Latest news from The Bookseller

Tom Rob Smith thriller tops chart Tom Rob Smith scores his first UK Top 50 number one with the paperback of his latest thriller, The Farm.

Redmayne: Far East tech players could 'disrupt' industry HarperCollins c.e.o. Charlie Redmayne has told the Scottish Book Trade conference that Amazon's focus on driving up margins will be "a particular challenge for publishers this year", but that major Asian players such as AliBaba and TenCent could be on their way to disrupt "the great disruptor".

Quarto buys Ivy Press for £1.3m The Quarto Group has acquired Lewes-based publisher Ivy Press for £1.3m, as well as taking on £200,000 of debt. Quarto subsidiary Quarto Publishing has entered into a conditional agreement for the purchase of Ivy Press' owner, Lewes Holding Ltd. The acquisition is conditional based on the approval of the Bank of Scotland, which has been a lender to the Ivy Press.

Edinburgh debates author earnings Low advances, deep discounting and the problem of author earnings were on the agenda at a Trade Question Time discussion panel at the Scottish Book Trade conference in Edinburgh yesterday (24th February).  A return to a limited Net Book Agreement and a cultural change in publishers' attitudes to their authors is needed to maintain author incomes, writer Sara Sheridan told delegates.

Puffin, Pan Mac and PRH win Marketing Society prizes Campaigns promoting humorous safety tips for children, a book by astronaut Chris Hadfield and a guide to getting the style and attitude of Parisian women won big at the Book Marketing Society’s Best Campaign meeting for the Christmas season. The meeting was held at Simon & Schuster’s offices last night (24th February) to recognise the best marketing campaigns run between September and December 2014.

Mary Berry to be LBF Guest of Honour Cookery writer and television presenter Mary Berry will be Guest of Honour at The London Book Fair (LBF), officially opening the conference on Tuesday 14th April. Jacks Thomas, director of LBF, said: “What better way to celebrate LBF’s move to a much-loved and world-renowned new home than to have this 44th book fair opened by one of Britain’s most esteemed authors; the Mary Berry brand extends way beyond both books and Britain. It is an absolute delight and honour to welcome Mary to the book fair. ”

Hachette India to grow 'organically' India is a “vibrant market”, Hachette UK c.e.o. Tim Hely Hutchinson has said on a visit to the country. Talking to the Hindu Business Line newspaper, Hely Hutchinson spoke about the acquisition of cricketer Sachin Tendulkar’s book, and touched on the dispute between Hachette Book Group in the US and Amazon. “We trade with Amazon in something like 28 countries in the world,” he said. “That was an isolated issue in America and none of us wanted it go on for so long.”

Book Trade Charity to support Internships The Book Trade Charity is to give support to publishers to offer internships at above the minimum wage. The initiative follows on from the "Entry into the Book Trade" project launched by the charity at the end of 2014, through which it offers support to candidates coming for interview for a first job in the industry, to cover costs such as travel, accommodation or perhaps an interview suit.

Walter Scott Prize longlist released for first time Martin Amis, Sarah Waters and Jessie Burton have made the 15-strong longlist for the 2015 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. The longlist has been released for the first time following a 40% increase in entries this year.  Amis is longlisted for his dark love story set in a Nazi concentration camp, The Zone of Interest (Jonathan Cape), while Waters is up for her 1920s-set The Paying Guests (Virago) and Burton for her debut, The Miniaturist (Picador), the tale of eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman in 1680s Amsterdam.

Granta signs Sri Lankan debut from 'impressive new literary voice' Granta has signed a debut novel set in the final days of the Sri Lankan civil war by Anuk Aradpragasam. Editorial director Laura Barber signed UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada and the Indian subcontinent, from Clare Alexander at Aitken Alexander. The book, titled The Story of a Brief Marriage, follows the story of Dinesh, a man whose life has been reduced to the bare essentials of survival, when he is approached with an unexpected offer of marriage and opens up to the idea of loving another person.

Del Ray acquires three from 'up and coming' US authors Del Rey has acquired three “major” new titles from up and coming American authors. Ebury fiction publishing director bought British Commonwealth rights excluding Canada to Find Me by Laura Van Den Berg from Devon Mazzone at Farrar, Straus and Giroux. The “impressive” debut is set in a disease-ravaged dystopian America. Del Rey will publish in £12.99 hardback on 4th June 2015.