Latest News from The Bookseller

LATEST NEWS David Mitchell pens new Twitter story David Mitchell is writing a new story on Twitter from today (Monday), as a character from his forthcoming book Slade House (Sceptre), which itself originated from a Twitter story. The starting point of Slade House, which is released on 27th October, was The Right Sort, a standalone Twitter story that inhabited the same universe as Mitchell’s Man Booker Prize longlisted novel The Bone Clocks, which was released last year. Ness refugee fundraiser hits £500,000 A fundraising effort for Syrian refugees started by author Patrick Ness has raised more than half a million pounds. Authors including Philip Pullman, John Green, Marian Keyes, and Cressida Cowell have all donated £10,000 each, matching donations made by the public. Nosy Crow looks to spread its wings Nosy Crow is looking to boost its fiction output to 36 titles a year, with business development manager Tom Bonnick taking on some of the responsibility of acquiring titles alongside head of fiction Kirsty Stansfield. Stansfield said: “Starting with no books [m.d. Kate Wilson set up Nosy Crow in 2011] was a very exciting position to be in. We’ve grown the list organically because we didn’t have any books, but we had authors we had worked with in the past who we wanted to bring in. It’s all coming together and every area of the list is exciting.” Women in translation flourishing Two new independent publishers, Calisi Press and Les Fugitives, are launching with the remit of publishing only women in translation. Mahey-Morgan launches new entertainment venture OWN IT! – a new venture by Crystal Mahey-Morgan – has today launched its website and announced its first three acquisitions. The company is described as a “new brand” of entertainment firm telling stories across books, music, fashion and film. Mahey-Morgan, who used to work at Penguin Random House and is also currently a director at Zed Books, said: “There’s never been a more exciting time to tell, share, experience and hear stories. New technologies mean new ways to be creative and more channels to reach different audiences. Ethan Hawke and wife pen book for Hutchinson Hutchinson is to publish a book by Oscar-nominated actor Ethan Hawke. Rules for a Knight is set in 1483 and tells the story of Cornish knight Sir Thomas Lemuel Hawke, who is about to write into battle. “On the eve of his departure, fearing he might die, he composes a letter to his young children, consisting of 20 virtues that provide instruction on how to live a noble life; the lessons, large and small, that he would like to impart to them,” said Hutchinson. All-Wales library card launches The Welsh government has announced plans to launch an all-Wales library card that would allow users to access all library services across Wales, with the move saving local authorities up to 70% on spending. Scribble draws up plans for children Scribe will this week start publishing picture books for the UK and Australasian market through its new imprint, Scribble. Miriam Rosenbloom (pictured), art director for Scribe Australia and UK, and now commissioning editor for Scribble, said the company had talked about publishing children’s books “for years” and that the time was right after she returned to her native Australia following six years based in the UK. Carroll to write Chicken House’s 'Big Idea' winner Author Emma Carroll is set to write a novel based on The First Aeronauts, the story that won Chicken House’s talent competition The Big Idea. End 'negative narrative' around libraries urges Settle Kathy Settle, chief executive of the Leadership for Libraries Taskforce, has argued for the need to “break the negative narrative” around the discussion of libraries.  Lownie uncovers sixth Cambridge spy in new book Andrew Lownie’s forthcoming book about the Cambridge Spy Ring has revealed a sixth member of the ring to be a MI6 physicist called Wilfred Mann. During the course of his research for his biography on Cambridge Spy Guy Burgess, due to be released this Thursday (10th September, Hodder & Stoughton), Lownie uncovered documents that he claims prove Wilfred Mann was the sixth member of the ring. Shortlisted school librarians have made 'huge difference' Librarians from Dublin, Reading and Shetland are on the shortlist for this year’s School Librarian of the Year Award, organised by the School Library Association (SLA). Three librarians are shortlisted this year: Annie Brady at St. Paul’s CBS Secondary School, an inner city secondary school in Dublin with 250 pupils; Chris Routh at Leighton Park School, a Quaker independent school in Reading with 440 day and boarding students aged 11-18; and Jane Spall at Aith Junior High School in Shetland with 182 students from nursery to 16 years old.