The Guardian view on Bloomsbury’s success: publishing wizardry | Editorial

The Harry Potter publisher ascribes its record profits to a hunger for affordable diversion. That’s the magic of booksIn the gloom of a UK economy teetering on the edge of recession, a glittering puff of smoke wafted up last week from the publisher that will for ever be associated with Harry Potter, when it reported its best ever performance.Bloomsbury is a very different company from the one that lucked out back in 1997 with JK Rowling, whose heptalogy continues to work its magic 26 years on. Her boy wizard would no doubt spot traces of floo powder in the hearths connecting international and UK sales, ebooks for universities and old‑fashioned books for children and adults – all of them combining to fly the company to rises of 15% in sales and 16% in profits in the last year. “In challenging economic times,” said the company’s CEO, Nigel Newton, “readers are turning to books as affordable as they cut back on more expensive forms of diversion.” Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2023-06-04 17:25:05 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "The Guardian view on Bloomsbury’s success: publishing wizardry | Editorial"

The magic that inspired Harry Potter on display at the British Library

Magic is in the air at the British Library here — specifically the magical world of one of the most famous characters in modern literature, Harry Potter. “Harry Potter: A History of Magic,” a recently opened exhibition spotlighting rare books and artifacts that detail traditions of folklore and... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2017-10-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Bringing the magic of Harry Potter to life

Acting children's editor and Harry Potter fan Caroline Carpenter gives her verdict on the British Library's new Harry Potter exhibition. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-10-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

MPs accuse Amazon and eBay of profiting from 'fraudsters'

Amazon and eBay have been accused of profiting from foreign firms trading on its marketplace platform and failing to charge VAT on UK sales, a Public Accounts Committee report has found. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-10-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

The Good Immigrant's editor plans new journal and agency for writers of colour

Nikesh Shukla and literary agent Julia Kingsford have launched Kickstarter appeal to fund The Good Journal, with further plans for an affiliated agencyAfter selling more than 50,000 copies and being named the British public’s favourite book of 2016, the success of anthology The Good Immigrant... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

With No Potter, Sales Plunged at Scholastic in Q1

A 52% decline in Scholastic's children’s book publishing group was blamed on the absence of a major bestseller. In fiscal 2017, the publisher's sales were driven by 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,' which was released during the first quarter of last year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-09-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

With No Harry Potter Bump, July 2017 Bookstore Sales Slipped 1.9%

While July sales last year were mightily padded by the release of 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,' which came out July 31, 2016, July 2017 saw no such blockbuster. Thanks in large part to this, July 2017 sales were down 1.9%, compared to the same time last year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-09-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

BBC programme will mark BL Harry Potter exhibition

The BBC will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter with “rarely seen documents from J K Rowling’s archives, revealing her magical inspirations” in the run up to the British Library’s exhibition next month. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-09-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

A 'Hamilton' backlash? Why none of that matters with this history-making tour

Jumping on bandwagons is my least favorite activity. Don't force me to tell you all the must-see movies I've skipped ("Forrest Gump" is all you'll get out of me), the No. 1 best-sellers I've bypassed (I discovered the world of "Harry Potter" only after it became a play) or the platinum records... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2017-08-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Lucky Strike: BBC hopes JK Rowling's sleuth will steal Victoria's crown

Series based on Harry Potter author’s novels written under pseudonym will face ITV’s hit period drama on Sunday nightsThe BBC is banking on JK Rowling’s magic touch in a Sunday night ratings battle between the sumptuous ITV costume drama Victoria and its own thriller, Strike, adapted from crime... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

'Harry Potter' screenings break Durham Book Festival records

The screenings of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone" at Durham Cathedral has broken all of the city’s book festival records with 1,500 tickets selling out in one day. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-08-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Books Suffer from Potter Curse, Sales Tumble 17%

Unit sales of print books in the week ended Aug. 6, 2017, were down 17% from the similar week in 2016 at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. The decline was due entirely to the release last year at this time of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which sold about 2.5 million... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-08-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Potter playscript pips rivals to the post

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Sphere) has bewitched the UK Official Top 50 for a second week, holding the number one spot with 23,711 copies sold, according to Nielsen BookScan’s Total Consumer Market. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-08-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

JK Rowling's return to Harry Potter makes her world's richest author in 2017

As her wizarding world returns to the stage and screen, Rowling’s $95m pushes James Patterson into second place with $87mJK Rowling will need to reserve a particularly large vault at Gringotts bank after a bumper year for the Harry Potter novelist magicked her back to the No 1 spot on Forbes’... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-08-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Rowling conjures up 79th number one with Cursed Child paperback

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Little, Brown) has Wingardium Levoisa’d straight into the UK Official Top 50 number one spot. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-08-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Former Paramount Pictures head sells Malibu Colony home for $18 million

Veteran Hollywood executive Jonathan Dolgen, who formerly headed Paramount Pictures, has sold his home in Malibu for $18 million. The buyer was Chris Columbus, director of such films as “Home Alone,” “Mrs. Doubtfire” and “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” The English traditional-style home... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2017-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone translated into Scots

The first book in the Harry Potter series is set to be translated into Scots for the first time, with "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stane", marking the 80th translation of the publishing phenomenon. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-06-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Wizard opens new world to Jo Rowling

On 11th July 1997, The Bookseller interviewed Jo Rowling, then a little-known author, about her first novel - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. To mark 20 years since the release of the first Harry Potter novel, we republish that interview, conducted by The Bookseller's then children's... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-06-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Bookshops weave some magic to mark Harry Potter’s 20th anniversary

Bookshops around the country are unveiling a host of magical events — including Quidditch Pong, Harry Potter Bingo and Horcrux hunts—to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the publication of J K Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Bloomsbury). Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-06-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this