News: books

HarperCollins UK gender pay gap falls slightly to 15.3%

The mean gender pay gap at HarperCollins UK in 2020 narrowed slightly from 2019's figure to 15.3%, with more women joining the company's higher paid... Read more

New Virago bursary for London Library's Emerging Writers Programme

The London Library's Emerging Writers Programme will run for a third year in 2021, including a new Virago Participation Bursary to support Black women and Black non-binary... Read more

A Promised Land tops 2020 US print bestsellers chart

Barack Obama's memoir A Promised Land was the bestselling title in print of 2020 in the US, according to recently released data from NPD BookScan showing it shifted almost 2.6... Read more

Leonard and Hungry Paul named Dublin Book of the Year

Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronan Hession as been chosen as Dublin's Book of the Year for 2021. Read more

Book Aid sent out over 850,000 books in 2020

Book Aid International has revealed it provided 867,567 new books, all donated by UK publishers, to communities around the world over the course of last year. ... Read more

Lit fest The Coast is Queer returns in 2021 with Stuart and McDermid

Douglas Stuart, the 2020 Booker Prize winner, is among confirmed speakers for Brighton & Hove’s LGBTQ+ literature festival, The Coast is Queer, returning after its inaugural year in 2019 in digital form from 5th-7th... Read more

Welbeck appoints Vucicevic as editorial director

Welbeck has appointed Ajda Vucicevic from Mirror Books as editorial director for its narrative non-fiction team. Read more

Agent Christopher Little dies, aged 79

Christopher Little, the agent who launched J K Rowling's career, has died at the age of 79. Read more

PW launches new US trade fair to 'fill BookExpo void'

Publishers Weekly has launched a new American publishing trade fair, following the retirement of BookExpo at the end of 2020.... Read more

Indie bookshop numbers rose again in 2020, BA stats show

The number of independent bookshops in the UK and Ireland has grown for the fourth consecutive year, the Booksellers Association has confirmed. ... Read more

McNicoll bags Blackwell's Book of the Year

Children's book A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll has been named as the Blackwell’s Book of the Year for 2020.... Read more

Majority of indie bookshops report Christmas sales rise

More than three-quarters of independent booksellers responding to The Bookseller's 2020 Christmas trading survey saw a rise in business year-on-year for the festive period. The Booksellers Association... Read more

LGBTQI+ Cipher Press opens submissions for new queer voices

New indie publisher Cipher Press has announced its #newqueervoices submissions for UK writers identifying as trans, gender non-conforming, queer, working class and as writers of colour. ... Read more

Mixed views on click and collect as indies gear up for 'tough' lockdown

Some independent booksellers have expressed reservations about continuing with click and collect services, as England moves into full lockdown this week. Read more