ALICE + DALI

We've just stumbled upon this incredible set of illustrations from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland by none other than surrealist genius Salvador Dali. 

The limited run was offered to the Random House Book of the Month Club readers in 1969, and yes, the Mad Hatter's tea party includes a picture of a melted clock (4th picture down).

Check out this video below for a full flick through the prints; this is one book we'd definitely like to get our hands on.

THE REAL DA VINCI

The National Gallery's curator has recently admitted that their latest Leonardo da Vinci exhibition, which opens on Wednesday 9th November in London, was conceived in part to dispel author Dan Brown's mystical claims in his bestseller, The Da Vinci Code. 

In an attempt to counter the consequences of the book's misrepresentation of one of Western art's most influential artists, Luke Syson states "It was important for us to provide a sensible corrective to Brown's heretical Leonardo. It will be interesting to see whether our interpretation will trigger people's imaginations". (quote source: telegraph) Head here for more info on the exhibit. 

MOTHER, BROTHER, LOVER

Jarvis Cocker has a new book of lyrics out this week, entitled Mother, Brother, Lover. To celebrate its release, the Brit folk-pop-rocker made a little short film where he traces his steps back to where it all began: Cocker's secondary school in Sheffield, which he attended in the 1970s, and is coincidentally also where Pulp played their first gig. Ah, bless.

LIGHTNING PEOPLE

Christopher Bollen's debut novel, Lightning People, portrays a group of 30-somethings wandering around New York City in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.

With the help of filmmakers Jauretsi & Crystal, Bollen's assembled a stellar cast to voice the below extract, which gives a haunting insight into this ambitious book. Listen out for Kirsten Dunst, Rufus Wainwright, Chloe Sevigny, Nate Lowman, Leelee Sobieski & many others.

BOOK SWAP

The Guardian are launching their nationwide Book Swap event this weekend, by setting 15,000 titles free all over the country. Fiction, design, children's, science and many other genres of books donated by publishers and authors will be left at train stations, in parks, coffee shops, galleries and museums for unsuspecting members of the public to find.

A bookplate sticker will come free with The Guardian and The Observer this weekend (though you can also get one here). If you want to take part, simply stick it inside the front of a book, leave a message for the finder, and upload details of where you've left it here (or on Twitter, using the #guardianbookswap hashtag). Keep your eyes peeled!

GREEN PORNO

This is almost too surreal to be real. It's also been around for a couple of years, but we've somehow bypassed it, so we're hoping perhaps you have too?

Meet Green Porno, actress Isabella Rossellini's award-winning series of very short films about the reproductive habits of animals and insects. Scientifically accurate and thoroughly entertaining (in a WTF sort of way), we've selected a couple of films for your perusal. Here she is as a whale, and then a dolphin.

There many, many more like this and you can view them all on the Sundance channel. Green Porno is also available as a book from Harper Collins, which you can get here.

A VERY EXPENSIVE LITTLE BOOK

Carrying on with the old books theme, here's news of The British Library currently attempting to raise £9m to buy the oldest intact book in Europe.

The St Cuthbert Gospel (pictured above) is palm-sized, leather-bound & still in its original cover. It's believed to have been buried with Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne in 698, before he and his home were later reburied in what eventually became Durham Cathedral.

The British Library's chief executive, Lynne Brindley, tells the Telegraph: "This is a beautifully preserved window into a rich, sophisticated culture that flourished some four centuries before the Norman conquest." All the best of luck to them, but whichever way you look at it, that's a very expensive little book.

UNIFINISHED JANE AUSTEN NOVEL SELLS FOR £993K

Jane Austen's handwritten manuscript for The Watsons (pictured above), which experts believe was only a quarter completed, has been sold by Sotheby's to the Bodleian Library in Oxford for £993,000.

It is believe to have been started in 1804 but was abandoned after the death of her father the following year; one theory being that the storyline was too autobiographical & too close to home. 

The Watsons was written in a similar style to her other novels and follows the story of four sisters, the daughters of a widowed clergyman.

POTTERMORE: REVEALED

J.K. Rowling has just revealed her plans for her mysterious new Pottermore website, which appeared online last week & sparked a fury of rumours amongst fans of the Harry Potter franchise.

In short, the site is a free & collaborative space for fans to participate in online games, real life treasure hunts, share & communicate with each other, and of course access tons of new & previously unpublished material from the world of Potter. Here's a word from the lady herself:

POTTERMORE

Something is brewing in the world of Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling has sparked rumours that an 8th book could be on the way by launching a mysterious new website. Have a look HERE. Not much information as yet, but this YouTube page does indicate that an announcement is on its way. 

A Twitter account has also appeared, so far amassing over 31,000 followers with just 2 tweets. It's thought Rowling trademarked the name Pottermore back in '09, covering everything from printed books, toys, films, audio & more. To be continued...

THE TIGER'S WIFE

This year's prestigious Orange Prize for Fiction has been awarded to its youngest ever recipient, 25 year-old Tea Obreht. The Serbian-born author & her family fled the Balkans war in the 1990s, and eventually relocated in America, where Obreht wrote her debut novel, The Tiger's Wife. 

The book follows a young doctor called Natalia. As she visits an orphanage in a Balkan country devastated by conflict, she hears of her beloved grandfather's mysterious death. She sets off on a journey to uncover what he was doing during his last days. Congrats to Tea! Get the book here.