Making Mars Speak Latin

If you’ve picked up your copy of Telling Tales in Latin by Lorna Robinson (quick – the ebook’s still only £1.19 until the end of the month!) then you’ll be well equipped to take on the final frontier.

Dr Lorna Robinson, author of Telling Tales in Latin has been working with NASA on their ‘Making Mars Speak Latin’ project. A group of 18 volunteers from across the UK has been working together to translate into Latin captions for photographs taken by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

The project is now live, with Latin-captioned images being shared on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook. Read the BBC’s article about the project here.

Dr Lorna Robinson spoke to the BBC about the challenges of the Latin translation, saying:

“There has been debate over whether to keep the Latin more simple or make it as close to classical Latin as possible. We reached a compromise – wanted to keep it clear and accessible to outsiders without being wrong.”

Take a look at one of the striking images that has been captioned in Latin, and explore the HiRISE Tumblr site:

http://beautifulmars-latin.tumblr.com/image/59683220460

WIN one of three copies of Martin Luther King Jr’s ‘Stride Toward Freedom’

On this day in 1963 Martin Luther King Jr delivered his historic ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, the culmination of the American Civil Rights movement that transformed a nation:

I say to you today, my friends, though, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

Martin Luther King Jr’s involvement in the American Civil Rights movement is documented in his own words, sharing his own stories and experiences, in his book Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s most famous speech, we are giving away three copies of Stride Toward Freedom.

To be in with a chance of winning, simply fill in the form below, telling us when it was that Martin Luther King Jr delivered his famous speech*. Competition closes at 9am (UK time) on 2nd September 2013.

*Winners will be picked at random. One entry per person.

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‘I Have a Dream’ – 50 years on

Tomorrow, 28th August, marks 50 years since Martin Luther King Jr delivered his iconic ‘I Have a Dream’ speech in Washington DC in 1963.

A defining moment in the American Civil Rights movement, the fiftieth anniversary of this speech is being celebrated in the national and international media. BBC Radio 4 will mark the anniversary with a broadcast of the ‘I Have a Dream’ speech with a recital by Martin Luther King Jr and notable figures, including the Dalai Lama, Doreen Lawrence, US Congressman John Lewis and Nobel laureate John Hume.

TIME magazine’s current issue is a special commemorative issue, with nearly 80 pages dedicated to celebrating the speech and its continuing impact today. Maya Angelou and Malala Yousafzai are among those who have contributed to TIME’s article, ‘What King’s Words Mean To Me’.

The Observer was one of the earliest media outlets to pick up the story here in the UK, running a special commemorative supplement on 11th August.

And here at Souvenir, we publish Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story, which is Martin Luther King, Jr’s account in his own words of the origins of the American Civil Rights movement which culminated in his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech in 1963. Detailing King’s own experiences and stories, Stride Toward Freedom documents the beginning of a national Civil Rights movement based on King’s principles, and cemented King’s position at the head of this movement.

This most important book, telling King’s story and detailing the origins of the American Civil Rights movement in his own words, is available in paperback and ebook.

Why not celebrate 50 years of ‘I Have a Dream’ with Stride Toward Freedom and Souvenir Press?

“It’s still shocking to read this account, detailing the overt racism of the time… King, of course, was one of the finest orators of the 20^th century, but passion pours from his pen, too.” – ‘The Crack’

“Telling the inspiring story of the Civil Rights movement… A very important and moving book which tells the story of the movement that transported and changed not only America but globally.” – ‘Black History Live’

Related blog posts:
Black History Month (part 1)
Black History Month (part 2)
Happy Birthday to Martin Luther King Jr

August news from Souvenir Press

Our August newsletter went out to all our e-newsletter subscribers yesterday, but if you’ve not signed up yet, fear not! You can now view our August newsletter online. Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, find out about an exciting summer e-book offer, and discover the latest news from some of our authors.

You can also read the back issues of the Souvenir Press newsletter here.

Want to sign up so you get the newsletter straight to your inbox next month? No problem – you can sign up here.

Enjoy!

 

Elaine Morgan obituary

After more than sixty years of independent publishing it is inevitable that from time to time we have to say goodbye to authors with whom we have worked for many years.

Thus it was with much sadness that we learned of the death of Elaine Morgan last month at the age of 92.

We immediately had a bestseller on both sides of the Atlantic when we published her first book The Descent of Woman in 1972, which went on to be published in 11 countries. A pioneering work, it was the first  to argue for the equal role of women in human evolution. It became a rallying-point for feminism, changing the terminology of anthropologists forever. Starting with her demolition of the Biblical myth that woman was an afterthought to the creation of man, Elaine Morgan rewrote human history and evolution.

“The Descent of Woman, one of the key feminist texts” – The Guardian

Elaine Morgan remained a Souvenir Press author for 40 years, focusing on her Aquatic Ape campaign, concluding with The Aquatic Ape Hypothesis. Her later books developed the scientific theories of The Descent of Woman, making her the leading advocate of the aquatic ape theory of human evolution. Originally dismissed by scientists, it has gained increasing respectability in scientific circles, with Sir David Attenborough in recent weeks being the latest name to endorse the aquatic ape hypothesis.

“She is more scientific than Genesis, more up to date than Darwin, more fun than Ardrey, and she writes better than Desmond Morris.” – Sunday Telegraph on ‘The Descent of Woman’

Elaine Morgan was one of the best Welsh writers of recent times. She was appointed OBE in 2009 for services to literature and to education, and was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature the same year. Earlier this year she was granted the freedom of Rhondda Cynon Taf, her home county in Wales.

A lovely person, a remarkable woman. For more, visit Elaine Morgan’s website.

R.I.P. Elaine Morgan, 1920-2013.

Most Haunted…?

Chateau d’Hérouville*, once favoured by the biggest British recording artists including Elton John (the French chateau inspired the name of his ‘Honky Chateau’ album), The Rolling Stones, Cat Stevens, Fleetwood Mac and David Bowie, has been put up for sale this month. But it wasn’t just the musical great and good that frequented this French chateau.

According to David Bowie, the Chateau d’Hérouville was haunted, and by none other than the ghost of Frédéric Chopin, who is said to have lived at Hérouville with his mistress. Bowie even refused to sleep in the master bedroom, due to the strange energy of the Chateau.

But why cross the Channel for a spot of ghost-hunting, when here in Britain we have such a wealth of spooky places for you to explore! Where the Ghosts Walk by Peter Underwood is the culmination of a lifetime’s work from the UK’s leading authority on the paranormal. The book is a thorough guide to places across Britain where ghosts have been seen outside – that is, public places, not buildings or private houses, or French chateaux.

If you’re after famous names, you can discover the ghost of Anne Boleyn in the grounds of Hever Castle in Kent and Napoleon at Lulworth Cove. You can also find screaming figures in Norfolk at Castle Rising, Kings Lynn, and at the Shrieking Pits in Aylmerton… and if you’re lucky you might even find a ghost train in Dunphail, Scotland.

So instead of heading to France, take a ghostly tour of the British Isles under the expert guidance of Peter Underwood.

*You can read more about the Chateau d’Hérouville on the Guardian website.

Friday Freebie!

Well, we told you it was on the way, and now it’s here.

Lorna Robinson has written a teacher’s guide to accompany her new book Telling Tales in Latin, which is now available for you to download for free! The guide contains lesson ideas and activities, translations of all Latin text, running OCR Entry Level Latin vocabulary for each chapter as well as practice sheets which are based on OCR Entry Level requirements.

All through August Telling Tales in Latin is available for the bargain price of £1.19 on Kindle, so why not take advantage of the offer and pick it up, along with a copy of the Teacher’s Guide for free to go with it?

To find out more about Telling Tales in Latin, visit the Souvenir Press website. To download a copy of the Teacher’s Guide, take a look at the Iris Project website.

Recent news for Telling Tales in Latin

The Iris Project awarded the EU Language Label 2013

“This project provides an opportunity for young children to be introduced to Latin, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds and who may not have the opportunity to find out about Latin at any other time of their school career.  The teaching I saw was excellent, based on an exciting programme designed by the Iris project.  In my long career (primary) I have not seen children identifying, analysing and discussing grammar at such a high level as I saw at St. Saviours.”

Stephen Addis review in full

“Congratulations to Lorna Robinson who has produced a real masterpiece, which brings the subject to life.”

Souvenir Press latest reviews

It is always wonderful to hear what readers think of our books, and there’s nothing we love more than being able to pass on some glowing reviews to our authors. So if you’ve written a review of any Souvenir Press book and want to share it with us, send it to us on Facebook, tweet us, or email me via our contact page and we’ll share it here on our blog. Or if you hear about one of our forthcoming titles and would like to review it on publication, get in touch too!

For now, though, take a look at what people have been saying about some great Souvenir Press titles around the web:

Welcome to Biscuit Land by Jessica Thom

“Welcome to Biscuitland left me feeling both grateful and protective all at once: grateful for brave women like Thom who aren’t afraid to fearlessly write about their experiences with severe T.S., but also protective of parents who are new to the confusing syndrome of this disorder… I adored this book – not just for Thom’s honesty, but for her humor.” – Happily Ticked Off blog

“Special Needs Book Review has an amazing book to recommend, Welcome to Biscuit Land by Jessica Thom… The witty but stirring memoir… will educate readers who know nothing about Tourette syndrome and will empower and encourage those with the condition.” – Special Needs Book Review

Where the Ghosts Walk by Peter Underwood

“Where the Ghosts Walk: The Gazetteer of Haunted Britain is testament to the amount of work carried out by Peter Underwood, one of the world’s longest serving paranormal researchers… This is the book that anyone with an interest in ghosts need to read.” – Hayley Is a Ghost blog

“In his ongoing search for the truth about ghosts… Peter Underwood has put together the ultimate book on where to go… The definitive handbook for the amateur ghost hunter.” – Drumbeat

“His definitive guide to the haunted places of Britain.” – Western Daily Press

HypnoBirthing by Marie Mongan

“Marie Mongan is one of the leading voices in the HypnoBirthing movement… HypnoBirthing offers an alternate perspective that may encourage you to look at childbirth with new eyes.” – Another Goldfish blog

Think Like a Maths Genius by Michael Shermer and Arthur Benjamin

“By the end of the first chapter I was doing additions and subtractions with three and four digit numbers with little effort. After you’ve read this book, you’ll wonder why their technique of doing sums isn’t taught at school… Keep adding up the reasons for buying this book. It’s an easy sum.” – SFcrowsnest

E-book offer: Telling Tales in Latin

As part of the Amazon Kindle Summer deals, Telling Tales in Latin by Lorna Robinson will be available for the bargain price of £1.19 throughout August.

An exciting new Latin course and storybook for children, it brings Latin to life with its captivating stories taken from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, and narrated by Ovid himself, combined with the lively, fun illustrations by Soham De.

What have the reviews been saying so far?

“Really inviting and engaging, with clear explanations and beautiful and fun illustrations by Soham De… an inviting, absorbing, and embracing learning experience. Young students new to the language will enjoy themselves, and love their learning, both of Latin and classical mythology, and be inspired to learn more. It’s a beautiful beginners’ book, the like of which most of us never had in the past, and I look forward to its success and the love that its students will have for it in years to come.” – The Classics Library

“This would be an excellent choice of text to teach children aged 9 and upwards the rudiments of Latin, and as the book has all the vocabulary needed for the OCR exam, it is a very versatile text indeed.” – The Garden Window blog

“‘Telling Tales in Latin’ will delight all who read it… This little book focuses excellently on the importance of literacy and language and makes it a superb and stimulating introduction to learning Latin… It is one of the best Latin course books currently available and will undoubtedly prove to be a great success, particularly with younger children. Congratulations to Lorna Robinson who has produced a real masterpiece, which brings the subject to life.” – Stephen Addis

And as if that wasn’t exciting enough, Lorna Robinson is in the process of putting together a Teacher’s Guide to Telling Tales in Latin, which will be available for free through the Iris Project website. We’ll be letting you know when the Teacher’s Guide is available, so if you’re interested keep checking back here!