Explores the scandalous and salacious side of literary history, tapping into the perennial interest in literary celebrity.

The literary world isn't all bestsellers, it is also a world of insults, physical blows, snide acknowledgements and publishing errors. Books are messy, personal things and writers have been grappling with them in the metaphorical mud for centuries.

Some writers have gone at each other in ink, while other bookish brawls are more literal. It usually ends in regret or death. But books don't need authors to go bad. They get stolen, misprinted, censored, some are even cursed or bound in questionable materials.

When Books Go Bad is a rousing collection of publishing mishaps, its narrative twists and turns taking a light-hearted look at poor editing, poor judgement, and a whole range of bad behaviour.

Details

ISBN13: 9780712355834
Format: Hardback
Number of Pages: 176
Edition:
Publication Date: 01 Feb 2026
Publisher: British Library Publishing
Publication City, Country: London, United Kingdom
Dimensions (cm): 20(H)x13(L)
Weight (gm):

Author Biography

Alex Johnson is the author of titles about art, music, shed, and books on books including for the British Library, A Book of Book Lists (2017), Edward Lear and the Pussycat: Famous Writers and Their Pets (2019), How to Give Your Child a Lifelong Love of Reading (2020), and The Book Lover's Almanac (2023).

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