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Sales of Frances Hardinge’s YA novel The Lie Tree (Macmillan Children’s Books) have increased 353% in volume terms since winning the Costa Book of the Year, according to Nielsen BookScan data.
The book was the surprise winner of the overall Costa award on 26th January, making Hardinge the first children’s author to pick up the prize since Philip Pullman 15 years ago.
Since publication in May 2015, UK sales of The Lie Tree have totalled 30,351 copies for £189,125, although 23,657 of those copies were sold after the Costa win.
The book was children’s number one in the Nielsen chart last week for a second week running, outselling David Walliams’ Awful Auntie (released in paperback last week by Harper Collins Children’s Books) by nearly 2,500 copies.
Rachel Petty, editorial director at Macmillan Children’s Books and Hardinge’s editor, said: “It’s incredibly gratifying to witness the world catching on to what the children’s book community have known all along: that Frances Hardinge is a colossally talented author, and that her books are for everyone. I’m so proud to be her editor – I always come away from working on her books feeling like I’ve had a glimpse into her extraordinary imagination, and the more people who can experience that, the better.”
Macmillan is now publishing a new “celebration” edition of The Lie Tree on 10th March and has sent independent booksellers promotional materials such as posters, bookmarks, postcards and signed stock. Chain retailer Waterstones has received exclusive “Lie Trees”, display signage and posters for window displays.
Consumer marketing has included wide underground advertising and digital advertising.