Latest from The Bookseller

New Hachette HQ will be 'talent magnet' Hachette’s new London headquarters Carmelite House will become a “talent magnet” for authors and publishers, but the move will not compromise competition between the adult divisions, c.e.o. Tim Hely Hutchinson has said. In an interview with The Bookseller, Hely Hutchinson also addressed the issue of author contracts, and said Hachette UK would continue to buy other businesses, with its children’s division in particular earmarked for growth.

Burton and Healey on Desmond Elliott longlist Jessie Burton’s [pictured] novel The Miniaturist (Picador) and Emma Healey’s Elizabeth is Missing (Viking) are among 10 novels longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize 2015. The award celebrates the best debut fiction of the year.

Twitter and Hachette partner on author videos Hachette UK is working with Twitter to launch a series of videos featuring its authors talking about what they are writing live from their location using Twitter’s new Periscope app.

Davidson wins James Herbert Award for Horror Writing Craig Davidson, writing under the pseudonym Nick Cutter, has been named the winner of the inaugural James Herbert Award for Horror Writing for his book The Troop (Headline). The award was set up in honour of the late horror writer James Herbert, and aims to discover and publicise a new generation of horror authors and celebrate the boldest and most exciting talent in the genre. Davidson received £2,000 and a commemorative statuette after being announced as the winner at an event in London tonight (1st April).

European study into e-reading launches next week A new European Commission-funded project will study whether or not reading digitally changes people’s comprehension of the text they consume. The Evolution of Reading in the Age of Digitisation (EREAD) research will launch next week in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and carry on until autumn 2017 at locations around Europe, involving scholars from multiple disciplines, including the arts, humanities, social sciences and neuro-sciences.

Packham pens children’s book Wildlife expert and TV presenter Chris Packham is bringing his love of animals to the children’s book world with Amazing Animal Journeys, which will published by Egmont. The non-fiction picture book is illustrated by Jason Cockroft and is about the way different animals, from blue whales and sardines to butterflies and wildebeest, migrate.

Gollancz Festival goes international Gollancz’s second science fiction and fantasy festival is to expand this year, taking place over 48 hours, with Orion imprint Gollancz working with Hachette Australia and New Zealand to take the festival overseas. The inaugural Gollancz Festival was held last year over 24 hours, featuring 50 authors taking part in events online and at Waterstones Piccadilly.

Authors sign protest letter against baseline tests Authors including Philip Pullman, Michael Rosen, John Dougherty, and Alan Gibbons have signed a letter saying baseline assessment tests should not be brought in to primary schools. The tests, to be introduced in September 2015, will take place in the first few weeks after a child starts in reception class. Teachers in the NUT will take a vote on boycotting the tests at a union conference this weekend.

France and Germany sign eight-point copyright call France and Germany have signed a joint eight-point statement on copyright underlining the principles to be respected in the European Commission’s plan to overhaul the relevant directive. French Culture and Communication Minister Fleur Pellerin and German Justice and Consumer Protection Minister Heiko Maas, who signed the statement during the Franco-German Council of Ministers meeting in Berlin, said that copyright “must be promoted as the basis of creation and must play a key role in stimulating cultural diversity, creativity and innovation.”

Glorious film deal for St John Independent production company Canyon Creek Films have bought rights to The Glory, the latest children’s book from Lauren St John.  Simon Brooks, whose producer credits include the recent Lily Cole rom-com “Love, Rosie”, acquired the film rights from Rebecca Watson at Valerie Hoskins Associates, who was acting on behalf of Catherine Clarke at Felicity Bryan Associates.

Tonkinson acquires book on 'taboo of childlessness' Pan Macmillan’s Carole Tonkinson has acquired world rights to a book addressing “the taboo of childlessness” from the founder of Gateway Women, a support network for childless women, Jody Day. The book, entitled Living the Life Unexpected, will be published by Bluebird, the new lifestyle imprint Tonkinson founded at Pan Macmillan when she joined last year.