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Mystery donor pledges £250k to UK bookseller hardship fund

Thursday, 23 April 2020
In the UK, a crowdfunding campaign has raised around £380,000 (A$742,700) for booksellers affected by the Covid-19 crisis, after a mystery donor pledged £250,000 (A$488,600), reports the Bookseller. Penguin Random...

Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlist announced

Wednesday, 22 April 2020
The 2020 shortlist for the £30,000 (A$58,600) Women's Prize for Fiction has been announced. The shortlisted novels are: Girl, Woman, Other (Bernardine Evaristo, Hamish Hamilton) The Mirror & The Light...

Shortlist for £10,000 Ondaatje Prize announced

Tuesday, 21 April 2020
The 2020 shortlist for the £10,000 (A$19,520) Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize has been announced. The annual award recognises books ‘of the highest literary merit—fiction, nonfiction or poetry—which best...

PW launches #BooksAreEssential campaign

Monday, 20 April 2020
US trade publication Publishers Weekly (PW) has launched a new social media campaign to promote the importance of books. The #BooksAreEssential hashtag was created in response to the shutdown of...

PRH Spain introduces online direct sales platform

Wednesday, 15 April 2020
In Spain, Penguin Random House (PRH) has launched Mugustaleer, a direct sales ecommerce platform for print books, after several weeks of country-wide lockdown measures that have included bookshop closures. Ten...

Shortlist announced for 2020 Jhalak Prize for BAME writers

Wednesday, 15 April 2020
The shortlist for the UK’s Jhalak Prize for black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) writers has been announced. The shortlisted titles are: The Black Flamingo (Dean Atta, Hodder Children’s) Remembered...

HarperCollins UK puts staff on furlough

An image of the HarperCollins logo. Tuesday, 14 April 2020
HarperCollins UK is placing a number of its staff on furlough, reports the Bookseller. The number of staff to be put on furlough is unconfirmed, but it includes those from...

UK publishers furlough staff

Wednesday, 8 April 2020
Penguin Random House (PRH) UK, Hachette UK and Bonnier UK are furloughing a number of their workers, reports the Bookseller. For furloughed workers, the UK government is providing grants for...

Dylan Thomas Prize 2020 shortlist announced

Wednesday, 8 April 2020
The shortlist for the £30,000 (A$60,000) International Dylan Thomas Prize has been announced. The shortlisted titles are: Surge (Jay Bernard, Chatto & Windus) Flèche (Mary Jean Chan, Faber) Inland (Téa...

HarperCollins to acquire Egmont Books UK

Thursday, 2 April 2020
HarperCollins has announced its intention to acquire Egmont Books UK, as well as Egmont’s book businesses in Poland and Germany, reports the Bookseller. The transaction is for an undisclosed sum...

Bertram closes temporarily

Wednesday, 1 April 2020
In the UK, wholesaler Bertram has temporarily closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, reports the Bookseller. Bertram Group CEO Raj Patel cited staff welfare as a primary concern, noting that...

Gardners suspends new orders

Tuesday, 31 March 2020
UK-based distributor Gardners has suspended taking new orders for physical products, citing the safety and wellbeing of its workforce as the reason for the decision. An announcement on the Gardners...

B&N closes 400 shops temporarily

Monday, 30 March 2020
In the US, bookselling chain Barnes & Noble (B&N) has temporarily closed about 400 stores to the public, reports Publishers Weekly. The chain is working with state and local governments...

PRH, BA back crowdfunding campaign for booksellers

Friday, 27 March 2020
In the UK, Penguin Random House (PRH) and the Booksellers Association (BA) are backing a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for booksellers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, reports the Bookseller....

US publishers consider moving pub dates

Thursday, 26 March 2020
In the US, major publishers are struggling with whether or not to move publication dates of forthcoming titles in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, reports Publishers Weekly (PW). Publishers are...

PRH profits, revenue up 6.2% in 2019

Wednesday, 25 March 2020
Penguin Random House (PRH) revenue and profit was up 6.2% in 2019, according to parent company Bertelsmann, reports the Bookseller. The publisher’s revenues increased 6.2% to €3.64 billion (A$6.6b), with...

Luiselli becomes first woman to win Folio Prize

Tuesday, 24 March 2020
In the UK, Mexican novelist Valeria Luiselli has become the first woman to win the £30,000 (A$59,470) Rathbones Folio Prize for her novel Lost Children Archive (Fourth Estate). Lost Children...

US print book sales down 10% last week

Friday, 20 March 2020
In the US, NPD BookScan figures show print book unit sales fell 10% for the week ending March 14 compared to the previous week, after physical bookstores began closing their...

Macmillan lifts library embargo for new-release ebooks

Thursday, 19 March 2020
In the US, Macmillan has abandoned its embargo on new-release ebooks in libraries, reports Publishers Weekly. ‘There are times in life when differences should be put aside,’ said Macmillan CEO...

Amazon deprioritises book sales

Wednesday, 18 March 2020
In the US and Europe, Amazon has deprioritised book sales as the company works to meet the surge in demand for household staples, medical supplies and other high demand products,...