1. The Bookmarket (fiction) in 19th century

books in 19th cent.

• growing literacy

• typical format: triple-decker

• prohibitive price of quality novels: 31s 6d

“Mudie’s select library” 1842

annual subscription 21s → influenced writers

19th cent. advances in printing

• steam power

• stereotype & rotary printing press

• paper-making

• distribution (growth of railway)

• “taxes on knowledge” abolished in 1853-61

cheaper publications

• serialisation

• cheap series

• Literary award: (man-)booker prize since 1969

• man booker prize 2025: flesh by David szalay

The Times (newspaper)

• since 1785

• more conservative & pro-empire

• daily since 1788

Illustrated London news (newspaper)

• family magazine rather than newspaper

• not focussed on political topics

• weekly from 1841-1971

Punch (newspaper)

• weekly from 1841-2002

• satire, political commentary, initially fairly radical

• shaped opinions of 19th cent. England

Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine (MAGA)

• monthly from 1817-1980

• essays on various topics, book reviews, poetry, fiction

“Broadsheets”

• high quality

• reporting news

• large format

• daily telegraph, the times, guardian, financial times

“Middle Market”

• between quality & tabloid → Black masthead

• daily mail, daily express

“Tabloids”/ “red tops”

• focus on gossip, sensationalist headlines

• red masthead, small size

• the sun, daily mirror, daily star

→ misconduct e.g. sued

“Sunday Papers”

• long-read/ in depth

• investigative reporting → often setting news agenda for week

• Sunday times, Sunday telegraph, the observer

British Broadcasting Corporation BBC

• under royal charter → neutrality

• started 1927

• monopoly on TV until 1954 television act

• first regular color-tv series in Europe

• funded by tv-licenses

British Music

• 3 British invasions in US charts

• 60s (beatles) (first invasion)

• 70s Punk (sex pistols)

• 80s electropop (depeche mode) (second invasion)

• 90s britpop (oasis)

• 2000s post-pop (radiohead)

• 2010s pop, soul, indie (Adele) (third invasion)