Balancing the books: how Waterstones came back from the dead

The chain of booksellers has announced its first profit in years – thanks in part to a bold decision to run each branch like a local bookshop Late on Thursday afternoon, would-be wizards across the UK dropped what they were doing to join the professors of Hogwarts for Harry Potter night. At 6pm in the basement of Waterstones’ six-storey London Piccadilly building, staff were scurrying around with bowls of jellybeans and bottles of raspberry lemonade, but the Harrys and Hermiones were nowhere to be seen.A couple of elderly customers looked faintly disgruntled to find their favourite section shut for a private party. Two young sisters, Alex, 11, and eight-year-old Polly, fidgeted by the closed door clutching a box of quidditch balls, while Yang, a 22-year-old physics student from Korea, appeared baffled. Related: A Twitter love story: the woman who wed @WstonesOxfordSt Related: Waterstones children’s book prize 2016 shortlists - in pictures Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2017-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Thomas and Waterstones winners at Cross Sports Book Awards

Books illuminating the lives of gay sportsmen have been honoured at the Cross British Sports Book Awards, with Gareth Thomas' Proud and a biography of John Curry both picking up prizes. Proud, the memoir of Welsh rugby international Gareth Thomas [pictured], published by Ebury, was named... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bury This Book In The Ground And It Will Magically Come Back As A Tree

This children's book not only teaches about ecology, it practices it.Despite the rise of ebooks, most children's books are still made from trees. One new picture book is designed as a simple reminder of that fact: When kids finish reading a story about an adventure in the rainforest, they can... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2015-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sin Is In: 7 (Deadly) Sin Books for Spring and Summer

Sun, sand, and--sin? Shelve the beach reads for books that explore the shadows of evil-doing and guilt. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Dead Good Books creates crime awards

Penguin Random House’s crime community Dead Good Books has created six awards to be presented at this year’s Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival by authors including Lee Child and Val McDermid. Each award has been created in collaboration with the Dead Good Facebook community and... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Rare, Revolutionary Photo Book Is Back in Print

Henri Cartier-Bresson's famous photo book is republished after 60 years, proving that breaking the rules can change everything. The post Rare, Revolutionary Photo Book Is Back in Print appeared first on WIRED. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2015-03-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Biddulph wins Waterstones Children’s Book Prize

Rob Biddulph was today (26th March) announced as the overall winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, as well as the best illustrated book category. Biddulph, who is also the art director of the Observer magazine, won the prize for Blown Away (HarperCollins Children’s Books), about a... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bestselling author Erik Larson garners rave reviews for his upcoming book 'Dead Wake'

'Wake' centers on the sinking of the British ship the Lusitania in 1915. The book will be released on March 10. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-03-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Indie Book Day backed by bookshops and publishers

Indie Book Day is set to make a mark on the UK this year after starting in Germany two years ago and quickly spreading across Europe. The campaign – which hopes to become comparable to the American Record Store Day event, but for books – wants readers to flock to independent bookshops on 21st... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This Book Cover Judges You Back

You can't open this book—literally—until you make it clear you don't have any preconceived notions.I'll admit it: I definitely judge books by their covers. But this book might train those of us who are prone to snap judgments to become slightly better people. If you look at the book with... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2015-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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blinkbox Books to close after Waterstones talks fail

Tesco will close its ebooks service blinkbox Books at the end of February after talks with Waterstones to buy the platform broke down. All 60 core staff who work on the blinkbox Books platform are now expected to enter a consultation period over their jobs and are likely to be made... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Waterstones in talks to buy Blinkbox books

Waterstones is in exclusive talks to buy Blinkbox books, The Bookseller understands. Tesco is in exclusive talks with one buyer, thought to be Waterstones, with a deal expected to be finalised by the end of this week. The bookseller urgently needs a digital app-based proposition to rival... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Miniaturist named Waterstones Book of the Year

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton has been named as the Waterstones Book of the Year. Burton's debut novel, published by Picador, beat a shortlist that also included Man Booker Prize winner The Narrow Road to the Deep North and Samuel Johnson Prize winner H is for Hawk. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Eight books up for Waterstones prize

Richard Flanagan's Man Booker Prize winning novel The Narrow Road to the Deep North is among eight contenders for Waterstones Book of the Year 2014. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2014-11-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Scots back kids’ book centre at Moat Brae

The Scottish book industry has spoken out in support of the creation of a new centre for children’s literature in Dumfries, due to open in 2017. The Peter Pan Moat Brae Trust (PPMBT) is hoping to raise £5.9m to open the centre at Moat Brae—a Georgian townhouse, currently in a state of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Rylance-backed book wins £5,000 prize

A debut novel whose supporters include actor Mark Rylance and Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith wins a £5,000 award given annually to "fearless" writing. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2014-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Big names give backing to Books Are My Bag

Celebrities and authors including Graham Norton and Ross Kemp have thrown their weight behind the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Oyster Looks Back at a Year of E-book Subscription

A year after its launch, ebook subscription service Oyster, has added tens of thousands of titles, scores of new publishers and appears to be attracting more subscribers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Business Adventures why Bill Gates's favourite book is back at the top of the bestseller lists

It is 43 years old and was out of print for ages, but the Microsoft mogul's approval has caused a brand new surge in salesName: Business AdventuresAge: 43 Continue reading... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-08-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children's book author refuses award backed by Amazon

Allan Ahlberg refused a lifetime achievement award because it was sponsored by the internet bookseller Amazon. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-07-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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