Bookshelf

Training

Grammar/Punctuation/Spelling

Style/ Usage

Dictionaries

Journalism

Law

Current Affairs

Autobiographies/Biographies/Memoirs

The above is a list of books which are of use or interest to journalists. It has been compiled largely from the books in the collection that I have amassed over 35 years in the business and includes those which I have found most useful or enjoyed most. To these, I have added all of the titles currently on the recommended reading list of the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) which will be of particular use to those setting out on their careers as journalists or seeking to polish up their skills in subjetcs such as reporting, media law and shorthand.

The comments on some of the titles are mine, as are the views expressed, which do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Institute, its officials or officers. Every effort has been taken to ensure that all the informagtion is accurate as of May 2008, and I accept all the blame for errors or omissions. If there are any, please let me know and they will be corrected as soon as possible.

With one exception, all books listed were available through Amazon at the time of writing. Many are available in different versions, hardback or paperback, from different publishers, and in different editions, some very recent, others much older. The exception is the Editor's Codebook, the official guide to the Editor's Code of Practice, which can be bought from the NCTJ.

The list is very much a work in progress and I will be adding more titles over the coming weeks and months. I would also welcome your recommendations for books to be added to the list: please e-mail your ideas, or comments, to charlieharris@cioj.co.uk. I would especially like to hear from CIoJ members who have books in print so that a separate list of these may be compiled.

Charlie Harris, Past President

CHARLIE HARRIS is a former editor of the Harrow Times Series and a former chairman of the NCTJ. He lectures on journalism, sub-editing, and local and national government on NCTJ courses at Brunel University in Uxbridge and noSWeat Journalism Training in Clerkenwell, London. He is a member of the CIoJ council.