Poultry Keeper's Companion and Twenty-Four Years of Cricket by Arthur A. Lilley. Early on, the firm focussed on establishing branded series publishing, but it was during the 1930s and '40s as the demand for popular escapist romance fiction increased, that the transition to household name began. To mark the centenary Mills & Boon are launching a programme of year-long events, including: A Mills & Boon exhibition on UK-wide tour to be launched at Manchester Central Library in June 2008. Centenary publishing programme of special 100th birthday editions and collections. Licensing activity: range of Mills & Boon branded products focussing on retro cover style including jigsaw puzzles, games and greetings cards. Literary Festivals: events scheduled to take place at a number of festivals including the Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival, Stratford-Upon-Avon Literary Festival, Lincoln Literary Festival and Manchester Literary Festival. Retail: a programme of national and bespoke retail campaigns starting in February 2008. Special Mills & Boon Centenary POS and merchandise available. A rolling PR campaign throughout 2008, including a research survey in conjunction with the National Year of Reading, library events, regional author workshops and readings. Clare Somerville, Retail Marketing and Sales Director, Harlequin Mills & Boon Ltd, said of the centenary plans: 'Mills & Boon is a British cultural phenomenon which has given pleasure to millions of readers around the world. The Centenary affords us the opportunity to celebrate the enduring popularity of the genre through decades of change, exploring its literary heritage and its evolution into the 21st century. What other publishing imprint has become a household name synonymous with romance, excitement and emotional fulfilment? Through constantly updating its publishing programmes, Harlequin Mills & Boon has continued to woo readers over one hundred years, led by their readers' opinions and preferences.'
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