• The Hub

    News, Notes, Talk

    Hilary Mantel celebrates Father’s Day early by naming her new collection Mantel Pieces.

    Jessie Gaynor
    By 
    June 12, 2020, 10:09am

    I am all for more silliness in literature, so I was absolutely delighted by the announcement that Hilary Mantel’s forthcoming collection of essays, book reviews, and memoir, which will be published in early October by 4th Estate Books and the London Review of Books, has the absolutely legendary title Mantel Pieces.

    With a few notable exceptions (Richard Ford’s Let Me Be Frank With You: A Frank Bascombe Book, Christopher Hitchens’ Hitch-22), delightfully groan-worthy puns in books titles are usually the provenance of celebrity memoir (looking at you, sTORI Telling) rather than Books by Serious Writers, and I’m delighted that Mantel is doing her part to change that.

    And, with apologies to both Ford and the late Hitchens, Mantel Pieces is the far superior pun.

    Hilary Mantel puns

    • Become a Lit Hub Supporting Member: Because Books Matter

    For the past decade, Literary Hub has brought you the best of the book world for free—no paywall. But our future relies on you. In return for a donation, you’ll get an ad-free reading experience, exclusive editors’ picks, book giveaways, and our coveted Joan Didion Lit Hub tote bag. Most importantly, you’ll keep independent book coverage alive and thriving on the internet.

    Become a member for as low as $5/month

    Dismiss without supporting Lit Hub
    x