Rogues, Widows and Orphans

This divine comedy of literary errors - not to mention scandals, hoaxes, howlers and other bookish misadventures - will make you laugh, make you wiser, and remind you why words are such glorious, untameable things. It is devilishly funny and extremely clever. Every page is packed with wit and warmth and delicious stories. Did I mention it’s funny? – Louise Willder, author of BLURB YOUR ENTHUSIASMA wonderfully mischievous tour of what words get up to behind our backs. Hell is empty and all the printers’ devils are here! – Henry Eliot, author of THE PENGUIN CLASSICS BOOKA glorious, madcap tour of all the beautiful chaos that is the world of books. From library bandits to literary feuds, Lee celebrates the mischief and mayhem that words bring to the lives of those who love them. In doing so, she beautifully captures why words are worth fighting for. Bursting with wit and whimsy, Rogues, Widows, and Orphans is the insider’s guide that every book lover needs. – Olivia Swarthout, author and creator of WEIRD MEDIEVAL GUYSA celebration of the book that takes you through a fascinating wilderness of mistakes and misunderstandings. Moving beyond the realm of mere misprints, Lee shows us myriad ways in which books (and the people who read, write and rate them) cause trouble. From Titivillus’s pranks to Bowdler’s bowdlerising, Lee’s stories of storytelling are full of surprises – Hana Videen, author of THE WORDHORDA delightfully wayward tour of good words gone bad. Fun, funny, and full of danger – Eli Burnstein, author of DICTIONARY OF FINE DISTINCTIONSWord nerds, assemble! THIS IS THE BOOK FOR US – Lucy Mangan, author of BOOKISHA guilty rummage through the dirty laundry basket of the book industry. From writers to publishers and booksellers, the smelly socks, soiled pants and sweaty undergarments are here for your prurient delight. Rogues, Widows and Orphans is a joyous rampage through the petty squabbles, plagiarism, misadventures and plain bad writing behind nearly six centuries of publishing – Shaun Bythell, author of THE DIARY OF A BOOKSELLERPraise for How Words Get Good:‘Fascinating and funny * Sunday Times *Inject this straight into my veins! – Lucy ManganChock-full of the kind of anecdotes that are catnip for booklovers * Financial Times *Any bibliophile will find many enjoyable nuggets in this compendium of book chat – Stephen Poole * Guardian *A funny and illuminating peek into publishing below stairs * Mail on Sunday *Utterly fascinating - I adored it – Shaun Bythell, author * Diary of a Bookseller *

Rebecca Lee is a senior editorial manager at Penguin Random House. She’s spent twenty years wrangling hundreds of books from copyedit to finished copies, and among the millions of words she’s sent to print, she’s overseen her fair share of mishaps. She is author of the ‘masterpiece’ How Words Get Good.