{"title":"Emma Smith","description":"\u003cp\u003eEmma Smith offers a rich exploration of Shakespearean themes, blending scholarly insight with accessible storytelling. Her works delve into the myths, history, and cultural impact surrounding Shakespeare’s legacy, providing fresh perspectives on iconic plays such as \u003cem\u003eRomeo and Juliet\u003c\/em\u003e. Readers will find a thoughtful balance of rigorous research and engaging narrative, ideal for lovers of arts and culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBeyond the Bard, Smith’s writing often weaves in elements of biography, humour, and captivating historical detail. Her vivid storytelling breathes life into past eras, inviting readers to experience history with warmth and wit. For anyone curious about the intersections of literature, history, and personal memoir, her books present a compelling journey through time and imagination.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"portable-magic-by-emma-smith-9780141991931","title":"Portable Magic","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn excitingly revisionist history of bibliophilia, from the celebrated author of \u003cem\u003eThis is Shakespeare\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'A fascinating journey into our relationship with the physical book... I lost count of the times I exclaimed with delight when I read a nugget of information I hadn't encountered before'\u003c\/em\u003e - Val McDermid, \u003cem\u003eThe Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMost of what we say about books is really about the words inside them—the rosy nostalgic glow for childhood reading, the lifetime companionship of a much-loved novel. But books are things as well as words; objects in our lives as well as worlds in our heads. Just as we crack their spines, loosen their leaves, and write in their margins, so they disrupt and disorder us in turn. All books are, as Stephen King put it, 'a uniquely portable magic'. Here, Emma Smith shows us why.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePortable Magic\u003c\/em\u003e unfurls an exciting and iconoclastic new story of the book in human hands, exploring when, why, and how it acquired its particular hold over us. Gathering together a millennium's worth of pivotal encounters with volumes big and small, Smith reveals that, as much as their contents, it is books' physical form—their 'bookhood'—that lends them their distinctive and sometimes dangerous magic. From the \u003cem\u003eDiamond Sutra\u003c\/em\u003e to Jilly Cooper's \u003cem\u003eRiders\u003c\/em\u003e, to a book made of wrapped slices of cheese, this composite artisanal object has, for centuries, embodied and extended relationships between readers, nations, ideologies, and cultures, in significant and unpredictable ways.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eExploring the unexpected and unseen consequences of our love affair with books, \u003cem\u003ePortable Magic\u003c\/em\u003e hails the rise of the mass-market paperback and dismantles the myth that print began with Gutenberg. It reveals how our reading habits have been shaped by American soldiers, and proposes new definitions of a 'classic'—and even of the book itself. Ultimately, it illuminates the ways in which our relationship with the written word is more reciprocal—and more turbulent—than we tend to imagine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46338528641260,"sku":"9780141991931","price":27.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/14721293482238.jpg?v=1743733985"},{"product_id":"this-is-shakespeare-by-emma-smith-9780241361634","title":"This Is Shakespeare","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA revelatory new look at Shakespeare, from 'one of the stars of her generation of Shakespeare scholars' Eric Rasmussen\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Sunday Times\u003c\/em\u003e Bestseller\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'An outstanding book ... lively, curious and passionate'\u003c\/em\u003e Literary Review\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhy should you read a book about Shakespeare and his plays?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBecause he is a timeless genius whose work encapsulates the human condition?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOr is it something more unexpected?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46517883142380,"sku":"9780241361634","price":24.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/25415673482273.jpg?v=1748949018"},{"product_id":"maidens-trip-by-emma-smith-9781408801253","title":"Maidens' Trip","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e______________\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘Wonderfully written, humorous and humane, and beautifully evocative of the time' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e- Independent Summer Reads\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘Smith's writing exudes wisdom and humour, and her descriptions ... are vividly drawn' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e- Times Literary Supplement\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘Hope and energy radiate from every sentence of this lovely volume as it emerges into the light after its long sojourn in the cemetery of forgotten books' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e- Daily Mail\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e______________\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA classic and unforgettable tale of three girls who abandon their middle-class comforts for an adventure of a lifetime during the Second World War\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1943, Emma Smith joined the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company under their wartime scheme of employing women to replace the boaters. She set out with two friends on a big adventure: three eighteen-year-olds, freed from a middle-class background, precipitated into the boating fraternity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThey learn how to handle a pair of seventy-two foot-long canal boats, how to carry a cargo of steel north from London to Birmingham and coal from Coventry; how to splice ropes, bail out bilge water, keep the engine ticking over and steer through tunnels. They live off kedgeree and fried bread and jam, adopt a kitten, lose their bicycles, laugh and quarrel and get progressively dirtier and tougher as the weeks go by.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eMaidens' Trip\u003c\/i\u003e is a classic memoir of the growth to maturity of three young women in the exceptional circumstances of Britain at war.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46844572729580,"sku":"9781408801253","price":29.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/16123223482689.jpg?v=1758845889"},{"product_id":"street-hearts-by-emma-smith-9780008701949","title":"Street Hearts","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA heartwarming tale of abandoned dogs and their saviours\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAmong the cobblestone villages and towns of rural Bulgaria, a dedicated team of unsung heroes led by Emma and Anthony Smith works tirelessly to change the destiny of street dogs. These animals are abandoned, neglected, and sometimes in danger, until \u003cem\u003eStreet Hearts\u003c\/em\u003e steps in to provide them with a second chance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn this heartwarming and inspiring tale, we meet the remarkable dogs they rescue and learn how an army of volunteers goes about it. Each with their own unique story of resilience and yearning for affection, a cast of characters including Tipsy, Big Lad, Mr Wiggles, and Roshy the Wonder Dog will steal your heart and challenge your preconceptions about what it means to love and be loved.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThrough the eyes of these resilient canines and their heroic rescuers, this book reveals the profound bond that develops between them and follows the stories of those who have given the dogs new lives in Britain and elsewhere.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGet ready to be inspired, to laugh, to cry, and to fall in love with the indomitable spirit of these street dogs and the heroes who fight for them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47072672284908,"sku":"9780008701949","price":49.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/1853603482191.jpg?v=1765125311"},{"product_id":"the-making-of-shakespeares-first-folio-by-emma-smith-9781851245987","title":"The Making of Shakespeare's First Folio","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Making of Shakespeare's First Folio\u003c\/i\u003e offers the first comprehensive biography of the earliest collected edition of Shakespeare's plays. In November 1623, the book arrived in the bookshop of the London publisher Edward Blount at the Black Bear. Long in the making, \u003ci\u003eMaster William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies\u003c\/i\u003e—as the \u003ci\u003eFirst Folio\u003c\/i\u003e was then known—appeared seven years after Shakespeare's death. Nearly one thousand pages in length, the collection comprised thirty-six plays, half of which had never been previously published. Yet no fanfare surrounded the initial publication of Shakespeare's \u003ci\u003eFirst Folio\u003c\/i\u003e—no queue of eager readers, no launch to the top of the best-seller list.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNevertheless, it is hard to overstate the importance of this literary, cultural, and commercial moment. Emma Smith tells the story of the \u003ci\u003eFirst Folio\u003c\/i\u003e's origins, locating it within the social and political context of Jacobean London and bringing in the latest scholarship on the seventeenth-century book trade. Generously illustrated in colour with key pages from the publication and comparative works, this new edition combines the 2016 discovery of a hitherto unknown edition of the \u003ci\u003eFirst Folio\u003c\/i\u003e at Mount Stuart House on the Isle of Bute with the human, artistic, economic and technical stories of the birth of this landmark publication—and the birth of Shakespeare's towering reputation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47341330235628,"sku":"9781851245987","price":69.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/3015743482847.jpg?v=1772189732"},{"product_id":"30-great-myths-about-shakespeare-by-emma-smith-9780470658512","title":"30 Great Myths about Shakespeare","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThink you know Shakespeare? Think again . . .\u003c\/b\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWas a real skull used in the first performance of \u003ci\u003eHamlet\u003c\/i\u003e? Were Shakespeare's plays Elizabethan blockbusters? How much do we really know about the playwright's life? And what of his notorious relationship with his wife?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eExploring and exploding 30 popular myths about the great playwright, this illuminating new book evaluates all the evidence to show how historical material—or its absence—can be interpreted and misinterpreted, and what this reveals about our own personal investment in the stories we tell.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47429650579692,"sku":"9780470658512","price":44.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780470658512.jpg?v=1774560145"},{"product_id":"the-world-of-romeo-and-juliet-by-emma-smith-9781399639781","title":"The World of Romeo and Juliet","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStep into the sun-drenched streets and shadowy ballrooms of Verona, where \u003cem\u003eRomeo and Juliet\u003c\/em\u003e's story of love and loss unfolds. Piece together iconic scenes—from secret garden meetings to the fateful balcony—brought to life in a beautifully detailed illustration by Anna Higgie.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFilled with familiar faces like Mercutio, Tybalt, and the star-crossed lovers themselves, and accompanied by a fold-out poster with a mini essay, enjoy one of Shakespeare's most popular works in a brand-new format. Look closely and you'll spot nods to famous lines, hidden symbols of love and fate, and all the little details that make this timeless tale so unforgettable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePART OF \u003cem\u003eTHE WORLD OF\u003c\/em\u003e JIGSAW PUZZLE SERIES\u003c\/strong\u003e which immerse puzzlers in the worlds of their favourite writers and works.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFEATURING AN ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATION\u003c\/strong\u003e packed with detail and a large poster with an introduction to the novel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1000-PIECE PUZZLE\u003c\/strong\u003e that measures 48.5 x 68 cm (19 x 27 in.) when completed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLAURENCE KING\u003c\/strong\u003e has been capturing imaginations and inspiring creativity in new and unexpected ways for over 30 years, with playful and eye-catching games, gifts, and books.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47734678257900,"sku":"9781399639781","price":44.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781399639781-the-world-of-romeo-and-juliet.jpg?v=1781223743"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/emma-smith.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}