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Booksellers are placing their hopes on a stronger non-fiction for this year's Christmas period, the http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/7896234/Book-sellers-hope-celeb... target="_blank">Daily Telegraph reports.
According to the paper, retailers are pinning their hopes on autobiographies from a more appealing set of celebrities, including Dame Judi Dench, Stephen Fry, and Tony Blair.
Waterstone’s and W H Smith, as well as a number of smaller stores, saw a sharp drop in sales last year after "a plethora of memoirs from minor celebrities failed to attract readers", the paper said.
“Last year there were about 12 books by comedians and, great as they are, that’s probably a bit too much,” Waterstone's Jon Howells was quoted as saying. “[But publishers] are focusing on really strong stuff this year. It’s a much stronger Christmas than last.”
Alan Samson, publishing director at Weidenfeld & Nicolson, agreed. "I think it is going to be a more upmarket Christmas than last year," he said.