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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Berkley picks up two new installments of Sherry Thomas’s Lady Sherlock series, as well as three novels by Rhys Bowen; Sourcebooks buys a title exploring the advantages of anxiety; and more in this week's notable book deals. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-10-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Italy's book market is “leaving the [economic] crisis behind” with “positive signals” including a small rise in the value of print sales. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-10-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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What a to-do there has been about this year's Man Booker Prize. First, it was the shortcomings of the longlist, which, according to Britain's Telegraph, had "overlooked some of the year's most exciting releases". Then, of course, it was all about the shortlist, which had too many Americans on... Continue reading at Stuff
[ Stuff | 2017-10-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In more fallout from the Harvey Weinstein scandal, Hachette Book Group has terminated its Weinstein Books imprint and, effective immediately, all books under the imprint will be released by the publisher's Hachette Books imprint. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-10-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bloomsbury is to publish a "major" book on Donald Trump’s first years as President of the United States, by New York Times journalists Maggie Haberman and Glenn Thrush. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-10-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A cuddly antidote to worrying times, ‘pet lit’ has become a publishing phenomenon. But isn’t it all a bit twee?Picture the scene: it’s the end of a long day. You’re tired, you’re cold, you need to curl up with a cup of tea and something comforting to read. But wait! You also love animals. What... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2017-10-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Alys Conran's Dylan Thomas prize-shortlisted debut Pigeon (Parthian) is in the running for the 2017 Wales Book of the Year, alongside titles from Seren, Worple and Granta, among others. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A fundraising book developed in the wake of the Manchester Arena attack has raised over £140,000 for charity since publication in September, according to James Torry, who conceived the project. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Quercus has pre-empted rights to a book by former publishers Rose Davidson and Arzu Tahsin, entitled Crafty Therapy: A Guide to Making and Mending Yourself. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This week's book to film deals include a TV deal for the new book by Robert Harris, and a TV deal for a memoir by Tina Brown. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pearson and Harvard Business Review Press are both strong on the 25-strong shortlist for the £5,000 2017 Management Book of the Year, announced by The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and the British Library. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Philip Pullman’s eagerly awaited La Belle Sauvage has reportedly reached Dutch readers a few weeks early after a publisher’s mix-up. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Super Thursday publication of Dawn French’s Me·You A Diary was met with the approval of one mega fan, who promptly had the book's cover art tattooed on her body the day after publication. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Hachette Book Group's joint imprint with the Weinstein Company will honor its authors' contracts, but no further plans have been made for Weinstein Books in the wake of sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This week's hot books include an Italian thriller that is the first in a new series and a new novel from 'History of Bees' author Maja Lunde. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Foyles is poised to launch a subscription book club as it positions itself to capitalise on Christmas trading in the final quarter of the year. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-10-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Troubled publisher Freight Books has been accused of "rubbing salt in the wound" by sending an email to writers asking if they wanted to buy their own books. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Like certain comets, books by Jeffrey Eugenides appear only rarely. Since 1993 he has dropped a novel a decade: The Virgin Suicides, Middlesex, which won a Pulitzer Prize, and most recently The Marriage Plot. Continue reading at Stuff
[ Stuff | 2017-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors David Walliams, David Nicholls and S J Watson are among those who have pledged money to crowdfund the publication of journalist Matt Cain’s book after it was rejected more than 30 times by traditional publishers. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HarperFiction has signed bestselling saga writer Dilly Court for another six books in a "major" six-figure deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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