Latest News from The Bookseller

DBW: Amazon's Grandinetti talks subscription, innovation In a predictably careful interview at New York's Digital Book World conference between DBW’s Mike Shatzkin and Michael Cader, and Amazon Kindle senior vice-president Russ Grandinetti, earlier today (Wednesday 14th January), the most important moment may have come when Shatzkin suggested that, in terms of digital disruption, “things are calming down in the business, slowing to a crawl, becoming stable,” asking if Amazon saw it that way.

Harlequin UK to join HC in London Bridge Harlequin UK (HUK) is to become a division of HarperCollins UK, with staff moving into the publisher’s new premises at London Bridge. HarperCollins’ parent company News Corp bought Harlequin Enterprises in May last year, with Harlequin becoming a division of HarperCollins worldwide.

Ruth Rendell 'critical' in hospital following stroke Crime writer Ruth Rendell has suffered a serious stroke and is in a "critical but stable" condition in hospital. In a statement released on behalf of her family, her publisher Penguin Random House said Rendell had the stroke on Wednesday 7th January. “She is in hospital under expert care in a critical but stable condition,” said the statement. “Her son, Simon Rendell, is with her and thanks everyone for their concern. The family request privacy while the doctors assess the best course of treatment.”

Editors predict the trends of 2015 Editors are predicting a continuing surge of debut fiction in 2015, following the success of authors like Jessie Burton and Elizabeth Healey, saying they are on the lookout for original voices and novels in translation, as well as strong homegrown talent. The trend for unreliable female narrators and women’s fiction which includes an aspect of the psychological thriller will continue, editors told The Bookseller. Alison Hennessey, senior editor at Harvill Secker, said 2015 was “shaping up to be a year for brilliant female writing”.

'Eighteen months to implement Sieghart', says library task force chair The task force set up to implement the recommendations of the Sieghart Report will have failed if it does not deliver changes in the next 18 months, according to its chair. Paul Blantern, chief executive of Northamptonshire County Council and chair of the task force made the assertion at a panel discussion held at the Houses of Parliament yesterday (14th)  by the Libraries All Party Parliamentary Group.

Madrid's 24symbols partners with Facebook for Internet.org Justo Hidalgo, founder and chief development officer of Madrid-based 24symbols digital subscription reading service, announced at the Digital Book World Conference + Expo yesterday (14th) that the company is in a partnership with Facebook for its Internet.org programme. Internet.org is a humanitarian initiative the goal of which is to provide Internet connectivity "to the two-thirds of the world's population that doesn't have it," as its stated mission puts it.