This is the kind of feedback we love - thank you ‏@HeightDeficient & @RachStirrup

A tweet from January which we missed (whoops, sorry!): "The local blackwells has a whole stand for whovian literature. Brilliant..."

And yesterday: "Was in @BlackwellMcr with my friend recently and we literally squealed--they have an entire section dedicated to 'Whovian Literature' :D"

The Whovian Literature display has now dematerialised, having been replaced by Winston Churchill, Florence Nightingale and other people in our Extraordinary Lives promotion.

But many of the books are still in stock. Maybe you could set off on an intergalactic adventure, er, among our shelves to find the books. Sigh. That analogy was rubbish. We wish our bookshop was a TARDIS.

Semiotext(e) offer now on

Semiotext(e) are a brilliant and provocative publisher, and we're delighted to be running an offer for them at the moment.

They are one of America’s most influential independent presses. Their works of cutting edge theory and avant-garde literature will make your mind boggle... and bring a smile to your face. We have a table of their work at £2-off.

Click through to the Blackwell's Pinterest board to see some of the books on offer. If you're in the shop, look for the poster (pictured) on the first floor.

Book launch haiku

Thank you to everyone who came along to last night's book launch for James Higgerson's The Almost Lizard, and to Legend Press for their invaluable help. As a, um, treat for our performers, we wrote them a haiku each. Here they are again with links to our performers' websites. With apologies to every poet ever.

Event haiku:

Words and words and words / and words and booze and words and / booze and booze and words. 

Chris Killen haiku:*

Simple summary: / award winning film maker / and pizza eater.
[more about Chris here]

Rodge Glass haiku:

Is that Ryan Giggs / in Rodge’s garden again / or is it a gnome?
[more about Rodge here] 

Sam Mills haiku:

Industry destroys. / Oh I think I’ve got the wrong / dark Satanic Mills.
[more about Sam here] 

James Higgerson haiku:

James Higgerson: / so wasteful of syllables / I might run out of
[more about James here] 

* By coincidence, Chris Killen also read a haiku or three and is, not surprisingly, much better at writing them than we are.

Blackwell's Manchester bookseller shortlisted for Bookseller Industry Award

Our very own Socrates Adams has been shortlisted for Young Bookseller of the Year in the Bookseller Industry Awards.

Socrates is an award-winning filmmaker, acclaimed novelist… and now a leading UK bookseller. He manages our Business Centre, which provides books direct to universities, the NHS and many other organisations.

His shortlisting for the Sue Butterworth Young Bookseller of the Year award, sponsored by HarperCollins, comes alongside two other successes for us. Marion Akehurst of our Wellcome Collection shop has the nod for Manager of the Year, while Blackwell's itself has been shortlisted in the National Bookseller category alongside the likes of Foyles and Eason's. See the full BIA shortlists here.

Our Dedicated Accounts Manager Sue Chapman works with Socrates and will be a voice familiar to many of our account customers. She said: "Socrates is prepared to tackle anything. He's popular with both staff and customers, and although he may sometimes have a dodgy taste in music, Socrates is a pleasure to work alongside!"

The winners will be announced on May 13.

What is the Folio Society?

The brand new Folio Literary Prize appears to want to better the Booker with its focus on less populist literature. We're intrigued. Let the battle of the prizes commence.

But who is its sponsor, the Folio Society?

They're a London publisher whose co-founder set up Pan books (of Pan Macmillan fame) and have comissioned pieces from the likes of Carol Ann Duffy, Quentin Blake and Rowan Williams. Members of the society receive books in return for their subscription.

Some of their special editions are fancy hardbacks. Very fancy. The four pictured here will set you back, in total, over £1,200. Of course, they have much cheaper books too - but their limited editions are worth a browse.

Bow down, mortals, to our @DCComics Absolute Editions! #newDCday

We now have a load of DC Comics Absolute Editions in.

Imagine Batman printed and bound as a beautiful slipcase hardback. (Batman the comic, not the real person who definitely actually existed.)

With extra scripts and notes, these are very lovely essential high-end purchases for devotees of Doctor Manhattan, V and Superman.

The moment our app idea was thoroughly rejected by Charlie Brooker

Charlie Brooker:

"Q: What problem do you have that you wish could be solved by an app? I'm going to create some apps. I say "create", I mean "imagine"."

Blackwell's Manchester to Charlie Brooker:
"An app where a virtual Charlie Brooker appears in our bookshop and breakdances furiously until someone buys your book."

Charlie Brooker to Blackwell's Manchester:
"Never going to happen."

Blackwell's Manchester:
Designs virtual Charlie anyway using packing tape, poster tubes, magazine cutouts and lazers.

See the apps that made it: Two apps that will transform your life.