Latest News from The Bookseller

Bonnier Zaffre poaches Wilbur Smith in eight-figure deal Bonnier Zaffre has poached author Wilbur Smith from HarperCollins in an eight-figure sterling deal, described as "one of the biggest in publishing history" by Bonnier Publishing group chief executive Richard Johnson.

Rowling, Callil, Briggs named in Queen's Birthday Honours J K Rowling has been made a Companion of Honour for her services to literature and philanthropy in the Queen’s Birthday Honour’s list.

Rundell, Millwood Hargrave and Thomas join in Grenfell fire auction Authors, agents and editors are coming together for an online auction to help those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire.

Sebastian Barry named the Walter Scott Prize's first double winner Irish writer Sebastian Barry has won the £25,000 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction for a second time for his American epic Days Without End (Faber).

Amazon sends 'shockwave' in Whole Foods acquisition Online retailer Amazon is to acquire US supermarket chain Whole Foods Market Inc for $13.7bn (£10.72bn).

Lambert appointed Bloomsbury chairman Former Financial Times editor Sir Richard Lambert is to join Bloomsbury as a non-executive chairman.

Delay to EU progress on e-book VAT There has been a delay to progress on the planned measure to allow VAT on e-books to be reduced, after the members of the EU's Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) failed to reach an agreement on the proposals.

Wren & Rook to publish book on 'bold sportswomen' Wren & Rook, the non-fiction imprint of the Hachette Children’s Group, has acquired a book celebrating 50 trailblazing women in sport by US author Rachel Ignotofsky.