Big deals signed for study of a 19th-century family of killers, Hell’s Half-Acre, and Murder Isn’t Easy, a mortician’s take on Agatha Christie’s forensics The spectre of true crime was stalking the aisles at this year’s London book fair, with publishers snapping up investigations into past evils in the wake of successes in podcasting and television such as Dirty John, Serial and The Teacher’s Pet.Offers were flying in for former Waterstones bookseller Susan Jonusas’s first book Hell’s Half-Acre, a study of the the Bender family of serial killers in Kansas in 1873. Jonusas, 24, left Waterstones in December to write full-time. “Buried on a homestead seven miles south of the town were 11 bodies in varying states of decay. Further investigation revealed a well containing remains of even more victims. The number of people murdered was estimated at 20,” said Jonusas’s literary agency. “The idea that a family of seemingly respectable homesteaders were capable of operating ‘a human slaughter pen’ appalled and fascinated the nation. But who the Benders really were, why they committed such a vicious killing spree and what became of them when they fled from the law is a mystery that has remained unsolved to this day.” UK rights are still being finalised, with Viking snapping it up for a six-figure deal in the US. Agent Georgina Capel, who was fielding offers for the book, said: “I suspect the true-crime podcast thing is driving the current interest.” Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2019-03-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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TV producer Amanda Ross has criticised Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan for shifting their book club to W H Smith after their recommendation show ended on television. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This week's hot books include a philosophical title on the feelings of animals, and a Spanish historical women's fiction novel. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Films based on books take 44% more at the box office in the UK and 53% more worldwide than original screenplays, research from the Publishers Association (PA) has shown. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Among the titles optioned this week are a Stephen King short story from the 1970s and a biography of the notorious commodities trader and tax dodger Marc Rich, who was pardoned by Bill Clinton. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Taking head-on the critics who say that fine television and film production is eroding publishing's storytelling imprimatur, the Publishers Association's report asserts that the best–and best-earning–productions 'begin with a book.' The post New Report: Publishers Association Says the Best of... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A German author is taking Random House to court for declining to release his book Hostile Takeover: How Islam Hampers Progress and Threatens Society which it originally signed on the basis of a 10-page proposal. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Miriam Sontz, CEO of the indie Oregon bookstore chainlet, will step down in January 2019. Emily Powell, president and owner, and John Kingsbury, COO, will assume Sontz's responsibilities after her departure. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Michael Ondaatje's novel "The English Patient" won the Golden Man Booker Prize, a special award established to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the prestigious British literary prize, on Sunday night. "The English Patient" beat out four other books to claim the award, which was voted on by the... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-07-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As befits one more year of strident political discussion dominating public consciousness, political books sold well in the print sector in the first half of 2018. (Kids' books and nonfiction did pretty well, too.) Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-07-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Comic book artist Steve Ditko has died at the age of 90, the New York Times reports. Ditko was best known for his work creating Spider-Man, who debuted in the Marvel comic book series Amazing Fantasy in 1962. Although Spider-Man was initially conceived by artist Jack Kirby, Kirby’s version was... Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2018-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In the late summer of 1941, as millions of Americans were debating whether to become involved in the war against Hitler, the journalist Dorothy Thompson wrote a celebrated essay for Harper's magazine. The title was Who Goes Nazi?, and Thompson explained that she had devised "a somewhat macabre... Continue reading at Stuff
[ Stuff | 2018-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In her "fastest acquisition yet", editorial director for Orion Spring Olivia Morris pre-empted two books on baby loss and grief by Zoe Clark-Coates. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The annual list of the book trade’s next generation features a number of youngsters who are already right at the heart of the contemporary book trade. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House divison William Heinemann is launching a new imprint in partnership with musician Stormzy called #Merky Books. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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On the heels of the rapper’s deal with Random House, a look at the stars dipping their toes into publishing with imprints of their ownWith the launch of his new book imprint with publishing giant Random House, announced on Thursday via Instagram, the grime rapper Stormzy joined a growing list of... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2018-07-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Philip Jones calls on the industry to make books part of the national conversation. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-07-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In this week’s column, R.L. Stine goes graphic, Claire Needell takes her sophomore novel to HarperTeen, Neal Porter signs a Caldecott Medalist, and more in this week's notable book deals. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-07-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Faber & Faber is to publish the seventh book in the successful QI series in October, to tie in with the BBC 2 Show. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-07-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Lost Words (Hamish Hamilton) has become the first children’s book to be shortlisted for the £5,000 Wainwright Golden Beer Book Prize for nature writing. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-07-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Dialogue Books has signed Irenosen Okojie, a "fearless" writer publisher Sharmaine Lovegrove said had partly inspired the new inclusive imprint. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-07-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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