Latest News from The Bookseller

IBW 'has taken on creative life of its own' The co-ordinator of Independent Bookshop Week has said this year's IBW is what the Booksellers Association has "always envisioned", with the event taking on a "creative life of its own." Meanwhile booksellers said their events had been "well attended" this year and that IBW 2015 was "the biggest yet". Meryl Halls, head of membership services for the BA, responsible for coordinating the week, said the 10th year of the event, which encourages the public to shop at independent booksellers through events and media coverage, had been a been a "wonderful spectacle".

Report highlights weak language skills of disadvantaged boys More than 40% of boys receiving free school meals lag behind their peers in terms of language skills by the age of five, according to a new report from the Read On. Get On. coalition. The Ready to Read report shows that 40% of "poor" boys (those who receive free school meals) are lacking crucial language skills such as understanding spoken instructions, asking "why" questions and grasping complicated words and phrases. Boys are faring worse than girls, with 27% of poor girls lagging behind their wealthier counterparts.

Fifty Shades Ltd made £10m profit last year E L James’ own company Fifty Shades Ltd had a “very successful” year to the end of September 2014, with a turnover of £18.1m and profits of £9.8m. However, this was down significantly on the previous year, when the company generated £43m with a profit of £25m.

First colouring-for-adults apps from Octopus Octopus has launched four adult colouring-in and dot-to-dot apps which can be completed on screen using a finger. The Colouring for Mindfulness series, the first digital range of colouring-in titles, has been developed in collaboration with developers Papertrell. The apps can be downloaded free from the App Store (iOS-only), and each offers one drawing for free and others available as in-app purchases (£1.49 for each collection, or multiple buys discounted).

Hachette Children’s appoints licensing director Hachette Children’s Group (HCG) has appointed Katie Price, former global director of publishing at HIT Entertainment and Mattel, as licensing director. Price will take up the role at the end of August and will report directly to c.e.o. Hilary Murray Hill.

Robertson joins Viking non-fiction Emily Robertson has been appointed as editor for non-fiction at Viking. Robertson, who was previously at Hodder, will be acquiring across narrative and illustrated non-fiction at the Penguin General imprint. She will report to Viking publisher Joel Rickett. Viking said Robertson would help continue the imprint’s “growth in areas like sport, memoir, culture and personal development”.

O’Brien joins Sophie Hicks agency Morag O'Brien is joining the Sophie Hicks Agency as foreign rights director. O’Brien, former foreign rights director at Ed Victor Ltd, will take on the role on the 1st September. Hicks set up her eponymous agency in 2014 after also leaving Ed Victor. Her authors include Eoin Colfer and Emerald Fennell. She said: “I have long regarded Morag O'Brien as one of the very best foreign rights directors in the business and I am thrilled that she has chosen to join my agency."

Riddell coup for indie Burning Eye Burning Eye Books is continuing to develop its list of performance poets while also branching out into other genres, including a collection of poems illustrated by Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell.

IB appoints Robert Bolick The International Baccalaureate (IB) has appointed Robert Bolick to lead its publishing strategy. The IB, based in the Hague, is a non-profit foundation which offers educational programmes to schools. Bolick, whose career has included roles in academic, professional, STM and standards publishing and who has worked for companies including McGraw-Hill Education, has been appointed as IB’s head of digital publishing and language services.

More Dennis the Menace from PRH Penguin Random House Children’s is this year publishing a range of new titles in the ‘The Diaries of Dennis the Menace’ series, as sales reach more than a quarter of a million copies, according to licence holder DC Thomson. In July, PRH will release The Diaries of Dennis the Menace: Canine Carnage, the fifth book in the series, written by author Steven Butler, before publishing Dennis the Menace and Gnasher: The Golden Catapult activity book in the autumn.

DK‘s visual history revamp DK is publishing a reworked version of its 2005 title Art: A Visual History by art critic Robert Cumming (September, £20).

City University wins OUP/BPP competition City University London has won the annual Oxford University Press and BPP University Law School national mooting competition 2014-15. The competition is for undergraduate law students and law conversion students, and the fictitious moot problem for the final was a criminal division appeal.