The poll is now closed and we can reveal that the novel that received most votes from our blog and Twitter followers was….The Company of Fellows by Dan Holloway
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this is that the book was not on the list of 15 to select from but was voted for time and time again on the ‘Other’ button.
With the impeccable timing of a world-class 800m runner The Company of Fellows overtook Charlotte Mendelson’s ‘Daughters of Jerusalem’ on the penultimate day of voting.
The result causes us a slight pause since the book is only available in ebook or Print on Demand, but this is a mere trifling concern – we will get copies and proudly display and sell from the front of shop.
Hearty congratulations then to Dan Holloway and his band of fantical supporters!
Filed under: Oxford, The Bookshop, Oxford Novel
[...] everyone who voted and made The Company of Fellows the Favourite Oxford Novel in the Blackwell’s Bookshop readers’ poll. And equally to Blackwell’s for not only running the poll but for graciously saying they [...]
Blimey. Thank you more than I can possibly say to everyone who voted. From the comments on the poll, on Facebook, and on twitter I have been quite flabbergasted. May has been a marvellous month for the book, with sales on UK Kindle that have landed it in the overall top 100 bestsellers not only in the Kindle chart but the whole Amazon fiction chart. All of which is rather humbling and boggling. I’ll be sort of launching the book at Stoke Newington Literary Festival this Saturday, but as an Oxonian and regular at spoken word events in Oxford I’m planning a full-on launch in Oxford over the summer. Thank you again, and thank you to Blackwell’s. I’ll pop in tomorrow or Friday to say hello!
Good for you Dan – look forward to catching up! I’m just creating the posters that we will use to promote the book. They’ll be with us some time next week. I know that you are (rightly) a big fan and supporter of the Albion Beatnik bookshop, but if you are looking for a venue for an Oxford launch / celebration…
I would absolutely love that! Speak very soon
I keep hearing the tune from the Christmas Coca Cola Advert in my head only the words are, “Holloway’s a-coming, Holloway’s a-coming… To a book shop near you!” Yay for the Indie Revolution!
It’s an interesting point – well to me at least – as to whether Blackwell’s is considered Indie or Chain. Whilst we have shops dotted over the country we are very much allowed to do our own thing in terms of stock selection and promotions. Perhaps we are best described as a Chain of Independents?
Thanks – got that tune in my head now
I’ve always thought of Blackwells as a chain with the soul of an independent – best of both worlds!
P.S. Dan is a star: a lovely, lovely chap, and not half bad as a writer either. Well done to him.
Elspeth – you have no idea how heartening that is to hear, thank you! On the ‘starriness’ of Dan I shall be bowled over, no doubt, soon enough
You should get a copy of Songs from the Other Side of the Wall by Dan Holloway. It also has an Oxford flavour although not entirely set there in the same way as The Company of Fellows. In my opinion Songs is one of the best books I’ve read. It is on Kindle for you to give it a quick appraisal, but Dan has it out in paperback as well I think – you might want to stock both for a while as I’m sure people who would like to buy one in paperback would like to have both. Certainly if we are going to drive all the way from Bridgend to buy The Company of Fellows in paperback it would be nice to get Songs at the same time – hint hint
I am so happy to see The Company of Fellows come top in this poll. It’s such a brilliant read and I hope this award and the publicity it brings help this excellent thriller reach many more readers as a result. Congratulations Dan!
This is great news! Dan’s a wonderful writer, and just a generally fabulous person.
Hi Euan, I’ll come in at 12/12.15 today iof that’s good with you.
)
Very best
Dan
Excellent – Company of Fellows will be on display in Blackwells! On-line success will be followed by High Street success!
A smashing chap, a brilliant writer, a great book. Many many well deserved congratulations Dan
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[...] me labelled a thriller writer but has nonetheless opened some fabulous doors, last month my book The Company of Fellows got voted “favourite Oxford novel” in a poll run by Blackwell’s, and as a result, I found myself on a panel called Rising [...]