Book Review: The Secret History Of Our Streets - London

It's pretty much impossible to get a thorough handle on the vast social history of London. Unless you're Roy Porter. And you're not, because he's sadly no longer with us. It's much easier, however, to grasp the ups and downs of an individual street. Such is the hunch of this new book, to accompany a forthcoming BBC2 series. Authors Joseph Bullman, Neil Hegarty and Brian Hill investigate six London roads: Reverdy Road in Bermondsey, Deptford High Street, Arnold Circus in Shoreditch, Caledonian Road in Islington, Portland Road near Notting Hill and Camberwell Grove

James Tait Black shortlist announced

Finalists for the University of Edinburgh's £10,000 James Tait Black Prizes have been named. Winners will be announced August 25 during the Edinburgh International Book Festival. This year's shortlisted titles are:

Biography
Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention by Manning Marable
Ben Jonson: A Life by Ian Donaldson
The Last Pre-Raphaelite: Edward Burne-Jones and the Victorian Imagination by Fiona MacCarthy
Nikolaus Pevsner: The Life by Susie Harries

Fiction
Snowdrops by A.D. Miller
Solace by Belinda McKeon
You and I by Padgett Powell
There But For The by Ali Smith

Ian Fleming's estate signs new James Bond book deal

Ian Fleming's back catalogue of James Bond stories is to be relaunched after his estate signed a 10-year deal with Random House to publish the books in print and e-book format. Vintage, a division of Random House, will take over publishing of print books from Penguin. The estate, which has been publishing e-books, said the deal was "a significant step change" for the work. Fleming's 14 Bond books have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide

Man Booker Prize judges take part in Woodland Trust's Jubilee Woods Project

The judges of the 2011 Man Booker Prize for Fiction travelled to Hainault Forest, an ancient hunting forest on the edge of London, to plant saplings. This is the fourth year that the Man Booker Prize has collaborated with the Woodland Trust, in a symbolic gesture to compensate for the trees felled in order to produce the hundred-plus books submitted for the prize each year. This year's planting took on extra significance as it formed part of the Woodland Trust's Jubilee Woods project. To mark the Jubilee year, the judges planted 13 oak trees taken from one of the Royal estates. The trees will become a living commemoration of the 'Booker Dozen' - the 13 titles chosen for the 2011 longlist - including that year's winner, The Sense of An Ending by Julian Barnes

Two Madeley novels for S&S

Simon & Schuster has acquired two novels by broadcaster and Richard & Judy Book Club founder Richard Madeley. Publishing director Suzanne Baboneau bought world English-language rights from Luigi Bonomi at LBA. Madeley's début novel, Some Day I'll Find You, to be published in 2013, begins during the Second World War in France. S&S published Madeley's memoir, Fathers & Sons, in 2008

Collins collars Radio 4 "New Elizabethans" tie-in

Collins has acquired a tie-in to the upcoming BBC Radio 4 flagship series "The New Elizabethans", written and narrated by James Naughtie, which will air every weekday between June and September. Collins publishing director Iain MacGregor pre-empted world rights in all languages from Felicity Bryan at the Felicity Bryan Agency and Emma Trevelyan at the BBC. The book will be published in hardback in the autumn. The series will look back over the reign thus far of Queen Elizabeth II, profiling the 60 "Elizabethans" who have played a significant role in shaping the era, and whose achievements look likely to outlast the age

World Book Night titles unveiled (UK)

Pride and Prejudice and The Alchemist are among the 25 titles that will be given away on World Book Night in 2012. One million books will be distributed at venues including hostels, pubs and hospitals in a bid to boost reading. Now in its second year, the event will move from March to 23 April, marking both Unesco's International Day Of The Book and Shakespeare's birthday. Some 20,000 members of the public will be chosen to give away copies of their favourite title from the list