Latest News from The Bookseller

National Book Tokens launches eBook Gift Card National Book Tokens is this week launching a pilot of a series of e-book gift cards, which it says will be an “innovative step forward that will help evolve e-book gifting”. The cards will be for six genres - literary fiction, mass fiction, crime and thriller, sci-fi and fantasy, romance and adult, and non-fiction – with National Book Tokens saying it would like to work with publishers on further versions of the cards. National Book Tokens said the cards will “provide UK booksellers with a strong retail solution in this challenging market”.

Taylor, Waldram and Knight win at PPC awards Campaigns for The Miniaturist (Picador), H is for Hawk (Jonathan Cape), There’s Something I’ve Been Dying to Tell You (Hodder & Stoughton) and Half Bad (Puffin) were among the winners at the 2015 Publishers Publicity Circle (PPC) Awards. The awards honour publicists in nine categories, and were held last night (23rd February) in London. Outgoing chair of the PPC, Zoe Hood, said at the event: "Every year the campaigns seem to be more and more outstanding. This is the 50th year of the awards.

Buswell leaves role at RH Children’s Sue Buswell, deputy publisher at Random House Children’s, will step down from her role at the end of March. Penguin Random House said Buswell decided to leave the company, where she worked with authors such as John Burningham, Nicholas Allan and Emma Chichester Clark over a period of five years. The publisher has no plans to recruit another deputy publisher but has promoted Andrea MacDonald, formerly commissioning editor for children’s colour and licensing, to the role of executive editor for picture books.

Roberts joins HC Children’s as art director HarperCollins Children’s Books has hired Nia Roberts as art director, where she will be responsible for the cross portfolio design strategy. She will also develop the picture book list. Roberts is currently art director at Simon & Schuster where she has worked with authors and illustrators such as Benji Davies, Sue Hendra, Sara Ogilvie and Ben Cort. She will start her new role in April and will report operationally to Rachel Denwood, publishing and creative director, and strategically to executive publisher Ann-Janine Murtagh.

Coates: 'Too much library money going on council overheads' Library services are being hit by failure to spend on book stock and the growing cost of council overheads, according to new analysis from former Waterstones boss and library campaigner Tim Coates.

Waterstones Blackpool to reopen after staff death Waterstones Blackpool will reopen after a member of staff was killed by a falling shop sign. A Waterstones spokesperson told the Blackpool Gazette: “Waterstones Blackpool will reopen again after repair works to the building that will be undertaken shortly. We will confirm the date of reopening once these are underway.” Margaret Sheridan, a bookseller at the shop, was killed last month after being hit by a falling sign.

ReaderLink acquires Baker & Taylor arms US distribution company ReaderLink has acquired Baker & Taylor Publishing Group and Baker & Taylor Marketing Services US. This is the second deal Baker & Taylor has done in recent days – it has previously announced the sale of its YBP Library Services to EBSCO Publishing.

CfSS report makes case for social science funding The Campaign for Social Science (CfSS) has called for greater investment in its field, arguing that the UK's growth and prosperity will falter without a better understanding of social science disciplines.

Scholastic to release 20th birthday Pullman paperbacks Scholastic is set to publish new paperback editions of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series to mark the 20th anniversary of the book's first release.

MacBird to pen two new Sherlock Holmes novels HarperCollins has signed two Sherlock Holmes continuation novels by Hollywood screenwriter Bonnie MacBird. A deal for world rights was struck with Langton's International Agency, and the book will be published in both the UK and the US though Harper 360. Art in the Blood: A Sherlock Holmes Adventure will be published on 10th September 2015. Set in 1888, it will feature the famous detective, originally created by Arthur Conan Doyle, and his partner John Watson, investigating a new crime.

McConochie wins Book Illustration Competition David McConochie has won the fifth annual Book Illustration Competition, beating nearly 400 other entries. The Book Illustration Competition is a partnership between The Folio Society and the House of Illustration gallery in London. McConochie was presented with his prize, a commission worth £5,000 to illustrate The Folio Book of Ghost Stories, at a ceremony held at House of Illustration HQ.

Floris announces Kelpies design competition shortlist Floris Books has shortlisted 12 cover designs for this year’s Kelpies Design & Illustration prize. For this year’s award, the Edinburgh-based publisher asked entrants to create a new front cover for The Hill of the Red Fox, an adventure story by Allan Campbell McLean, first published in 1956.