Judging panel announced for Man Booker Prize 2009

The judging panel for the 2009 Man Booker Prize for Fiction has been announced. The line-up consists of Lucasta Miller, biographer and critic; Michael Prodger, Literary Editor of The Sunday Telegraph; John Mullan, academic, journalist and broadcaster and Sue Perkins, comedian and broadcaster. James Naughtie, one of the country's best-known broadcasters, was announced as Chair of the Judges in November. Ion Trewin, Literary Director of the Man Booker Prize for Fiction, describes the 2009 Judging panel as 'A team of all the talents, wide-ranging in their specialist knowledge, but united in their passion for fiction.'

2008 Guardian first book award winner announced

"An intricate, kaleidoscopic, all-embracing history of 20th-century music from Mahler to La Monte Young is the winner of this year's Guardian first book award. Alex Ross's The Rest Is Noise was the clear and undisputed winner of the £10,000 prize, which has been presented at a ceremony in central London"

Author angry as Christian group forces reading to be scrapped

"A poetry reading at a Cardiff, Wales, bookshop was abruptly cancelled last night after a religious pressure group vowed to disrupt the event if it went ahead. Patrick Jones, brother of Manic Street Preachers' bassist Nicky Wire, was due to give a reading of his new poetry book, Darkness is Where The Stars Are, at Waterstones on the Hayes at 7pm last night. But shortly before he was due to speak, he received an e-mail from the firm which read: 'Please be advised that to avoid potential disruption to our store, tonight's planned event at Waterstones in Cardiff is cancelled.' Mr Jones, 43, from Blackwood, said he was later told over the phone that Waterstones had received 'hundreds of complaints' from people opposed to the poems' subject matter. The Echo has discovered the group behind the protest was Christian Voice, which waged war against the BBC after it screened a production of Jerry Springer - The Opera. 'I'm a bit shaken and shocked,' said Mr Jones, who is credited as being one of the earliest influences on the Manic Street Preachers - Wales Online
Technorati Tag: Books

The Roald Dahl Funny Prize winners

The winner of the Funniest Book for Children Aged Six and Under was The Witch's Children Go to School by Ursula Jones, illus. Russell Ayto (Orchard Books). The winner of the Funniest Book for Children Aged Seven to Fourteen was Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear by Andy Stanton, illus. David Tazzyman (Egmont Press). The panel of five judges was chaired by Michael Rosen; the other judges were Sophie Dahl, Dara O'Briain, Chris Riddell and Kaye Umansky
Technorati Tag: Books

European Booksellers Federation statement on the Association of American Publishers, Authors' Guild, Google settlement agreement

The European Booksellers Federation is the latest trade body to criticise Google's provisional deal with US publishers to allow users to browse and buy millions of books online

Wellcome Trust Book Prize

The Wellcome Trust Book Prize is open to outstanding works of fiction and non-fiction on the theme of health, illness or medicine. The GBP25,000 annual award, created by the Wellcome Trust, is the first of its kind to bring together the traditionally diverse fields of medicine and literature
Technorati Tag: Books

Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2008 winner

Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2008 winner is Aravind Adiga for The White Tiger

An Evening with Colin Dexter

Colin Dexter, the man behind the phenomenally successful series of Inspector Morse novels, presents From Books to Box, an entertaining one-man show in which he explains the trials and tribulations involved in transforming full-length novels into 90-minute screen dramas, many of which starred the much-loved Manchester actor John Thaw. Sunday, 16th November at 7.30pm in Manchester, UK
Technorati Tag: Books

Bloomsbury Academic

Bloomsbury Academic is a radically new scholarly imprint launched in September 2008. Bloomsbury Academic will begin publishing monographs in the areas of Humanities and Social Sciences. While respecting the traditional disciplines we will seek to build innovative lists on a thematic basis, on issues of particular relevance to the world today. Publications will be available on the Web free of charge and will carry Creative Commons licences. Simultaneously physical books will be produced and sold around the world
Technorati Tag: Books

2008 Man Booker Prize for Fiction longlist announced

The judges for the 2008 Man Booker Prize for Fiction have announced the longlist for this year's prize. The longlist of 13 books, often referred to as the 'Man Booker Dozen', was chosen from 112 entries; 103 were submitted for the prize and nine were called in by the judges.

The titles are:

Aravind Adiga: The White Tiger
Gaynor Arnold: Girl in a Blue Dress
Sebastian Barry: The Secret Scripture
John Berger: From A to X
Michelle de Kretser: The Lost Dog
Amitav Ghosh: Sea of Poppies
Linda Grant: The Clothes on Their Backs
Mohammed Hanif: A Case of Exploding Mangoes
Philip Hensher: The Northern Clemency
Joseph O'Neill: Netherland
Salman Rushdie: The Enchantress of Florence
Tom Rob Smith: Child 44
Steve Toltz: A Fraction of the Whole

Technorati Tag: Books

The Costa Book Club

"The Costa Book Club features a monthly book review from a range of top literary personalities including former Costa Book Awards judges and shortlisted and winning authors, of their favourite book or a book they have recently read and enjoyed"
Technorati Tag: Books

Luke Bitmead Writer's Bursary 2008 winner announced

Unpublished author Andrew Blackman, from North London, has been announced as the winner of the 2008 Luke Bitmead Writer's Bursary and was awarded GBP2,500 as well as a publishing contract with Legend Press for his novel On the Holloway Road
Technorati Tag: Books

Branford Boase Award 2008

Before I Die by Jenny Downham, edited by David Fickling and published by David Fickling Books, has won the 2008 Branford Boase Award, awarded for an outstanding debut novel for children. Managing to be both heart breaking and life-affirming, it is the story of a girl trying desperately to fit a life time of experiences into the few weeks left before she dies
Technorati Tag: Books

Warwick Prize for Writing

The University of Warwick is launching a GBP50,000 prize to identify excellence and innovation in new writing.
 The Warwick Prize for Writing will be awarded biennially for a piece of 
writing in the English language. Genres and form can range from the traditional book to blogs, graphic novels or scientific theses. Organisers aim to make it an international award, with a different theme every year
Technorati Tag: Books

Frances Fyfield wins the Duncan Lawrie Dagger

The winner of the Duncan Lawrie Dagger is Frances Fyfield for her novel Blood From Stone, published by Sphere (Little, Brown)
Technorati Tag: Books

Wales Book of the Year 2008

Dannie Abse has won the Wales Book of the Year 2008 for his book The Presence published by Hutchinson
Technorati Tag: Books

Highland Children's Book Awards 2008 winners

The winners of the Highland Children's Book Awards 2008 have been announced
Technorati Tag: Books

2008 Edinburgh International Book Festival

Edinburgh International Book Festival - 9-25 August 2008 - Edinburgh, Scotland
Technorati Tag: Books

Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award 2008 shortlist

The shortlist for the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award 2008 has been announced
Technorati Tag: Books

2008 BBC National Short Story Award shortlist

The shortlist for the 2008 BBC National Short Story Award has been announced
Technorati Tag: Books

The Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Children’s Book Award

Frances Lincoln Limited and Seven Stories have announced that they have created an award in memory of Frances Lincoln (1945-2001): The Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Children's Book Award for a manuscript that celebrates cultural diversity in the widest possible sense, either in terms of its story or in terms of the ethnic and cultural origins of its author
Technorati Tag: Books

green4books launches

"The BA/PA Environmental Action Group, chaired by Helen Fraser of Penguin and made up of members of the publishing and bookselling industry, has launched www.green4books.org.uk, a new website designed to advise the book industry on environmental matters. The group calls on the publishing and bookselling industry to reduce its overall carbon emissions by at least 10% during the period covering January 2006 to December 2015. The website contains a wealth of useful advice on how every PA/BA member might achieve this target and more"
Technorati Tag: Books

Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage Embraces the Digital Age

"The renowned Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage takes a leap into the digital world by making its 2008 edition available online as an electronic book. The free preview allows for unlimited searching; the search results are available in a 'snippet' format. To search, browse and read the book in full requires a subscription. This can be made online and access is immediate. This is the first time that a Debrett's publication has been made available in a digital format and will allow web users to readily browse and research details of those in Britain's aristocracy"
Technorati Tag: Books

Crime writer inspires Britain's first sponsored police car

"Brighton & Hove (UK) police receive a five-door saloon as a 'thank you' from bestselling local writer Peter James" - The Guardian
Technorati Tag: Books

2008 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award winner

The winner of the 2008 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award has been awarded to Rawi Hage for De Niro's Game
Technorati Tag: Books

The Guild of Food Writers Awards 2008 winners

The winners of the 2008 Guild of Food Writers Awards have been announced
Technorati Tag: Books

Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award 2008 longlist

The longlist for the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award 2008 has been announced
Technorati Tag: Books

2008 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Children's Book Awards winners

The winners of the 2008 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Children's Book Awards have been announced
Technorati Tag: Books

Desmond Elliott Prize winner

Nikita Lalwani has won the inaugural Desmond Elliott Prize for her novel Gifted, a story about a maths prodigy growing up in 1980s Cardiff, Wales
Technorati Tag: Books

Faber Finds

"Faber Finds is an ever-growing list that aims to make available once more a wealth of forgotten or overlooked classics. Fiction, poetry, memoir, history, criticism and children's books - quality writing by authors of distinction, printed only on demand"
Technorati Tag: Books

Five Dials from Hamish Hamilton

"Hamish Hamilton is a London publisher specialising in contemporary writing from both sides of the Atlantic. You can learn what's new, meet our authors, browse our titles, and download our new magazine, Five Dials"
Technorati Tag: Books

Emerald Bookstore

"Emerald Group Publishing Limited has launched Emerald Bookstore, which allows visitors to browse through over 2,000 books by subject area and to order securely online"
Technorati Tag: Books

Reed Elsevier completes sale of defence exhibitions

"Reed Elsevier has announced the sale of the DSEi, ITEC and LAAD defence exhibitions to Clarion Events Limited. The sale is effective immediately. The sale of these three exhibitions to Clarion Events completes Reed Exhibitions' withdrawal from the defence exhibitions sector announced in 2007"
Technorati Tag: Books

The Digitalist from Pan Macmillan

"The Digitalist was originally conceived as an internal sounding board, discussion forum and blog for the publisher Pan Macmillan to start thinking about a range of digital issues it faced. It still is. Only now it's open for everyone to join the debate about books, publishing, the web, and the future"
Technorati Tag: Books

London Lit Plus 2008

"London Lit Plus (LL+) is an open festival, which means anyone can participate, and anyone can hold an event. All you have to do to be included is to submit your event, and we’ll add it to the list on this website. We want to showcase all the wonderful literary goings-on in London that we can in a two-week period. The only conditions for entry are that it must be literary, it must be within the M25, and it must be taking place between 5 and 19 July 2008. We'd particularly like independent publishers and booksellers and schools to get involved, but everyone is invited"
Technorati Tag: Books

2008 Red House Children's Book Award winners

The winners of the 2008 Red House Children's Book Award have been announced
Technorati Tag: Books

Borders UK launches beta site

Borders UK & Ireland has launched the beta version of its new transactional website. The retailer announced last year that it would launch its own website, ending its ties with Amazon, and users are now able to register to browse the new site
Technorati Tag: Books

authonomy

authonomy is a new community for writers, readers and publishers from HarperCollins
Technorati Tag: Books

CrimeFest 2008

"Following the success of the one-off visit to Bristol in 2006 of the American Left Coast Crime convention, the organisers are putting on a new biennial international event called CrimeFest. CrimeFest will follow the format of US conventions, featuring interviews, panels, a Gala Dinner, and possibly one or two surprises. Our 2008 Featured Guest Authors are Karin Fossum and Ian Rankin" - 5-8 June 2008 - Bristol, UK
Technorati Tag: Books

Independent Foreign Fiction Prize winner announced

This year's Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, the UK's leading award for contemporary literature in translation, has been won by the Belgian-born scientist and novelist Paul Verhaeghen for his novel Omega Minor. The author, a cognitive psychologist who has worked in the US since 1997 and now teaches in Georgia, translated his epic of Nazi-era Berlin, atomic research and the long aftermath of the Third Reich into English from the Dutch original. So he stood to collect the entire prize money of GBP10,000, which is usually divided between author and translator
Technorati Tag: Books

2008 Kim Scott Walwyn Prize winner announced

The 2008 Kim Scott Walwyn Prize has been awarded to Clare Alexander. The prize commemorates the life and career of Kim Scott Walwyn, who was a Publishing Director at Oxford University Press
Technorati Tag: Books

Foyle bids for Charing Cross Road neighbour

Foyles could tighten its grip on London's Charing Cross Road after the independent bookseller's chairman Christopher Foyle bought the building next door. Foyle's investment company Noved acquired the site of 111 Charing Cross Road for an undisclosed sum. 107–111 Charing Cross Road, approximately 115,000 sq ft, is currently the home of Central St Martins School of Art. The school will move to a new site in 2011, and Foyle said Noved was also bidding for 107 and 109. - From The Bookseller
Technorati Tag: Books

Children's 'Booker' mooted

Children's publishers are investigating the creation of a "children's Booker" award to replace the Nestlé Children's Book Prize, which ceased in January when Nestlé's sponsorship ended. A working party has been set up by the Publishers Association's Children's Book Group to investigate how best to establish "a really wonderful, high-profile children's book award", according to Puffin m.d. Francesca Dow - From The Bookseller
Technorati Tag: Books

Tesco sets GBP200m book sale target

Tesco has unveiled ambitious plans to almost double its book sales in three years to GBP200m, and is also moving to challenge Amazon online. "We are looking to match or better Amazon.co.uk on our key 5,000 lines by summer 2008," said buying manager for books Gaynor Allen. "If we had the same market share on Tesco.com as we did instore, we would have sold GBP26m worth of books last year instead of GBP3.5m. The current model doesn't deliver to its full potential." - From The Bookseller
Technorati Tag: Books

Sebastian Faulks and the Writer's Table

"The Writer's Table is a major promotion at the forefront of The Writer's Year, Waterstone's calendar of monthly initiatives and activities designed to highlight the role of the author. Sebastian Faulks, whose highly anticipated James Bond novel Devil May Care is published at the end of May, has been given an entirely free rein in choosing every single title in the promotion - any book, any author, any subject, so long as the titles were in print in the UK. Faulks has also written about why he chose each book in his selection"
Technorati Tag: Books

The Orwell Prize 2008 winners announced

The winners of the 2008 Orwell Prize have been announced
Technorati Tag: Books

2008 Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize wiiner announced

The Royal Society of Literature has announced that the winner of the 2008 Ondaatje Prize is Graham Robb for his book The Discovery of France (Picador)
Technorati Tag: Books

The Guardian Hay Festival 2008

The Guardian Hay Festival 2008 - a celebration of great writing in every medium in Britain and around the world - 22 May to 1 June - Hay-on-Wye, Wales
Technorati Tag: Books

Hachette Books Scotland

Hachette Livre UK has announced the formation of Hachette Books Scotland, a new imprint which will publish a small list of Scottish-originated fiction and non-fiction. Hachette Books Scotland will publish a list of 10–12 high-quality commercial titles a year, focusing on new talent and established names. The list will specialise in sport, cookery/lifestyle, autobiography/memoir, humour, history, and in genre, reading group and literary fiction
Technorati Tag: Books

Authors plan library visits

Top writers will visit libraries across the country for the Reader Meets Writer programme from Reading Partners, to be launched at the London Book Fair. The countrywide initiative for the National Year of Reading will feature library events from authors including Hanif Kureishi in Leicester, Jodi Picoult in Nottingham, Adèle Parks in Birmingham, Jojo Moyes in the Wirral and Iain Banks in Gateshead. Penelope Lively, Kate Mosse, Joanne Harris, Mike Gayle and Alexander McCall Smith are among other authors taking part in a total of 50 events - The Bookseller
Technorati Tag: Books

Book publisher plots greener course

Vegetable ink and recycled card minus a cover jacket offer a glimpse of how the books we read might well look in the future. The British publisher Dorling Kindersley has just unveiled an earthy range of books which embraces the virtues of environmentalism. But with costs running high, it could still be a while before green publications become the industry standard.
Technorati Tag: Books

BookBank at London Book Fair

Throughout the London Book Fair, BookBank is running a series of 30 minute expert workshops which will give you concrete examples of how you can save money and generate more revenue by using the latest digital publishing tools
Technorati Tag: Books

Bertram Group goes Digital

Bertram Group has launched a new digital vault, which it will use to distribute e-book and audio products. Bertram Digital will work with publishers to set up a digital resource of products, which will be accessible by retailers. It will fit alongside parent company Entertainment UK's digital wing, which contains more than two million music tracks and 13,000 films, TV programmes and music videos The Bookseller
Technorati Tag: Books

Reminder: The London Book Fair 2008

The London Book Fair is the global publishing community's leading spring forum for booksellers, publishers, librarians and book production services worldwide - 14-16 April 2008 - Earl's Court, London
Technorati Tag: Books

Galaxy British Book Awards 2008 winners

The winners of the Galaxy British Book Awards 2008 have been announced
Technorati Tag: Books

Arcadia and Haus launch Arab imprint

Independent UK publishers Arcadia Books and Haus Publishing have formed a new company which will focus on contemporary fiction in translation from the Arab world. London-based Arabia Books will launch this autumn with ten titles and aims to expand its list year on year - The Bookseller
Technorati Tag: Books

Penguin's frontlist goes digital

Penguin UK is set to be the first of the major UK trade publishers to put all its new black and white titles simultaneously into print and e-book format. From September new titles will be available in the .epub format from the company's own websites and from digital retailers, at the same price as the print edition - The Bookseller
Technorati Tag: Books

Sebastian Faulks: Engleby

Liz Thomson from Publishing News talks to Sebastian Faulks about his latest novel Engleby, as well as his future James Bond book
Technorati Tag: Books

2008 Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize shortlist

The shortlist for the 2008 Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize has been announced. The winner will be announced at a celebratory dinner at The Travellers Club in London on 28 April, 2008

Wirral BookFest 2008

Wirral's new literary festival offers something for everyone with more than twenty events across the borough between the 7th and 12th of April 2008. It promises something for everyone, from graphic novels workshop for youngsters to a murder mystery evening in Wirral's spookiest library! Big name guests include popular children's author Brian Jacques, acclaimed poet John Siddique and a special 'Meet the Authors' session with a trio of best-selling novelists: JoJo Moyes, Mike Gayle and Jenny Colgan. The festival is organised by Wirral Libraries and partly funded by Arts Council England
Technorati Tag: Books

London Book Fair podcasts

The London Book Fair podcasts include views from key figures within the industry and interviews with the three authors taking part in the LBF Author of the Day programme. The podcasts will include a mix of both audio and video episodes. The London Book Fair is held on the 14-16 April 2008, at Earls Court, London

2008 Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction longlist

The longlist for the 2008 Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction has been released:

Anita Amirrezvani The Blood of Flowers (Headline Review) Iranian/American (1st Novel)
Stella Duffy The Room of Lost Things (Virago) British (11th Novel)
Jennifer Egan The Keep (Abacus) American (3rd Novel)
Anne Enright The Gathering (Jonathan Cape) Irish (4th Novel)
Linda Grant The Clothes on Their Backs (Virago) British (4th Novel)
Tessa Hadley The Master Bedroom (Jonathan Cape) British (3rd Novel)
Nancy Huston Fault Lines (Atlantic Books) Canadian (11th Novel)
Gail Jones Sorry Harvill (Secker) Australian (3rd Novel)
Sadie Jones The Outcast (Chatto & Windus) British (1st Novel)
Lauren Liebenberg The Voluptuous Delights of Peanut Butter and Jam (Virago) South African (1st Novel)
Charlotte Mendelson When We Were Bad (Picador) British (3rd Novel)
Deborah Moggach In The Dark (Chatto & Windus) British (16th Novel)
Anita Nair Mistress (BlackAmber) Indian (3rd Novel)
Heather O'Neill Lullabies for Little Criminals (Quercus) Canadian (1st Novel)
Elif Shafak The Bastard of Istanbul (Viking) Turkish (7th Novel)
Dalia Sofer The Septembers of Shiraz (Picador) American (1st Novel)
Scarlett Thomas The End of Mr. Y (Canongate) British (7th Novel)
Carol Topolski Monster Love (Fig Tree) British (1st Novel)
Rose Tremain The Road Home (Chatto & Windus) British (10th Novel)
Patricia Wood Lottery (William Heinemann) American (1st Novel)

The Independent Publishing Awards 2008 winners

The Independent Publishers Guild has announced the eleven winners of the 2008 Independent Publishing Awards:

The van Tulleken Independent Publisher of the Year: Templar Publishing
Bertrams THE Trade Publisher of the Year: Snowbooks
Lightning Source Children's Publisher of the Year: Templar Publishing
Taylor Wessing Academic & Professional Publisher of the Year: Willan Publishing
Xerox Education Publisher of the Year: Rising Stars
Nielsen Innovation of the Year: Salt Publishing
UK Trade & Investment International Achievement of the Year: Michael O'Mara Books
The IPG Environmental Award: Alastair Sawday Publishing
Publishing Technology E-Publishing Award: Berg Publishers
The IPG Diversity Award: Arcadia Books
The GBS Services to Independent Publishers Award: Robert Snuggs

Burgundy campaigns to support small & medium sized publishers at forthcoming UKSG Exhibition

Burgundy Information Services Ltd is a new style of intermediary that promotes the product portfolios of small and medium sized publishers. At the forthcoming UKSG Conference and Exhibition: April 6-9, Torquay UK, Burgundy has invited seven of its publisher clients and contacts to exhibit their products at its booth. Speaking of the collaboration Sales Director Paul Calow commented "In a climate of shrinking library budgets and the larger publishers' big-deals it is often hard for smaller, independent publishers to compete for a librarian's attention. At this year's UKSG, Burgundy is offering a unique opportunity for smaller publishers to gain an affordable presence at one of the most important conferences in the library calendar"

'a novel idea...' Fiction Festival March 2008

The Gloucestershire Fiction Festival is now underway and continues throughout the month with some big names from the world of fiction appearing in person in the county's libraries. Other events include a short story writing competition and quiz with cash prizes to the winners of both, discussions and opportunities to explore new books
Technorati Tag: Books

Murder Most Famous with Minette Walters

Murder Most Famous - BBC 2 series challenging six celebrities to write a crime novel with the tuition of best-selling author Minette Walters

The best writers on the best children's books: World Book Day 2008 exclusive

From TimesOnline: "Meg Rosoff, Eoin Colfer, Melvin Burgess and Jonathan Stroud introduce Puffin's finest classics, plus a competition to win the books"

The Orwell Prize 2008 longlist announced

The longlist for the 2008 Orwell Prize has been announced. 18 authors and 12 journalists are now in the running for two prizes that reward those who have most successfully achieved Orwell's aim 'to make political writing into an art'. A record 181 books have been submitted for this year's book Prize, surpassing both the Man Booker and Samuel Johnson Prizes. These include works by two Nobel Laureates (Doris Lessing and Orhan Pamuk), and the British Prime Minister (Gordon Brown). 54 journalists, including some of Britain's most renowned correspondents, have submitted for this year's journalism Prize, also a record

Quick Reads for 2008

Quick Reads are fast-paced, bite-sized books by bestselling writers and celebrities for adults who have lost or never had the reading habit, or avid readers wanting a short, fast read. On World Book Day, 6 March 2008, ten brand-new Quick Reads will be published:

Humble Pie by Gordon Ramsay (HarperCollins)
The Girl on the Platform by Josephine Cox (HarperCollins)
One Good Turn by Chris Ryan (Arrow)
Life's New Hurdles by Colin Jackson (Accent)
Happy Families by Adele Parks (Penguin)
The Hardest Test by Scott Quinnell (Accent)
East End Tales by Gilda O'Neill (Penguin)
RaW Voices of Hardship and Hope edited by Vanessa Feltz (BBC Books)
The Ten Keys to Success by John Bird (Vermilion)
Doctor Who: Revenge of the Judoon by Terrance Dicks (BBC Books)

Indie publishers booming

The UK's independent publishing sector is flourishing, with the number of start-ups increasing by almost 6% over the last three years. The boost, which indies attribute to technological advances and the increasing number of ways they have found to 'elbow' their way into chain retailers, has seen Independent Publishers Guild (IPG) membership hit an all-time high. It now has 515 members, up from 440 three years ago. Turnover ranges from a few thousand pounds to Faber's GBP16m through Nielsen BookScan in 2007 - The Bookseller

2008 Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year shortlist

The Bookseller magazine has announced the shortlist for the 2008 Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year

London Review of Books - February 2008

London Review of Books - Volume 30 Number 4, 21 February 2008 is now available
Technorati Tag: Books

The Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival

The Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival - "Some 250 writers will descend on Christ Church to debate, discuss ideas and share their passion for their subject. Julian Barnes, William Boyd, Melvyn Bragg, Mavis Cheek, Monty Don, Sebastian Faulks, Adam Hart-Davis, Douglas Hurd, Joanne Harris, Roy Hattersley, Lisa Jardine, Peter Jones, Hanif Kureishi, Oona King, James Naughtie, Philip Pullman, Libby Purves, Ben Okri, Jonathan Sacks, John Simpson, Roy Strong, and many more are all coming to this year's festival. Our panel discussions will take on major issues affecting our lives and ask pointed questions about global politics, climate change, science and much more. For addicts of heated debate, our discussions on the future of Palestine, the solace of nature writing, the threat to our oceans and the rubbish that passes itself off as 'news', will all be irresistible draws" - 31 March to 6 April 2008

Sophie Kinsella talks about "Remember Me?"

Linda Grant: The Clothes on Their Backs - reviewed by Viv Groskop

Linda Grant: The Clothes on Their Backs - "Vivien Kovaks comes from a family of 'mice-people', Jewish-Hungarian immigrants who arrived in 1938 and are simply grateful to England for giving them refuge. This is a novel about identity and belonging. There is nothing lightweight about its themes and yet it is so artfully constructed that you barely feel you're reading it at all, so fluid and addictive is the plot. But like all the best books, the serious ideas it raises stay with you for a long time afterwards..." - The Guardian

Jacqueline Wilson at Windsor Festival

Don't miss this wonderful opportunity to hear Dame Jacqueline Wilson, one of the most popular authors of all time and former Children's Laureate, talk about her life as a writer. She will introduce her new book, My Sister Jodie as well as talk about some of her best-loved titles. There will be an opportunity to put your own questions to this living legend and to get a book signed afterwards. Suitable for ages 8+. 8 March 2008 at Theatre Royal Windsor
Technorati Tag: Books

Celebs pen children's charity book

A host of celebrities are putting pen to paper to create a special enchanted tale for children. Once Upon A Time will see each star write 10 lines before passing the pen to the next contributor. The literary creation is being penned in support of a new charity directory inquiries number - 118 520 - supporting the NSPCC. And the story begins in a magical realm dreamt up by Blur's bass player Alex James. A total of 52 celebs are set to take part over the course of the year, including KT Tunstall, Linford Christie and fashion designer Henry Holland. The tale is expected to be completed by October when the book will be read out in an exclusive reading. It will then be auctioned to raise funds for the NSPCC

Books for babies in Barnet

"It was a comforting thought last week when library staff signed up the 5000 child to Bookstart, the government initiative that aims to promote a life-long love of books. The programme, which is organised nationally by the Booktrust but co-ordinated locally by Barnet Council's Library Service, gives free packs of books to children based on the principle that every child in the UK should enjoy and benefit from books from as early an age as possible"

Book launch: Oliver Poole: Red Zone: Five Bloody Years in Baghdad

Book launch: Oliver Poole: Red Zone: Five Bloody Years in Baghdad. Daunt Books, Holland Park Ave, London, UK. March 18 at 6:30pm.

Imagine cheering on your national football team as your country falls apart; risking suicide bombers and kidnappers to go to the shops; or driving your wife to hospital through roadblocks manned by terrorists as she's about to give birth… Red Zone: Five Bloody Years in Baghdad is Oliver Poole's extraordinary account of daily life for Iraqis, as well as the British and American soldiers sent to Iraq. It's also the story of Ahmed Ali, tourist guide turned Telegraph interpreter, a job that made him an insurgent target. Poole first crossed into Iraq in March 2003, from Kuwait, as a Daily Telegraph reporter, 'embedded' in the back of an American armoured vehicle. Three weeks later, his unit had fought their way to Baghdad. But when Poole returned to London, he was haunted by the dead: had the bloodshed been worthwhile? Eighteen months later, as the Telegraph's Baghdad Bureau Chief, he came back to find a country racked by suicide bombs and the burgeoning horror of the Sunni-Shia civil war. There he met Ahmed, his closest friend in Baghdad. For the next two years, they worked out of the Baghdad hotel suite where Poole lived. Inevitably, they could not remain unscathed: Poole's hotel-home was blown up and finally Ahmed's family, part Shia, part Sunni, tainted by their international connections, became engulfed by the violence
Technorati Tag: Books

2008 Waterstone's Children's Book Prize winner

The winner of this year's Waterstone's Children's Book Prize is Ways to Live Forever by Sally Nicholls. Ways to Live Forever is a scrapbook of lists, stories, pictures, questions and facts put together by 11-year-old Sam. He's a boy who collects facts and loves looking things up on the Internet. He's curious about ghosts and UFOs - and also death. Sam has terminal leukaemia. He is going to die. And dying is a fact of life. His unsentimental view of living and dying sweeps aside our fears of death, and the pure, clear voice in which Sally Nicholls tells his story also speaks of the discovery of an astonishingly accomplished and powerful young writer
Technorati Tag: Books

Red House Children's Book Award 2008 shortlist

The shortlist for the Red House Children's Book Award 2008 has been announced

Gillian Cross Interview with WriteWords

WriteWords talks to Young Adult author, Gillian Cross, author of over 40 bestselling books, including The Demon Headmaster series and Tightrope

The BBC FOUR Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction 2008

"The BBC FOUR Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction is the richest non fiction prize in the UK, worth GBP30,000 to the winner. Sponsored by BBC FOUR, the prize aims to reward the best of non-fiction and is open to authors of all non-fiction books in the areas of current affairs, history, politics, science, sport, travel, biography, autobiography and the arts. BBC FOUR televise the awards ceremony and feature complementary programming on the channel - forming a key part of their commitment to diverse, intelligent and culturally enriching programmes"

Penguin Books archive to be studied and catalogued online

"Established in 1935 by Bristol-born Allen Lane, Penguin Books quickly grew to be one of the most recognisable and well-loved publishers in Britain. The early series of sixpence paperbacks, designed to fill a gap in the market for good quality literature at reasonable prices, were incredibly successful and set a new yardstick for publishing. Now, the company's archive of more than 2,300 boxes of letters, notes and other papers, housed at Bristol University Library's Special Collections, is to be studied and catalogued online".

On the left is the first book published by Penguin, Ariel by Andre Maurois
Technorati Tag: Books

Jewish Book Week 2008

Jewish Book Week 2008 takes place 23 February to 2 March 2008 at the Royal National Hotel, Bedford Way, London, UK. Foyles is the appointed bookseller at JBW. The book fair runs throughout the week at the Royal National Hotel, offering for sale the UK's largest selection of Jewish books and magazines from across the world. Entry is free
Technorati Tag: Books

Books to Talk About from World Book Day

"World Book Day has revealed its top ten Books to Talk About. The shortlist was selected through an online poll, which saw over 300 book lovers debate the 'talkability' merits of a list of 100 titles and select a shortlist of ten titles. Voting will continue throughout February, with the winning author to be announced on World Book Day (6th March), and to receive a prize of GBP5000"

The power of love: 100 years of romantic fiction

"It was a perfect match: two publishers with a taste for romance and an eye for a market. A century on, millions of readers are still besotted with Mills & Boon. But what is their secret?" - The Independent

Threatened publishers band together

From The Bookseller: "A number of UK independent publishers, including threatened presses Arcadia and Dedalus, have joined together to form an informal network called the Publishers Liaison Group. The group will meet to discuss common funding issues and strategy in regard to Arts Council England"

The decibel Penguin prize for new writers

The decibel Penguin prize for new writers is a collaboration between decibel, an Arts Council England initiative dedicated to promoting diversity in the arts, and Penguin Books. The winning stories will published in a Penguin Anthology in November 2008. The competition calls for non-fiction entries between 400 and 4000 words in length, on the experience of having a mixed heritage, whether it's the author's own experience or the experience of another person. Entries are welcome from any UK residents. There is no age limit for the authors, although they must not have had a full-length book published. The closing date for entries is 7 April 2008

The Works goes into administration

Discount book chain The Works has been placed into administration, according to its website

The week in books - 31 January 2008

The week in books - 31 January 2008 - from Times Higher Education

2007 Costa Book of the Year award winner

Scottish author and stand-up comedian A.L. Kennedy has won the 2007 Costa Book of the Year award for her fifth novel, Day - the story of a former RAF prisoner-of-war returning to Germany to confront his demons
Technorati Tag: Books

Writers' digital row with library

From The BBC: "Scores of writers are refusing to let their works be scanned for an online archive at the National Library of Wales because they are not being paid. A year after a near-£1m project was awarded to digitise modern Welsh writing, a dispute between authors and the library has not been resolved"

Online shoppers prefer books

From The Guardian: "Booming demand in emerging markets from Vietnam to India has made books the most popular item to buy online, according to research out today. More internet shoppers have bought books than any other product online over the past three months, according to a global survey by Nielsen Online. While two-fifths of e-shoppers bought books, 36% have bought clothing, accessories or shoes, 24% have bought airline tickets and 19% music

Continuum titles at Exact Editions

Continuum are showcasing 6 of their current and forthcoming theology titles on the Exact Editions platform. Each book has a 32pp sample available for searching and browsing

The Clare Maclean Prize for Scottish Fiction

The Clare Maclean Prize for Scottish Fiction is awarded to the Scottish writer who, in the opinion of the judges, has written the best novel in the previous year. The prize is open to any full-length novel, written in English or Scots, by a writer born or living in Scotland. To be eligible for the 2008 prize, a book must have been first published in 2007. The judges for the 2008 award are Mike Gonzalez and Rob Maslen, both of the University of Glasgow, and The Herald's Rosemary Goring. From a strong field featuring the best of Scottish literary talent, they have the unenviable task of choosing a shortlist by the end of January. The winner will receive GBP3,000 and a trophy at a special ceremony on 15 March, the final event of Aye Write! Book Festival 2008

Basildon Children's Book Festival

Basildon Children's Book Festival - Current children's laureate Michael Rosen and bestselling author Jacqueline Wilson are already lined up to appear and plans are well underway for events around the town and in a number of schools - February 23 to March 12, 2008 - Basildon, Essex, UK

The Greatest British Writers Since 1945

Erica Wagner prepares for an argument as she introduces the Times list of the best postwar British writers

And the winners are... the authors on screen

"A clutch of acclaimed big-screen adaptations are spawning huge new sales of the novels that inspired them. Forget the award for best actor, best actress and even best film. The real winners of the coming movie awards season are not even involved in the industry. The release of a string of highly acclaimed films based on novels is providing a multi-million-pound bonus for the authors. Films including Atonement, The Kite Runner, The Golden Compass, No Country for Old Men and There Will be Blood are generating hundreds of thousands of additional book sales" - Telegraph

The Independent Publishing Awards 2008

The Independent Publishers Guild and its partners The Bookseller and the London Book Fair are proud to reveal the shortlists for the 2008 Independent Publishing Awards. The nine lists showcase the very best of independent publishing in the UK. Six companies - Arcadia Books, Alastair Sawday Publishing, Barrington Stoke, Earthscan, Michael O'Mara Books and Snowbooks - are nominated for two awards each, while 22 different companies are represented in total

Centerprise Literature threatened

Centerprise Literature has been threatened with closure after the Arts Council proposed the total withdrawal of its funding from 1st April 2008. The ACE cuts are part of a range of recommendations that also threaten the futures of small press Dedalus and Arcadia. - The Bookseller

2007 Women of Courage Award shortlist announced

The shortlist for The Lesley Pearce Women of Courage Award for 2007, sponsored by Penguin, have been announced
Technorati Tag: Books

Spinebreakers

Spinebreakers.co.uk is Penguin's pioneering online book community for teenagers, run by teenagers themselves. Editorial control of the site is in the hands of a core editorial team of nine teenagers aged between 13 and 18 years, supported by a large network of contributing teen editors from across the UK

Legend Press chosen for Shashoua Fund

Millionaire Roger Shashoua has picked the first publisher to invest in under the umbrella of his new venture capital fund, The Shashoua Fund, which he launched last October to support independent publishers.The fund will invest in the 2008 publishing programme of Legend Press, focusing on the first release, Queer Fish in God's Waiting Room by Lee Henshaw
Technorati Tag: Books

Spread the Word from World Book Day

In order to celebrate World Book Day on 6 March 2008, the organisers have launched Spread the Word, where you can encounter 100 recommended books and vote on those that you think would provoke discussion. Plus, there are prizes to be won

The Author Trail

Links between some of the world's greatest writers and Kent, Sussex and France are being promoted. Library services in East Sussex, Medway, and the Somme, have created a website showing links with authors such as Charles Dickens and Virginia Woolf. Other writers include Rudyard Kipling, Jules Verne and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. East Sussex Councillor Bob Tidy said: "This initiative allows people to celebrate some of the best writers in the world." The website, The Author Trail, which received EU funding, allows people to find out where writers lived and worked. It is available in English and French and includes maps so people can follow in the footsteps of authors. He said fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would be able to click on the places he is associated with including Crowborough, Forest Row, Groombridge, Newhaven, Rotherfield and Winchelsea. The Sherlock Holmes creator also lived in Surrey for 10 years at Undershaw, a Grade II-listed property where repairs were being carried out last year. During his time there at the turn of the 20th Century, he wrote such classics as The Hound of the Baskervilles

Crimson buys White Ladder Press

"White Ladder Press has been bought by fellow independent Crimson Publishing for a substantial six-figure sum. Founded by Roni Jay and her late husband Richard Craze in 2003, White Ladder publishes around 15 practical and quirky lifestyle titles a year. Jay, who will continue to work on the White Ladder list as a freelance commissioning editor, said she sold the business to spend more time with her three children following her partner's death in August 2006" - The Bookseller

The 2008 National Year of Reading

"The 2008 National Year of Reading will create a powerful focus of opportunities and activities so that children, families and adult learners understand the benefits that reading for pleasure and purpose can bring to change their lives." Rt Hon Ed Balls MP, Secretary of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). The NYR will run from January to December 2008
Technorati Tag: Books

Not quite so Pink! Meet the Piccadilly Press authors

Meet the Piccadilly Press authors: Meet the mysterious Simon Cheshire, creator of schoolboy detective, Saxby Smart. Be charmed by the divine Amanda Lees, author of Kumari:Goddess of Gotham. Get some top tips on teen life from Helen Salter, author of Does Glitter Count as Camouflage. Tap into your magical powers with Sheridan Winn, author of the brand new series, the Sprote Sisters. Lively discussion - Pink Champagne - cupcakes - book signing. Foyles Bookshop. Charing Cross Road. 31 January 2008
Technorati Tag: Books

Catnip Publishing evening

Catnip Publishing in association with YLG London and SLG London and South east invite you for a special preview of publishing highlights 2008 with Catnip authors. Wine and refreshments. Wood Green Gallery. High Road, Wood Green, London. 23 January 2008
Technorati Tag: Books

His Own Domain: Harold Pinter, A Life in Theatre

His Own Domain pays tribute to Harold Pinter's life in the theatre as an actor, director, and writer of some of the most significant and celebrated plays of the 20th century. This small display in the British Library's Sir John Ritblat Gallery features a range of unique manuscripts, letters, photographs, and sound recordings. The British Library acquired Harold Pinter's extensive archive in December 2007. 10 January to 13 April 2008
Technorati Tag: Books

Peter Pan Week and the Big Time Rhyme

Peter Pan Week - Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity's first ever activity for schools and youth groups, in partnership with Oxford University Press. Peter Pan Week is a fun, creative and educational way for young people (up to age 18) to learn all about literature, whilst helping children with some of the rarest and most complex illnesses, and going down in history by attempting a Guinness World Record
Technorati Tag: Books

Continuum aims for 2,000 e-books

Academic and trade publisher Continuum is to make up to 1,000 of its backlist titles available as e-books over the next six months, following an agreement with digital conversion company codeMantra. The number will be doubled by the end of the year, and Continuum sales and marketing director Ken Rhodes hopes to have the entire 6,000-strong backlist available as e-books by the end of the decade. The Bookseller
Technorati Tag: Books

2008 Essex Book Festival

Booking for the 2008 Essex Book Festival opens on January 7. You can get a full programme from any library or by downloading it from the website
Technorati Tag: Books

Don't Let Dedalus Die petition

Description/History: "The Arts Council is proposing to axe funding to Dedalus Publishers in Cambridgeshire from January 2008, which will almost certainly lead to the company's closure, just as it was about to celebrate 25 years of publishing. Dedalus is one of the most important independent literary publishers and translation houses in the UK, and one of a dying breed. It publishes English language fiction, which has been translated into 23 languages and has commissioned translations from 14 modern European languages, winning many Literary Awards along the way. Dedalus is a cultural asset to this country, and provides a very good return for the small £24,958 annual grant it receives from The Arts Council"

Petition: "We, the undersigned, want The Arts Council to reverse its recommendation not to fund Dedalus after January 2008 and to enter into a new partnership with Dedalus so the company can thrive and not merely survive"

Sign the petition

Eels star announces London book signing

Eels frontman Mark Oliver Everett will sign copies of his new book Things The Grandchildren Should Know in London later this month. The book signing will take place at St. James Church on January 17 and each attendee will receive a copy of the new book upon arrival
Technorati Tag: Books

Guinness Book of Gaming Records on the way

The Guinness Book Of Records has announced that its new Gamer's Edition annual will offer retailers a spectacular additional source of revenue when it is released on February 8th. The title represents the first time that GBOR has concentrated purely on games for a publication - and the company is planning to bring out an updated edition each year
Technorati Tag: Books

George MacDonald Fraser dies

The author of the hugely popular "Flashman" books, George MacDonald Fraser, has died at the age of 82. The former journalist and soldier died after a year-long battle with lung cancer - Reuters

Portico Books launching a new writing competition

Portico Books is launching a new writing competition with Bad Idea magazine, giving the winner a chance to appear in a new anthology. The Bad Idea Anthology, a paperback collection of the best writing from the magazine, will be published by Portico this summer, with the winner of the writing prize included as a featured author. Entrants have to submit a 1,500-word non-fiction story on the topic "the pen is mightier than the keyboard". The competition closes on 31st January, and the winner will be chosen from five finalists

2007 Costa Book Awards category winning authors

Chair of the 2007 final judging panel, author Joanna Trollope, has announced the 2007 Costa Book Awards category winning authors

Luke Bitmead Writer's Bursary announced

A new bursary for aspiring writers has been set up by the family of Luke Bitmead, who died in 2006. The bursary will include a cash award of GBP2,500 for the winner and a publishing contract from Bitmead's publisher Legend Press