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Valerie Schafer Franklin

Valerie Schafer Franklin turned her husband's ideas into a business, listing their products on Etsy in 2009, when the couple grew the business into a full-time occupation. Together, they are the authors of Idiot's Guides: Leather Crafts. The couple quit their day jobs in 2011, and Walnut Studiolo hired its first employee in 2013. Walnut Studiolo products are available around the globe. Schafer Franklin and her husband have expanded from solutions for the bicycle lifestyle to interior design products for homes, beer and wine products, travel-size games, and even custom work orders. Everything is made by hand. For the connoisseur of design, for the lover of leather, and for the beautifully curated life, Walnut Studiolo products are guaranteed to please.
Leather Crafts

Books

Leather Crafts

Three Penguin Random House Authors Win Pulitzer Prizes

On Monday, May 5, three Penguin Random House authors were honored with a Pulitzer Prize. Established in 1917, the Pulitzer Prizes are the most prestigious awards in American letters. To date, PRH has 143 Pulitzer Prize winners, including William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Josh Steinbeck, Ron Chernow, Anne Applebaum, Colson Whitehead, and many more. Take a look at our 2025 Pulitzer Prize

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Books for LGBTQIA+ Pride Month

In June we celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual + (LGBTQIA+) Pride Month, which honors the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan. Pride Month is a time to both celebrate the accomplishments of those in the LGBTQ+ community and recognize the ongoing struggles faced by many across the world who wish to live

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