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Arrow is aiming to broaden the readership for P G Wodehouse with an ambitious reissue of the classic comic writer’s works later this year. Forty-two Wodehouse paperbacks will be published in 2008, with the first tranche of 18 titles coming in May and set to include Summer Lightning, The Mating Season, Joy in the Morning and Uncle Fred in the Springtime (all £7.99).
Traditionally, most Wodehouse fans are men, but the new cover look is angled towards bringing in women readers too, Arrow said. "It's a softer, more feminine look, created by a fantastic Korean artist," said art director Richard Ogle.
Promotional plans will also target younger readers, with a launch event in May taking the form of a Wodehouse Picnic, with races, competitions, music and afternoon tea served by characters such as Jeeves and Lord Emsworth. "It will be a family treat, because you can start reading Wodehouse at 10," said publishing director Kate Elton.
A more youthful readership will also be targeted through a dedicated website, www.wodehouse.co.uk, which will carry extracts, etiquette tips, Jeeves' cocktail recipes, competitions and offers, with content also tailored to social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace.
A sustained programme of online advertising and PR on student and broadsheet newspaper sites will drive traffic to the website. Advertising, promotion with The Wodehouse Society, early reading copies and point-of-sale material will also be part of the campaign.
Wodehouse was previously published in paperback by Penguin, but Random House swooped on his rights in late 2006. Hutchinson publishes him in trade paperback and Everyman produces hardback editions.