Mankell e-book early for Random

13.11.09 Katie Allen in The Bookseller

Random House imprint Harvill Secker is to release the e-book edition of Henning Mankell’s new novel The Man from Beijing a month earlier than the hardback, as a “treat” for digital readers.

It is the first time Random has published a fiction e-book prior to hardback publication. The publisher pre-emptively released the e-book of non-fiction title, A Lion Called Christian, a year ago as a trial.

The Mankell e-book will be released on 7th January 2010, priced £17.99, the same r.r.p. as the hardback out on 4th February. The publisher said it “aims for parity pricing”, with the e-book price to drop with the paperback publication.

Harvill Secker publishing director Liz Foley said: “We’re very excited. Henning’s books consistently feature in our top-selling e-book charts, and we wanted to give our digital readers a treat with an early look at this incredibly gripping crime thriller.”

The Swedish author will visit the UK in 2010, as the BBC screens three films starring Kenneth Branagh as the eponymous detective.

Vintage will release the TV tie-in editions of Mankell’s Wallander titles, Faceless Killers, The Fifth Woman and The Man Who Smiled in February.