News: books

Follett prequel set for September 2020

Ken Follett’s new novel The Evening and the Morning, a prequel to his bestselling 1989 book The Pillars of the Earth, will be released on 15th September... Read more

Cotton and Hodder's Aspinall join HQ fiction team

Cicely Aspinall is leaving Hodder to join HQ as senior commissioning editor for fiction, while HarperFiction’s Finn Cotton has also been appointed to the team.... Read more

Hay Festival reveals earlybird events by Mantel, Smith and Hirsch

Hay Festival has announced eight “earlybird” events for next year’s activism and climate crisis-themed event. Read more

Stormzy takes Merky authors to former school

More than 400 pupils at Stormzy's former school were treated to an event with the grime rapper Read more

Bloomsbury buys Oberon Books in £1.2m deal

Bloomsbury has bought London-based theatre publisher Oberon Books in a £1.2m deal. Read more

Kate Figes dies from cancer, aged 62

Author and You Magazine books editor Kate Figes has died from cancer at the age of 62. Figes wrote two novels and six works of... Read more

Six-strong Portico Prize shortlist channels 'spirit of the North'

Books from Fleet, Picador and Lightning Books are in the running for the £10,000 Portico Prize for Literature, an award "for outstanding literature that best evokes the... Read more

Five questions for... Alex Michaelides

Ahead of the paperback publication of The Silent Patient, its author Alex Michaelides talks to us about the inspirations behind his bestselling debut novel. ... Read more

Bettany wins HQ and Gransnet prize for women writers over 40

Jane Bettany has won HQ and Gransnet's writing prize for unpublished women writers aged over 40. Read more

Sethi seeks sponsors and patrons for 'storytelling centre' in inner-city Manchester

Journalist and activist Anita Sethi is founding the I Belong Here foundation to help marginalised groups find a voice through writing—including proposing a ‘Ministry of... Read more

Costa Short Story Award voting opens

Voting has opened for the 2019 Costa Short Story Award, with the public invited to pick their favourite from three stories written by mystery authors.... Read more

Hamilton becomes first three-time William Hill Sports Book of the Year winner

Duncan Hamilton has become the first person to win the William Hill Sports Book of the Year three times after he scooped the 2019 prize for The... Read more

Humphreys and Ward win Educational Writers' Award

Author Alistair Humphreys and illustrator Kevin Ward have won the 2019 Educational Writers’ Award for Great Adventurers (Big Picture Press). Read more

Oxford Story Museum to reopen in April 2020 after £6m transformation

Oxford’s redeveloped Story Museum will open in April 2020, including exhibits on Malorie Blackman and Philip Pullman’s work, following a £6m transformation.... Read more