The Only Way to Save Our Bookstores is by Lying

A “subjective encyclopedia”, described by its creators as a “freak of publishing nature” designed to save a struggling Norwegian bookshop from closure, has proved a hit after a host of well-known names including Jarvis Cocker, George Saunders and Jonathan Lethem contributed entries.

In a welcome piece of good news, The Guardian has a story about a Norwegian bookshop that solved its financial problems by publishing a leather bound tome of lies. They hand picked authors and artists with a soft spot for bookstores and a playful style.

1,100 Copies of a two volume “Conversational Lexicon” were printed up and sold for a whopping $50,000. They come in three editions, ranging from 74 or 1000 bucks.