News

Random House has released the first direct-to-digital fiction title by bestselling author Katie Fforde, a short story entitled The Undercover Cook, while simultaneously relaunching her website.

The Undercover Cook will also feature the first chapter of Fforde's new physical book Recipe for Love, which will be published in hardback in March.

The digital short will be available to read across all devices, with prices varying depending on the retailer.

The website, www.katiefforde.com, includes photos, videos and written pieces from Fforde, as well as news, competitions and exclusives around her publications.

Century and Arrow publisher Selina Walker said: "Recipe for Love is set around a TV cookery competition so we're publishing a digital short which also has cooking at its heart, plus a very sexy chef, to whet the appetite of Katie's existing fans and also to entice new ones to sample her work." 

BBC Books has signed a two-year publishing deal with the BBC's upcoming talent show "The Voice" which will feature singers including Jessie J [pictured] and Tom Jones as talent coaches.

Editorial director Lorna Russell bought rights in four titles focused on the series from Julian Alexander at LAW: Backstage Pass (world English language rights); The 2012 Winners' Story (UK and Commonwealth); The Behind the Scenes Guide Series Two (world English language); and 2013 Winners' Story (UK and Commonwealth). The books will be written by TV and entertainment writer Tim Randall, who will be given access to contestants and coaches throughout the filming.

The first book, Backstage Pass, will be published on 12th April 2012 to coincide with the start of the live broadcasts, and will be priced £12.99.

The show, billed as the "purest vocal talent competition ever", will feature Tom Jones, Jessie J, Danny O'Donoghue from band The Script, and Will.I.Am from the Black Eyed Peas as the four recording artists searching for "the nation's best vocal talent".

The Publishers' Publicity Circle (PPC) has revealed the shortlists for its 2011 awards, including its new Librarian of the Year prize.

The awards are given to publicists responsible for the best PR campaigns carried out in 2011, and include the PPC Award for Hardback Non-Fiction, with nominations for Riot Communications' Anwen Hooson and Viking's Amelia Fairney for the campaign for Claire Tomalin's Charles Dickens: A Life, and Bloomsbury's Katie Bond for The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua.

Campaigns for memoirs of Bear Grylls, Shaun Ryder and Rob Brydon are in the running for the London Book Fair Award for Hardback Non-Fiction (Celebrity). Meanwhile Bertrams, with The Reading Agency, is a new sponsor for the Hardback Fiction Award, which includes Bethan Jones at Harvill Secker's campaign for The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and Frances Owen's campaign for Say Her Name by Francisco Goldman at Atlantic.

In the running for the inaugural PPC Librarian of the Year 2011 are Tim O'Dell of Lambeth Libraries, and Heather McNally of Kent Libraries.

The winners will be voted for by PPC members, and will be announced on the 15th February at the PPC Annual Awards dinner.

The shortlists in full:

PPC Award for Hardback Non-Fiction

Charles Dickens: A Life by Claire Tomalin – Anwen Hooson, Riot Communications, and Amelia Fairney, Viking, Penguin

The Man Who Broke into Auschwitz by Denis Avey and Rob Broomby - Karen Geary and Lucy Zilberkweit, Hodder & Stoughton

Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette Winterson – Chloe Johnson-Hill, Jonathan Cape, Random House

The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua – Katie Bond, Bloomsbury

Shapely Ankle Preferr'd by Francesca Beauman – Caroline Brown, Colman Getty for Chatto & Windus, Random House

I Shall Not Hate by Dr Izzeldin Abuelaish – Laura Brook, Bloomsbury

The London Book Fair Award for Hardback Non-Fiction (Celebrity)

Mud, Sweat and Tears by Bear Grylls – Polly Osborn, Transworld

Le Freak by Nile Rodgers – Tamsin Kitson, Sphere, Little, Brown

Twisting My Melon by Shaun Ryder – Polly Osborn, Transworld

May I Have Your Attention, Please? by James Corden – Natalie Higgins, Century, Random House

Small Man in a Book by Rob Brydon – Jo Wickham, Michael Joseph, Penguin

Role Models by John Waters – Ryan Davies, Beautiful Books

Hardback Fiction Award, Sponsored by Bertrams in conjunction with The Reading Agency

When God Was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman – Maura Brickell, Headline Review

Say Her Name by Francisco Goldman – Frances Owen, Atlantic Books

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh – Chloe Healy, Pan Macmillan

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern – Bethan Jones, Harvill Secker, Random House

Before I Go to Sleep by S J Watson – Alison Barrow and Ben Willis, Transworld

Snuff by Terry Pratchett – Lynsey Dalladay, Transworld

Waterstones Award for Second Edition Paperback: Fiction or Non-Fiction

The Bad Beekeeper's Club by Bill Turnbull – Madeleine Feeny, Sphere, Little, Brown

Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer - Preena Gadher and Ceri Maxwell from Riot Communications for Penguin    

The Brave by Nicholas Evans - Zoe Hood and Hannah Hargrave, Sphere, Little, Brown

The Big Short by Michael Lewis - Mari Yamazaki, Penguin    

    

Moth Smoke by Mohsin Hamid - Joe Pickering, Penguin 

   

Great Britain 9th Edition by Various, coordinating author David Else – Heather Carswell & Laura Lindsay for Lonely Planet

Daily Mail Award for Paperback Original Fiction

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan – Samantha Evans, Corsair, Constable & Robinson

Mercy by Jussi Adler-Olsen – Francesca Russell, Michael Joseph, Penguin

The Kid by Sapphire – Caroline Craig, Hamish Hamilton, Penguin

The Report by Jessica Francis Kane – Kelly Pike, Portobello Books

Ours are the Streets by Sunjeev Sahota – Emma Bravo, Pan Macmillan

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender – Ruth Waldram, Windmill Books, Random House

Foyles Award for Paperback Original Non-Fiction

How to Leave Twitter by Grace Dent – Rebecca Pearson, Guardian Books, Faber and Faber

Shattered by Rebecca Asher – Kate Bland and Ruth Warburton, Harvill Secker, Random House

Tiger Tiger by Margaux Fragoso – Mari Yamazaki, Penguin

God Collar by Marcus Brigstocke – Madeline Toy, Transworld

How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran – Ed Griffiths, Ebury Press, Random House

A Pocketful of Holes and Dreams by Jeff Pearce - Jo Wickham, Michael Joseph, Penguin

The Bookseller Award for a Children's Book

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys – Jayde Lynch, Puffin

My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher – Nina Douglas, Orion

Milo and the Restart Button by Alan Silberberg – Catherine Ward, Simon & Schuster

Harry Potter Signature Editions by J K Rowling – Ian Lamb, Bloomsbury

The Wombles by Elisabeth Beresford – Emma Bradshaw, Bloomsbury

Nielsen Award for a Generic Campaign

Great Food Series – Penelope Vogler, Penguin Press

Vintage 21 Anniversary – Lisa Gooding, Vintage Books, Random House

Announcement of the Children's Laureate – Anwen Hooson from Riot Communications and Alice Ingall from Book Trust

Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival – Preena Gadher and Liz Hyder, Riot Communications

247tales.com – Ian Lamb, Bloomsbury

Unbound Books – Chris Baker, Matt Railton and Truda Spruyt, Colman Getty for Unbound Books

Best Newcomer Award, Sponsored by Jo James

The Wrong Pong by Steven Butler – Hermione Lawton, Puffin, Penguin

The True Adventures of the World's Greatest Stuntman by Vic Armstrong with Robert Sellers – Sophie Calder, Titan Books

The Cry of the Go-Away Bird by Andrea Eames – Fiona Murphy, Harvill Secker, Random House

The Hanging Shed by Gordon Ferris – Becci Sharpe, Corvus, Atlantic

Awkward Family Pet Photos by Mike Bender and Doug Chernack – Kate Green, Transworld

The Bad Beekeeper's Club by Bill Turnbull – Madeleine Feeny, Sphere, Little, Brown

PPC Events Manager of the Year 2011

Jessica Sage - Waterstones Guildford

Saber Kahn – Topping & Company

Damian Barr - Shoreditch House Literary Salon  

Sandeep Mahal - The Reading Agency

Elaine Silverwood - Silverdell Books

Events team - Mr Bs Emporium of Reading Delights

PPC Journalist of the Year 2011

Andrew Holgate - Sunday Times  

Jonathan Derbyshire - New Statesman  

Viv Groskop – Freelance Journalist

Erica Wagner - the Times  

Alex Clark – Freelance Journalist

Annie Flury - BBC Radio Five Live  

PPC Librarian of the Year 2011

Nikki Bi - Library Theatre: Birmingham

Libby Tempest - Manchester Libraries

Tim O'Dell - Lambeth Libraries

Sheelagh Gallagher - Nottingham Library

Heather McNally - Kent Libraries  

Karen Robinson - City of London Academy librarian and YLG

Quercus has reported that sales of its non-Larsson books increased by 83% over the last quarter of 2010 while e-book sales grew by 270% in December by comparison to the previous year.

The publisher's trading statement for the final three months of 2011 revealed five of its books had performed "notably" well, alongside Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy, as the company continues with its strategy of expanding the depth and breadth of its fiction, non-fiction and children's books "while maintaining the momentum of Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy". The King's Speech by Peter Conradi, The Mayan Prophecy by Steve Alten, Born Fearless by Phil Campion, The Black House by Peter May and Tiny Sunbirds Far Away by Christie Watson were all highlighted for their performance.

While the Stieg Larsson franchise saw its peak of sales in 2010, the Millennium Trilogy books were three of the top 10 bestselling novels in the UK over the course of 2011.

Quercus' digital arm accounted for 11% of its 2011 revenue and the company noted a December spike in e-book sales, up 270%, as readers downloaded books onto e-reading devices through the festive period. Going forward, Quercus said it would "continue to benefit from . . . significant investments in digital publishing and marketing, website development and social networking."

For the full year ending 31st December 2011, the company's trading was in line with market expectations and net cash was £4.3m.

Quercus chief executive Mark Smith said: "The directors are pleased with the performance of the company over the crucial Christmas trading period and are satisfied that the improved quality of our revenue and earnings will continue into the future."

He added the New Year had started positively with Peter May's The Lewis Man reaching the number four spot on the UK hardback adult fiction chart, Christie Watson's Tiny Sunbirds Far Away winning the Costa Best First Novel Award and A Cold Season by Alison Littlewood being chosen for the Richard & Judy Book Club.

Describing new technology like Amazon’s Kindle as a ‘con’, the author of Freedom told the Telegraph: “The technology I like is the American paperback edition of Freedom. I can spill water on it and it would still work! So it's pretty good technology.

"And what’s more, it will work great ten years from now. So no wonder the capitalists hate it. It’s a bad business model.”

Speaking at the Hay Festival in Cartagena, Colombia, Franzen predicted that in the future, readers will crave the ‘permanence’ of a physical book should they no longer exist.

“Maybe nobody will care about printed books fifty years from now, but I do,” he said.

“When I read a book, I’m handling a specific object in a specific time and place. The fact that when I take the book off the shelf it still says the same thing - that’s reassuring.”

Franzen added that he felt e-books were ‘damaging’ society.

Despite shooting to literary fame in 2001 with The Corrections, the press conference in Cartagena was the first of Franzen’s career and the author has a history of misfortune when it comes to publicising his novels.

The year The Corrections was released he pulled out of a planned appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show because he felt it would alienate his male readers - though he appeared on the show 9 years later to promote Freedom.

Later in 2010, he was the victim of theft while at a London book launch – a student called James Fletcher grabbed Franzen’s glasses and left behind a ransom note for £100,000.