Latest book trade news from The Bookseller

Bonnier merges Igloo and Autumn Publishing Bonnier is merging IglooBooks and Autumn Publishing to create a “mass market” division, led by Igloo c.e.o. John Styring, and moving the current Autumn employees to other divisions.

Waterstones sells 50k copies of Watchman Harper Lee’s Go Set A Watchman (William Heinemann) has given Waterstones its biggest first week of sales since J K Rowling’s final Harry Potter book was published.

Trade parties with Pan Mac Agents, authors and retailers joined Pan Macmillan at a party last night (23rd July) to celebrate the company’s Publisher of the Year win earlier this year. The party, held at RIBA in central London, was also attended by many of Pan Macmillan’s employees. All authors published by the company in 2014 were invited, with attendees including Lord Jeffrey Archer and Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell.

Follain to leave Canongate Canongate’s non-fiction publishing director Katy Follain is to leave the company “to pursue new career opportunities within the industry”. The publisher said she “played a key role within the editorial team”. Among the titles Follain acquired during her time at Canongate were James Rhodes’ memoir Instrumental, which was published after a long legal battle, and Alex Bellos’ forthcoming mathematical colouring book, Snowflake, Seashell, Star.

Ion Trewin memorial service this autumn A memorial service for Ion Trewin, who died earlier this year after a battle with cancer, is to be held in the autumn. Trewin, who was literary director  of the Booker Prize Foundation, passed away on 8th April. Formerly literary editor of the Times, Trewin then worked at Weidenfeld & Nicolson as publishing director, managing director and editor-in-chief until his retirement in 2006.

Bloomsbury revenues rise 13% in first quarter Bloomsbury revenues grew 13% in the first quarter of the year, driven by growth in its children’s and education division. For the three months ending 31st May 2015, like-for-like revenues, excluding the results of Osprey Publishing, which was acquired in December 2014, revenues were up 5% compared to the same quarter in 2014.

Harper Lee dominates US chart Harper Lee dominated Nielsen BookScan US charts with four spots in the top 10 and seven in the top 100, led by Go Set a Watchman (Harper) which recorded the second best first-week sale for an adult hardback since BookScan US records began, shifting almost three quarter of a million units. The hardback of Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird sequel sold 746,805 copies last week, the best US opening week for a hardback adult since Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol (Doubleday) sold almost 1.2 million copies in its first seven days of sale in September 2009.

Gollancz acquires 'explosive' SF thriller by Sullivan Gollancz has acquired an “explosive literary” science fiction thriller and its follow-up by Arthur C Clarke award winner Tricia Sullivan [pictured]. Associate publisher Simon Spanton bought world rights to Occupy Me and one other book from Alex Adsett at Alex Adsett Publishing Services. Sullivan’s “thought-provoking and action-packed” book is a “quest for the salvation of earth, for the secrets of the universe and for a sense of self”.

Brickell sets up own PR firm Maura Brickell, dubbed by PR Week as one of its 30 under 30, has opened a solo PR and communications business. Brickell, previously campaigns director at Riot Communications and ex-Headline Publishing publicist has announced that her agency, Maura PR & Communications is open for business.

Book on 'radicals' to William Heinemann William Heinemann has acquired a book exploring the individuals, groups and movements “rejecting the way we live today and attempting to find an alternative”. Tom Avery bought UK and Commonwealth rights to Radicals by Jamie Bartlett from Caroline Michel at PFD. In Radicals the reader is “taken into the strange worlds of the innovators, disrupters, idealists and extremists who think we can do better, and believe they know how”.

Kelpies Prize shortlist revealed Unpublished books by Julie MacPherson, Justin Nevil and Mark Smith are on the shortlist for this year’s Kelpies Prize, organised by Edinburgh-based publisher Floris Books to celebrate new Scottish children’s writing. Three stories are shortlisted for the 2015 prize: Macpherson’s Drowning in the Mirror by Julie MacPherson, a teen mystery; Nevil’s Monsters M.I.A., about a girl who investigates a series of kidnappings; and Smith’s Slug Boy Saves the World, in which Slug Boy is the only superhero left in the world.

Writers’ Centre Norwich to promote UK writing talent overseas Writers’ Centre Norwich (WCN) is to support emerging writers, translators and literature development professionals through a “major” new programme after receiving a grant from Arts Council England (ACE). Using the International Showcasing grant, WCN will work in partnership with the British Council on a two and a half year project to help people reach international markets and to support literature organisations in their international working. The International Literature Showcase (ILS) is intended to be “the leading opportunity to promote UK writing talent overseas”.