Pan Macmillan issued a brief statement about their recalled Andrew Marr book, saying that “through its solicitors [it] has apologized to Erin Pizzey for the situation that has arisen, has withdrawn the book from circulation and will be removing the passage complained of. As this is an ongoing legal matter, Pan Macmillan will not be able to comment any further.” Attorney Edward Yell, who represents Pizzey, acknowledged the legal objection concerned an assertion in the book that Pizzey (a women’s rights activist) was linked to a militant bombing group in the 1970s called the Angry Brigade. “Yell said he sent […]
UK
Barry Wins Overall Costa
Irish writer Sebastian Barry missed out on the Booker, but now he has won the overall Costa Award for THE SECRET SCRIPTURE. Chairman of the judges’ panel Matthew Parris cited “a narrator had been created of such a transcendence that that redeemed all the other structural weaknesses in the book.”Wire
Nicolas Cheetham to Run New Atlantic Books Imprint; Quercus Cuts Salaries; Layoffs at Waterstone's
Editorial Director at Quercus Nicolas Cheetham will move to Atlantic Books in early February where he will be publishing director of Corvus, a new genre fiction imprint. Publishing approximately 15 titles a year and launching in fall 2009, Cheetham will focus on crime, thrillers and speculative fiction, building a list of around 15 books per year. B2B Cheetham’s position will not be filled at Quercus, and another unnamed employee has left the company. Quercus staff has “voluntarily taken a pay cut to avoid the need” for layoffs, the Bookseller reports. In other cutbacks in the UK, bookseller Waterstone’s is eliminating […]
Costa Winners Include Athill, 91
Recently given an OBE on the Queen’s annual honors list, Diana Athill has won the Costa Award for biography for SOMEWHERE TOWARDS THE END, a contemplation of the advantages and disadvantages of advanced age. The other category winners are: First NovelSadie Jones, The Outcast, scoops Novel Sebastian Barry, The Secret Scripture PoetryAdam Foulds, The Broken Word Children’sMichelle Magorian, Just Henry The overall book of the year winner will be selected from among the category honorees later this month. Guardian
UK Sales Finish 2008 Down Slightly
According to Nielsen Bookscan, unit book sales in the UK for 2008 were down by just 0.4 percent, while revenue declined 1.6 percent to 1.773 billion pounds. Revenue was up 3.7 percent for the first half of the year, but declined 5 percent during the second half.
Credit Insurance Lifted for Borders UK
Top credit insurer Euler Hermes is continuing to pull insurance cover from a number of retail operations, now including all of Borders UK, as well as the UK’s Book People. The decision is reportedly based on the overall economic decline rather than specific weaknesses at those operations. The Bookseller says that “the action has prompted at least one distributor to advise its clients to reconsider their trading limits. Hachette-owned LBS has emailed its publisher clients warning them that it wants to be told of the new limits by 23rd December or the supply of books will be placed on hold.”Bookseller