Thanks to all who’ve signed up to Slow Fire: don’t worry, Slow Fire is not dead. Those of you who follow booktwo will know it’s been a busy few months, but there is something on the way.

Do keep telling people with similar interests (in the UK) about this list, because they’ll be interested in what happens next, and our apologies for the wait.

“An analysis of art in the age of mechanical reproduction must do justice to these relationships, for they lead us to an all-important insight: for the first time in world history, mechanical reproduction emancipates the work of art from its parasitical dependence on ritual. To an ever greater degree the work of art reproduced becomes the work of art designed for reproducibility. From a photographic negative, for example, one can make any number of prints; to ask for the “authentic” print makes no sense. But the instant the criterion of authenticity ceases to be applicable to artistic production, the total function of art is reversed. Instead of being based on ritual, it begins to be based on another practice – politics.”
- Walter Benjamin, The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, 1336 (via BBC Backstage mailing list)

“It seems intuitively that the explosion of reading on screens - which has happened - will ultimately result in ebook reading on screens, but exactly how is not evident yet. Ebook take up has been minimal. Relatively scarce product offerings — counterintuitively, even production of new titles in the trade area has slowed in recent years — combined with a consumer-unfriendly combination of formats, proprietary offerings cut off from normal book retailing channels, klunky merchandising, and anti-viral DRM have prevented book reading from being among the first things besides email to be read on devices. In fact, books will be among the last. That’s not something for us to be proud of as an industry.”
- Mike Shatzkin, Idea Logical at BookExpo America

We’re planning the first Slow Fire non-event for August or September - all suggestions for venues very welcome.

The format is still under discussion, but the most likely is to have a few people make short presentations (five minutes or less) on interesting and forward-looking publishing things, and then general chat over beers. If anyone has their own interesting things they’d particularly like to talk about, do get in touch.

“However it’s done, entrepreneurs have to find ways to transcend a system that historically has lacked vision and nerve—a system that currently marks every book selling less than twenty or twenty-five thousand copies as “disappointments.” Too many relatively successful and highly regarded books end up handicapping editors’ and authors’ careers. Something is wrong in a business that generates this much failure.”

- Speer Morgan, writing in The Missouri Review

Honestly, we don’t know if there is a desire out there for Slow Fire. So, over the coming weeks, we’re going to be talking about it, telling people about it, and seeing if they’re interested.

We believe that you should be interested: this is how many other industries drive creativity and foster change. And there will be beer. And quite possibly pizza.

But we might be wrong.

If you’re interested, please join the mailing list. If you’re not, or you can’t attend, but you know someone who is or can, please tell them about us. Even if you’re not in London, but the idea interests you, stay in touch. We may need you later.

In a few weeks time, we’ll see what the response has been like, and start thinking about the first meeting.

Please leave a comment if you have something to say, if you think we’ve got something wrong, or if you’ve got a question. We look forward to hearing from you.

Cheers, and hope to meet you soon.

There will be more here soon.

In the meantime, read all about Slow Fire, and join the mailing list above if you’re interested.