We are delighted to announce that Carleton Watkins: The Complete Mammoth Photographs from Getty Publications has been awarded the prize for Best Photography Book 2012 at the prestigious Kraszna-Kraus Book Awards.

More details have been announced by Photography Monthly, and can be found here.

In this comprehensive pictorial guide to fashion’s leading figures, New York-based German photographer Anna Bauer presents the Polaroids she took backstage in Paris, Milan, London, and New York from 2007 through 2011.

It is remarkable how natural the models, designers, critics, stylists and fashion photographers look in these pictures, where Bauer not only captures their surface, but also their souls.

£85.00 hb | 9783943287004 | ANGELIKA BOOKS

Vicki Bellion, author of the popular Bloom Creek Quilts, presents a delightful selection of English paper-piecing quilt patterns. Using gorgeous pieced elements as appliqué, quilters can open up a whole new world of exciting design options.

English Paper Piecing features twelve inspiring quilt patterns - from a small quilt suitable for framing to large wall hangings and bed quilts - all accompanied by easy-to-follow instructions.

£18.99 pb | 9781604680652 | MARTINGALE

For the first time, following meticulous research, the true site of Castle Dracula is revealed together with related information on Count Dracula’s mysterious parentage.

In The Ultimate Dracula, social scientist and photographer Hans Corneel de Roos presents the full and unabridged text of the 1897 original publication enhanced by a stunning full-colour photo-story. De Roos also addresses two major mysteries connected with Stoker’s novel:

Where exactly was Castle Dracula?
(Not in the Borgo Pass as commonly believed)

Who was the Vampire Count based on?
(No, not Vlad the Impaler!)

Since Bram Stoker first published his Dracula, its protagonist has become one of the most infamous fiction characters of all time – not least by virtue of the many stage and screen adaptations of the novel. Over the past four decades, a wealth of academic research has grown around the book, but despite the story’s detailed travel descriptions, no scholar has yet managed to pinpoint the exact location of Castle Dracula.

In many ways, Stoker presented his bloodthirsty aristocrat as the Anti-Christ, inverting religious ceremonies, e.g. when staging a “Baptism of Blood” with victim Mina Harker. Equally, and reminiscent of Arthurian legend, the location of the vampire’s stronghold has been impossible to pinpoint accurately. As Stoker’s characters approach the Castle, the route description gets vaguer, until all is lost in a whirl of snow. Until now, annotated editions of Dracula have reached a consensus that the Castle can only be reached by way of the Borgo Pass – and that Stoker had no precise location in mind beyond it being between Bistritz and the Bukovina.

By taking a fresh look at the novel’s text and with the aid of highly detailed military maps from Stoker’s era, De Roos has been able to reconstruct the exact routes of all the characters on their way to Castle Dracula and identify an area of just two square miles in which only two distinctive mountain tops 20 miles south-west of the Pass meet all the criteria set out in the original text. Moreover, by researching Stoker’s own handwritten notes, De Roos finally found the proof that Stoker had but one of these two peaks in mind when penning his compelling narrative.

Mount Izvorul Călimanului, 2,033 m high, located in the Transylvanian Kelemen Alps near the border with Romania, at 47°08′03″ North, 25°17′19″ East.

De Roos also explains why Stoker declined to reveal the Castle’s exact location in his book.

£24.99 pb | 9783943559002 | MOONLAKE EDITIONS

Herb Ritts traces the life and career of the iconic photographer through a compelling selection of both renowned and previously unpublished photographs, and two insightful essays.

Herb Ritts (1952-2002) was a Los Angeles-based photographer who established an international reputation for distinctive images of fashion models, nudes, and celebrity portraits. During the 1980s and 1990s, Ritts was sought out by leading fashion designers such as Armani, Ginafranco Ferrè, Donna Karen, Calvin Klein, Valentino, and Versace, as well as magazine editors from GQ, Rolling Ston, and Vanity Fair, among others, to lend glamour to their products and layouts.

Largely self-taught, Ritts developed his own style, one that often made use of the California light and landscape and helped to separate his work from his New York-based peers. From the late 1970s until his untimely death from AIDS in 2002, Ritts’ ability to create photographs that successfully bridged the gap between art and commerce was not only a testament to the power of his imagination and technical skill, but also marked the synergistic union between art, popular culture, and business that followed in the wake of the Pop Art movement of the 1960s and 1970s.

£34.95 hb | 9781606061008 | J. PAUL GETTY MUSEUM

Over the past 15 years, apocalyptic anticipation has leapt from its cultish roots firmly into the mainstream - research shows that up to 6 out of 10 American adults believe the events foretold in the Book of Revelation will come true.

But it’s not just the Christian Right that is becoming obsessed with the end of the world - secular readers hungry for catastrophe news have propelled books about peak oil, global warming, and the end of civilization into best seller lists across the globe.

The Last Myth combines history, current events, and psychological and cultural analysis to explore the origins of apocalyptic thinking, why apocalyptic belief is now surging into the mainstream, and what it can teach us about the very real global crises we are facing in the 21^st century

£21.99 pb | 9781607054276 | STASH BOOKS

Are scrap piles wreaking havoc in your sewing space?

Not sure what to do with all those tiny bits of gorgeous prints you hate to part with?

Modern quilters Amanda and Cheryl share a passion for scraps, they’re here to help you get creative and sew new life into every last little piece.

Sunday Morning Quilts features 16 bold and scrappy projects - including piecing, appliqué, and improvisational work - as well as expert hints and tips for adapting patterns to your own style, and effectively cutting, storing, and organising your scraps.

£21.99 pb | 9781607054276 | STASH BOOKS

Everyone has a story to tell. Whether it’s a drama, thriller, comedy, or horror, writing a screenplay is about finding your voice and telling your own unique story.

Packed with expert advice, this book will teach readers the fundamentals of writing a compelling screenplay that will pull the readers n. Whether you are a hopeful wordsmith or a seasoned screenwriter looking for a new approach, you will find sound advice within these pages.

Writing Screenplays also includes hints, tips, and information on how to discover your writing style, find a market and sell your screenplay, as well as samples and excerpts from successful screenplays.

£16.99 hb | 9781770401044 | SELF-COUNSEL PRESS

Discover the hottest new trend in fabric crafting – Zakka!

Zakka – a Japanese term meaning “many things” – is all about the little things that can be used to add a touch of style and personality to your home and appearance.

Zakka Style is packed with 24 delightful projects – including a one-of-a-kind picture frame, a stylish bread basket, a whimsical bookmark, a chic tote, and so much more – all of which can be made using basic sewing, patchwork, appliqué and embroidery techniques.

£14.99 pb | 9781607054160 |Stash Books

“Glorious days, captured for all to read in an impressive, finely crafted work of art. Not pulling any punches… it is in fact, brilliant!”

Blues & Soul (UK), Forthcoming

“Comprehensive biography. Brilliant! **** 4/5″

MOJO Magazine (UK), March 2012

£30.99 pb 9781604734019 UNIVERSITY PRESS OF MISSISSIPPI

CARLETON WATKINS
The Complete Mammoth Photographs

“The book [Carleton Watkins] is colossal… It is a joy to handle, to examine and to appraise”

“First and foremost, the book entitled Carleton Watkins the complete mammoth photographs is what it says. It is complete and it is a successful outcome from an undertaking that is massive in concept. But there is another aspect that inspires. In the years to come, the complete volume will serve as an example to the embryo researcher by demonstrating what can be done when you have the enthusiasm, and how to go about doing it when you have the backing. If I had to give an overall score, it would be 100%”

Dr R. M. Callender Photographica World 2012/2

£125.00 hb 9781606060056 J. PAUL GETTY MUSEUM

PROM

Young Lives, Big Night
By Kerri MacDonald

Mary Ellen Mark went to prom in 1958. She wore a white patterned dress with pearls and open-toed shoes. It was, she said, a less formal, less elaborate event than what many proms are today. No stretch limos. No ballgowns. Nearly half a century after her own prom night, she and her husband, the filmmaker Martin Bell, went to 13 proms across the United States from 2006 to 2009 for their project “Prom.”

Shot with the huge Polaroid 20×24 Land Camera on Polaroid Polapan 20×24 film, the photos are an honest, delightful portrayal of what is one of the most memorable moments of adolescence. “Prom” makes the high school ritual a unifying experience: the excitement of prom night - and the impending march into adulthood - transcends cultural, socioeconomic and social barriers.

New York Times | March 2012

£34.95 hb 9781606061084 J. PAUL GETTY MUSEUM