Latest News from The Bookseller

Trade wary of children's market boom Editors, agents and booksellers have told The Bookseller they worry that authors are failing to reap the benefits of growth in the children’s book market. With 2014 being a record year for children’s books—sales of which grew 9.1% year on year to a value of £336.5m, according to Nielsen BookScan—a large number of new imprints and agencies have been created. Some publishers, such as Janetta Otter Barry, formerly of Quarto, are setting up their own companies and many in the industry are launching their own literary agencies.

Richard and Judy extend Book Club Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan have signed a contract to continue their Richard & Judy Book Club, in association with W H Smith, until 2019. The celebrity couple help to select eight titles—mainly authored by new and emerging talent—three times a year: for Spring, Summer and Autumn Book Clubs. Reviews of each title feature on a dedicated website, and the pair also run a children’s book club with the retailer.

Rankin, Child and Hodgson on Theakstons Crime longlist Crime novelists Ian Rankin and Lee Child are among the authors longlisted for this year’s Theakston’s Old Peculier crime novel of the year award. Rankin’s Saints of the Shadow Bible (Orion Fiction) and Child’s Personal (Bantam) are up against 16 other novels, including The Facts of Life and Death, published by Black Swan and written by Belinda Bauer, the winner of last year’s award.

Trade pays tribute to "insightful" Rendell Tributes have been paid from across the trade to crime writer Ruth Rendell, described as an “insightful and elegant observer of society”. Rendell died on Saturday (2nd May) at the age of 85. She had been admitted to hospital in January after suffering a critical stroke. The writer, who was published by Penguin Random House’s Hutchinson since 1964, also wrote 14 books under the penname Barbara Vine for Penguin. Hutchinson said it was “devastated” by the loss of Rendell.

‘Economising’ Swiss bow out of Frankfurt It has been four months since the Swiss National Bank abandoned the Euro cap on the Swiss franc and the mood in the book industry is grim. Trade publishers especially have slammed on the brakes and, with economising the order of the day, at least three major Swiss trade houses opted to forgo this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair.   Diogenes was the first to pull the plug on its stand, and Kein & Aber and Dörlemann have since followed.

Amazon changes free delivery threshold Amazon has changed the threshold for free delivery on all items except books. The online retailer had placed a £10 threshold to quality for its free Super Saver Delivery service. While the £10 minimum remains on books, on all other products customers need to spend £20 or more to qualify for the service. Pre-ordered items or orders for items not in stock placed before 1st May will not be affected by the change, which came into force last Friday (1st May). Amazon said: “We continue to work hard every day to improve the delivery services that we offer.”

Biteback acquires Gambaccini memoir Biteback has acquired a memoir from radio presenter Paul Gambaccini about when he was falsely accused of sexual assault. The publisher acquired the UK and Commonwealth rights to Love, Paul Gambaccini, which it describes as a “no-holds-barred story” about 12 months of trauma, from Caroline Michel at PFD. Publication is set for September this year.

Macmillan US partners with ebook bundling BitLit Vancouver-based BitLit has added a second Big Five publisher to its partners in ebook bundling, with a major round of titles from US/Canadian Macmillan.

Day opens online shop selling UKYA merchandise Author Susie Day is hoping to promote YA books written by British and Irish authors through an online shop selling UKYA-branded merchandise. The ‘We Have Crisps’ shop is currently selling tote bags, vest tops and t-shirts featuring the names ‘Patrick & Bali. Sarra & Non’, representing Patrick Ness, Bali Rai, Sarra Manning and Non Pratt. The site also has mugs with quotes from UKYA authors, including Cat Clarke and James Dawson.

Bitter Lemon Press signs three Bitter Lemon Press has signed a series of deals for female crime writers from around the world, with the books set to lead the publisher's schedule in the second half of the year. Publisher and co-founder Laurence Colchester acquired titles from Brazil's Patrica Melo, Turkey's Esmahan Aykol and Argentina's Claudia Piñeiro.

Bloomsbury buys book tackling racism 'head on' Bloomsbury has bought world English rights to a book about racism in the UK by 25-year-old activist and freelance journalist Reni Eddo-Lodge. Commissioning editor Alexa von Hirschberg acquired Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race from Rupert Heath of Rupert Heath Literary Agency. Through a critical appraisal of news, pop culture and current affairs, Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race will “tackle head on the insidious nature of racial prejudice”.

Caine Prize for African writing shortlist revealed Writers from South Africa, Zambia and Nigeria have made the shortlist for this year’s Caine Prize for African Writing. On the shortlist, announced today (5th May), are stories by Segun Afolabi and Elnathan John from Nigeria, F T Kola and Masande Ntshanga from South Africa and Namwali Serpell from Zambia. Chair of the judges Zoë Wicomb, also a South African writer, said the shortlist is “an exciting crop of well-crafted stories”.