Saturday, April 25, 2015

Latest News from The Bookseller

Connect Books m.d. Justin Adams has said a more “sustainable” model is needed for the library supply chain.
Adams, who has led the company since January, emphasised Connect Books’ commitment to serving the public library sector, but said the Norwich-based firm had recently conducted an internal review of its library supply contracts to identify a number that were “unprofitable and unsustainable” in the medium term. 
Pearson has said trading for the first three months of 2015 has been in line with expectations, with a "good" first-quarter performance from Penguin Random House boosted by "million-copy" sales for The Girl on the Train.
Pearson's underlying sales for the quarter were down 1% to £0.9bn. Headline sales increased 5% with the benefit from the strength of the US dollar against sterling.
Conflicting messages have been issued on the Green Party's copyright policy, after an uproar among authors over its proposal to limit copyright to just 14 years.
Amazon achieved a 15% rise in first quarter net sales to $22.7bn, but sales in its international division were down. 
The e-commerce giant reported a loss of $57m for the quarter.
Authors gave a passionate defence of libraries and teachers at an event held last night (23rd April) to mark World Book Night.
Writers including David Almond, Lynda La Plante [pictured] and Irvine Welsh made speeches and gave readings during the event at the Shaw Theatre in London, the flagship event of World Book Night, which saw thousands of volunteers across the UK giving out 250,000 books to people to spread the love of reading.
Parragon has made three new senior management appointments.
The Bookseller is looking for this year’s Rising Stars for its annual feature on the next generation of movers and shakers in the book industry.
Nominations are now open to anyone across the industry, with a deadline of Friday 8th May.
A retrospective of Lauren Child’s work, including 50 original pieces of art by the author and illustrator, will take place at the National Trust’s Mottisfont property in Hampshire this summer.
The Art of Lauren Child: Adventures with Charlie, Lola and Friends will run from 18th July to 6th September, featuring illustrations by Child as well as objects that have inspired her work—including the vial that Lola’s pink milk glass, which features in the Charlie and Lola series, was based on.
Independent Bath-based bookseller Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights is being "twinned" with Parisian independent Shakespeare & Co next week to celebrate the publication of Nina George’s The Little Paris Bookshop (Abacus).
Figures from across the publishing industry are limbering up for the Virgin London Marathon this Sunday (26th April).
Nick Coveney, head of digital at Blink Publishing, will be running to raise money for the Alzheimer's Society and the Albert Kennedy Trust via his fundraising page.
Vintage is launching its lead debut fiction title of the summer, Kirsty Logan’s The Gracekeepers, with an interview on BBC Radio 2’s “Simon Mayo Book Club” and a circus-themed launch at Foyles at the Royal Festival Hall in London.
Logan will appear on Mayo’s show on 27th April. The book launch event will take place the day after and will see acrobats, fire performers, stilt walkers and face painters entertaining guests at the bookshop.
Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon will narrate the audio edition of Harper Lee's forthcoming novel, Go Set a Watchman.
The audiobook will be published by Random House Audiobooks on 14th July, alongside the print edition, published in the UK by William Heinemann.

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