Blackwell’s to be festival online bookseller

Bookshop will also run festival marquee

One of the UK’s oldest independent booksellers is to be the official online bookseller for the FT Weekend Oxford Literary Festival. Blackwell’s, whose flagship Oxford bookshop is one of the oldest continuously trading bookshops in the world, will add the online responsibilities to its long-held role as the official physical bookseller to the festival. David Prescott, managing director of Blackwell’s, said: 'Blackwell’s has enjoyed a long association with the Oxford Literary Festival and, over the years, our specialist appreciation for and understanding of books has resonated well with the thousands of people who attend the festival events. And as Blackwell's was the first transactional bookshop online in the UK when it opened its virtual doors in 1985, we look forward to imparting that same knowledge and passion online wherever those interested in the festival may be.' Blackwell’s has also taken on additional responsibilities for the 2014 festival, acting as the official box office as well as running the festival marquee, which acts as a central hub for visitors. 'The festival is a massively important part of our calendar as a bookseller,' said Prescott. 'It provides an important bridge between the start of the academic year, Christmas and the late Spring arrival of academic tourists and summer schools. Commercially it is very important to us as an independent bookseller. Several weeks of intensive work goes into the preparation for it and we are all gearing up for a great festival.' Established in 1879, this year Blackwell’s turns 135 years old. In addition to meeting the needs of its customers with knowledgeable, approachable staff and the authority of its range of books, Blackwell’s is actively engaged in rolling out a new digital strategy which will meet the demands of customers for many years to come. In August 2012, Barnes & Noble and Blackwell’s announced a partnership meaning that the 60 Blackwell’s bookshops around the country would sell the range of nook e-reading devices.

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The Oxford Literary Festival sponsors, donors & partners

The Telegraph Festival media partner University of Oxford Netflix European Union Supported by the Delegation of the European Union to the UK Cultural Relations Platform Supporter of the festival's Voices of Europe programme BBC World Service International radio partner Owen Mumford Supporter of programme of science and medicine and annual science and innovation award Bodleian Libraries Festival cultural partner Oxford Martin School Festival ideas partner Oxford Mathematics Spanish Embassy The Spanish Embassy: supporters of the programme of Spanish literature and culture Cervantes Institute, London The Cervantes Institute, London Italian Embassy The Italian Embassy: supporter of the programme of Italian literature and culture The Dorchester Hotels Collection Festival London hotel partner International Literary Properties Festival literary heritage partner Blackwell’s Festival on-site and online bookseller The Randolph Hotel by Graduate Hotels Festival hotel Old Bank Hotel Five-star hotel partners of The Oxford Collection Old Parsonage Hotel Five-star hotel partners of The Oxford Collection Jim Mellon John Roberts Lady Hatch Patron donor for the programme of Irish literature and culture Tim and Marion Stevenson Martin and Elise Becket Smith Miles Young Masumi and Jonathan Dobson Pank Koria CEO of Project People Carole and John Allen David Isaac Mary and Cecil Quillen Supporters of the programme of American literature and culture Anna Hunter Rhys and Kerry Phillip Exeter College Exeter College: college home of the festival. Founded 1314 New College New College founded 1379 Worcester College Worcester College founded 1714 Lincoln College Lincoln College founded 1427 St Cross College St Cross College founded 1965 Trinity College Trinity College founded 1555 Magdalen College Magdalen College founded 1458 Critchleys Accountants to the festival Pasture to Plate Compassion in World Farming Human Ecology Project MACROVegan Symington Wines of the Douro Valley Princeton University Press Prestige publishing partner. Celebrating 25 years in Europe in 2024 European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Sponsor of the EBRD Literature Prize since 2018 ROOMS Georgia's leading lifestyle hotel brand since 2012. Supporters of the programme of Georgian literature and culture Jewish Book Week Partner of Oxford Literary Festival Foodbuy Thje Menu Partners Institute of Hospitality Goldmoney Properties Project People Oxford Brookes University Oxford International Centre for Publishing Confucius Institute Pusey House British Academy Festival academic partner Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies Oxford United Football Club Racalia Olive Oil Olive oil from Sicily BBC Radio Oxford Local radio partner Bear Ram Elk Festival Digital Strategy & Web Design Paul Bloomfield Ltd University of Oxford Alumni Office Alumni Office Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies Conference Oxford Felicity Bryan Associates CAV Oxford The Sheldonian Theatre Oxford University Images Oxford University Images Oxford University Department for Continuing Education Oxford Georgian Translation Project Supporter of the programme of Georgian literature and culture Force4Good Consultancy Corporate communications OX magazine Ox in a Box K T Bruce Photography K T Bruce Photography The Litmus Partnership Schoolreaders Windrush Group James Currey Society