Global | The Bookseller

Pearson to increase MML stake

Publication Date: Thu, 23/10/2008 - 07:23

Pearson is to increase its stake in Maskew Miller Longman, an educational publisher in South Africa, and plans to bring together its education companies in the region into a new organisation called Pearson South Africa.

Maskew Miller Longman is currently 50% owned by Pearson and the remaining 50% is held by Caxton and CTP Publishers and...

Global | Maskew Miller Longman | pearson | Philip Jones | South Africa
Kundera wants apology over spy allegation

Publication Date: Thu, 23/10/2008 - 07:13

Milan Kundera, author The Unbearable Lightness of Being, has demanded that a Czech magazine apologises for alleging that he once informed on a purported western spy, reports the Scotsman.

The Respekt weekly was given two weeks to apologise, said Jiri Srstka, the director of the Dilia agency, which represents...

Global | legal | Milan Kundera | Philip Jones
Murdoch objects to book

Publication Date: Thu, 23/10/2008 - 07:11

Rupert Murdoch has taken issue with a new biography by Michael Wolff, The Man Who Owns the News. The chairman and c.e.o. of New Corporation has raised objections with Wolff and his publisher, Doubleday in the US, about portions of the book that suggest that he is at times embarrassed by Fox News, which he owns, and its chief executive...

Global | News Corporation | Philip Jones | Rupert Murdoch | US
New Australia-Asia prize selects dozen

Publication Date: Mon, 20/10/2008 - 06:01

Haruki Murakami, J M Coetzee and Mohsin Hamid all feature on the longlist for the new Australia-Asia Literary Award.

The prize, which is worth AUD $110,000 is awarded to a work of literary fiction written by an author resident in Australia or Asia, or a work primarily set in Australia or an Asian country. Works must have been either...

Australia Asia Literary Award | Global | Media | Philip Jones | Prize
US publishers have economic jitters, says survey

Publication Date: Wed, 08/10/2008 - 06:40

Publishing Trends has released highlights of its latest US publishing industry survey, revealing "economic jitters, enduring love of books and hope for change".

According to the publishing industry newsletter, more than 380 people took part in the survey, with literary agents forming the largest group of respondents....

economy | Global | Philip Jones | Publishing Trends | US
American anti-Obama author arrested

Publication Date: Wed, 08/10/2008 - 06:00

A controversial American author and conspiracy theorist was arrested in Nairobi and deported after trying to plug his bestselling book attacking Barack Obama, whose late father was Kenyan, reports the Guardian. Jerome Corsi arrived in the country last week to promote The Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality, an error-...

Anna Richardson | Barack Obama | Global | Kenya | US
Staff laid off at Canadian Oxford Dictionary

Publication Date: Mon, 06/10/2008 - 07:00

The entire staff of the "Canadian Oxford Dictionary" has been laid off because of declining sales, which the book's publisher attributes to the proliferation of free online dictionaries.

The Canadian branch of Oxford University Press says it told two full-time and two part-time employees this week they would be let go due...

Canada | Global | Oxford Dictionary | Philip Jones
Sony launches US Reader campaign

Publication Date: Thu, 02/10/2008 - 07:07

Sony is launching a nation-wide campaign in the US dubbed "Reader Revolution" to promote their e-book reader. Spearheading the effort is two-time world record-holding speed-reader Dave Farrow, who will be reading digital books on the Reader around the clock for 30 days in New York, reports I4U News.

For each page Dave Farrow...

ebooks | Global | Philip Jones | Sony Reader | US
Penguin India looks to Pakistan and Middle East

Publication Date: Thu, 02/10/2008 - 07:04

Penguin India is planning to expand its business to Pakistan and Middle East countries, reports PTI. As part of the expansion plan, the publishing house will release about 240 titles in the current year.

The company is also organising its second annual lecture on 13th October, to be delivered by British diplomat and author Chris Patten,...

Global | pearson | Penguin | Penguin India | Philip Jones
Doubleday US launches internet channel

Publication Date: Thu, 02/10/2008 - 07:02

Random House division Doubleday in the US is launching a new branded channel with programming on books and author on internet broadcasting network KoldCast TV.

The new channel has more than 60 video book trailers and author interviews at launch, available within KoldCast TV's "Branded" micro network. The programming is...

Doubleday | Global | Media | Philip Jones | random house | US