Askews and Holts

TV Book Club 2012

2011-12-06T12:10:00.004Z

Askews and Holts Library Services are now accepting pre-orders for the forthcoming “TV Book Club” which is coming to More4 and Channel 4 in January 2012.

The new series starts on January 29th and runs until 1st April every Sunday night.

The titles are subject to a strict embargo, however, you can order the 10 books now by filling in this order form

Christmas 2011

2011-11-30T13:50:00.004Z

Askews and Holts Library Services will close for business at 4.15 pm on Thursday 22nd December 2011.

Our office will re-open on Thursday 29th and Friday 30th December before closing again until Tuesday 3rd January 2012.

Approvals

Approval collections will be delivered as normal up until Friday 16th December 2011 and will resume w/c 3rd January 2012.

Deliveries
Normal deliveries will continue until Thursday 22nd December and will resume on Tuesday 3rd January 2012, except for Scotland which will resume on Wednesday 4th January 2012.

If you are expecting a delivery on these days but will not be open for business please contact us as soon as possible – allcustserv@askewsandholts.com

The Bookseller launches site to oppose library closures

2011-01-18T15:07:00.000Z

Article from The Bookseller...

The Bookseller has launched a campaign to oppose the "wantonly destructive cuts to the national library service".

Called 'Fight for Libraries', the campaign will be centred around a Facebook site where news about library cuts and opposition to them will be reported, and which will also function as a hub for all news, sites and information on the struggle against library cuts. The site will operate from http://bit.ly/fight4libraries and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/fight4libraries

"The next few weeks are critical to the future of libraries in this country, and to the literary culture they help support. Up to 800 libraries are faxed with the axe in the coming days. The Government backed-down over Booktrust over Christmas, and its watering down of tuition fees, shows that it is not immune to pressure, whilst history has shown that local councils will back down on library closures once they realise the depth of local opposition. I don't think David Cameron wants to be remembered as the Prime Minister who closed down all the libraries," says editor-in-chief of The Bookseller Neill Denny.

The Facebook site hosts a manifesto and a set of demands, with The Bookseller supporting the calls for a national public enquiry into the library service, demanding a halt to the unfair and disproportionate targeting of libraries for cuts, and calling for the 1964 Libraries Act to be observed in letter and spirit. It also has a poll asking people to commit to supporting libraries.

"Libraries are under threat right now. A library lost today will not be re-opened tomorrow - the book trade has to take a stand," added Denny. "Please use the site to see what is going on and update it with developments in your own area. We'd like you to engage with our Facebook page, let us know who you are, give us your views and post useful links. Our campaign can offer a focal point for all interested parties and thereby form a stronger voice together."

Costa Awards 2010

2011-01-05T09:19:00.001Z

Costa has announced the Costa Book Awards 2010 winners in the Novel, First Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children's Book categories.

They are.....

•Novelist and former journalist, Maggie O'Farrell, who wins her first major literary prize with her fifth novel, The Hand That First Held Mine

•Kishwar Desai who takes the First Novel Award for Witness the Night, which explores India's hidden female infanticide and the first book of a series featuring the unconventional female protagonist, Simran Singh

•Potter and ceramic artist, Edmund de Waal, who collects the Biography Award for his highly-acclaimed memoir, The Hare With Amber Eyes, which the judges called ‘a truly special book'

•Jo Shapcott who wins the Poetry Award for Of Mutability, her first new work in over a decade in part influenced by her experience of cancer

•Debut writer and web designer, Jason Wallace, who beats best-selling author Jonathan Stroud to claim the Children's Book Award for Out of Shadows

The overall winner will be announced on 25th January.

Oneworld Classics

2010-12-14T09:24:00.000Z

The Oneworld Classics series includes the greatest recognized masterpieces of all time, from every literature and genre, but also tries to redefine and enrich the classics canon by promoting unjustly neglected works of enduring significance. Most of the titles in the series are provided with an extensive critical apparatus and extra reading material. With an emphasis on the production, editorial and typographical values of a book, Oneworld Classics aspires to revitalize the whole experience of reading the classics.

We have the order forms for the Evergreens and Unjustly Neglected collections.

For more details visit http://www.oneworldclassics.com/

The TV Book Club 2011

2010-12-01T16:32:00.003Z

There will be a new ten-part series of the TV Book Club starting in January 2011.

The titles, which include two Man Booker shortlistees, two debuts and two non-fiction are -

Room by Emma Donoghue
The Long Song by Andrea Levy
The News Where You Are by Catherine O'Flynn
Even the Dogs by Jon McGregor
Bleed for Me by Michael Robotham
Spies of the Balkans by Alan Furst
The Junior Officer's Reading Club by Patrick Hennessey
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Tiger Hills by Sarita Mandanna
My Last Duchess by Daisy Goodwin

Email Gemma Fiorello on Gemma.Fiorello@holtjackson.co.uk with how many sets you would like to order and we’ll do the rest!

Promotional material is available from the Reading Agency website using this link.

Christmas Opening Hours 2010

2010-12-01T11:38:00.003Z

Holt Jackson will close for business at 5.00 pm on Wednesday 22nd December 2010.

Our office will re-open on Wednesday 29th and Thursday 30th December before closing again until Tuesday 4th January 2011.

Approvals
Approval collections will be delivered as normal up until Friday 17th December 2010 and will resume w/c 4th January 2011.

Deliveries
Normal deliveries will continue until Wednesday 22nd December and will resume on Wednesday 5th January 2011.

If you are expecting a delivery on these days but will not be open for business please contact us as soon as possible – customerservices@holtjackson.co.uk

01 December 2010.

Costa Book Awards Announced

2010-11-17T10:23:00.002Z

Indie publishers have scored highly on the shortlists for this year's Costa Book Awards, with three titles from Faber, plus Beautiful Books, Quartet and Welsh publisher Gomer in the running.

The First Novel Award category for the prize, which is for the “most enjoyable” books published between between 1st November 2009 and 31st October 2010, is dominated by indies with Kishwar Desai's Witness the Night (Beautiful Books), Nikesh Shukla's Coconut Unlimited (Quartet Books), Simon Thirsk's Not Quite White (Gomer Press) and Aatish Taseer's The Temple-Goers (Viking) in the running.

Paul Murray's Man Booker-longlisted Skippy Dies (Hamish Hamilton) is in the running for the 2010 Costa Novel of the Year Award, alongside Louise Doughty for Whatever You Love (Faber), Nigel Farndale's The Blasphemer (Doubleday) and The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell (Headline Review).

The First Novel Award category is dominated by indies with Kishwar Desai's Witness the Night (Beautiful Books), Nikesh Shukla for Coconut Unlimited (Quartet Books), Aatish Taseer for The Temple-Goers (Viking) and Simon Thirsk's Not Quite White (Gomer Press) in the shortlist.

The Costa Biography Award shortlist comprises Sarah Bakewell for How to Live: A Life of Montaigne in one question and twenty attempts at an answer (Chatto), Michael Frayn for My Father’s Fortune (Faber) and Edmund de Waal for The Hare with Amber Eyes (also Chatto)

Jo Shapcott's collection Of Mutability (Faber) has made the poetry category, alongside Roy Fisher's Standard Midland (Bloodaxe), Robin Robertson's The Wrecking Light (Picador), and Sam Willetts' New Light for the Old Dark (Cape Poetry).

And in the children's category, two titles from Andersen Press, Sharon Dogar's Annexed and Jason Wallace's Out of Shadows are in the shortlist, alongside Bartimaeus: The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud (Doubleday) and Lucy Christopher's Flyaway (the Chicken House).

Galaxy National Book Awards Winners 2010

2010-11-12T13:34:00.002Z

The winners of the Galaxy National Book Awards 2010, a celebration of the best of British publishing, have now been revealed at a star-studded awards ceremony at London's prestigious BBC Studios.

The winners are

TESCO BIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR

The Fry Chronicles by Stephen Fry (Penguin Group)

TESCO FOOD & DRINK BOOK OF THE YEAR

Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi (Random House)

NATIONAL BOOK TOKENS NEW WRITER OF THE YEAR

The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal (Random House)

MORE4 NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR

The Making Of Modern Britain by Andrew Marr (Pan Macmillan)

SAINSBURY'S POPULAR FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR

One Day by David Nicholls (Hodder & Stoughton)

WATERSTONE'S UK AUTHOR OF THE YEAR

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (Harper Collins)

GALAXY INTERNATIONAL AUTHOR OF THE YEAR

Freedom by Jonathan Franzen (Harper Collins)

WH SMITH CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR

Zog by Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler (Scholastic)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Terry Pratchett

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Martin Amis

Customer Announcement November 2010

2010-11-09T13:00:00.004Z

The Holt Jackson Book Company Ltd
Customer Announcement November 2010

As our business continues to expand, our holding company The Little Group, has taken the decision to further strengthen our standing in the library supply market with the merger of The Holt Jackson Book Company Ltd and Askews Library Services Ltd. From March 1st 2011 the combined company, will be Askews and Holts Library Services Ltd, continuing to operate from Preston with staff from both companies coming together as one team.

In a time of budget constraints and spending reviews, this merger will have a positive effect for both Holt Jackson and Askews customers, with the enhanced combination of services, efficiencies and security that this merger offers. Our decision will bring together two specialist library supply companies that enjoy first class reputation for innovation and for exceeding customer expectations. The Directors and Senior Management of both companies are keen to start working closely together and to continue moving the business forward and drive the agenda in library supply. David Fisher and Andy Holland, supported by fellow directors Kathryn Pattinson, Jaqui Holborn and Tim Cotterall, will shortly be visiting all customers and taking the opportunity over the next few weeks and months to outline details of merging the two companies.

The merged company will be formally announced in Spring 2011 with a series of country wide road shows, which will highlight our combined services portfolio on offer, including the rollout of our eBook service.

If you have any questions or concerns in the meantime with regard to your current business, please contact your Sales Manager directly who will be happy to discuss them with you.

Kathryn Pattinson
Managing Director

November 2010

Quick Reads 2011

2010-11-09T10:06:00.002Z

A brand new set of Quick Reads has been announced for World Book Day on Thursday 3rd March 2011

Adults' Quick Reads, 10 TITLES (nil discount plus normal servicing charges)

Children's WBD Titles, 11 TITLES (6 BOOKS) (nil discount plus normal servicing charges or a jacket only at a cost of 25p per book).

To guarantee prompt arrival of titles in time for World Book Day, orders placed using the form below will be prioritised at all stages.

To place your order, please complete this form and return to Gemma Fiorello by Friday 17th December 2010.

ANY ORDERS RECEIVED AFTER THIS DATE WILL BE TREATED AS STANDARD.

For more information on Quick Reads and other World Book Day initiatives, please click here

Please note - we will not be supplying promotional material. You can obtain free promotional packs from the Quick Reads website.

Guardian First Book Award Shortlist

2010-10-29T09:08:00.003+01:00

Books that challenge orthodoxy and readers' expectations dominate the shortlist for this year's Guardian first book award, which includes a novel influenced by the African tradition of sung history, and a study of error that argues we should celebrate our ability to get things wrong.

Three novels and two non-fiction works are vying for the £10,000 prize.

The shortlist is as follows

Your Presence is Requested at Suvanto, by Maile Chapman (Jonathan Cape);

Black Mamba Boy, by Nadifa Mohamed (HarperCollins);

Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error, by Kathryn Schulz (Portobello Books);

Romantic Moderns: English Writers, Artists and the Imagination from Virginia Woolf to John Piper by Alexandra Harris (Thames & Hudson)

Boxer, Beetle by Ned Beauman (Sceptre)

The winner of the prize will be announced on 1 December.

National Book Awards Announced

2010-10-28T13:33:00.003+01:00

National Book Awards Announced

Former prime minister Tony Blair is among the contenders for the inaugural Galaxy National Book Awards.

Blair will compete alongside the Duchess of Devonshire and Lord Alan Sugar for the Tesco Biography of the year. Jamie Oliver's Jamie's 30 Minute Meals will be up against Nigel Slater and Nigella Lawson for the Tesco Food & Drink Book of the Year, while Jilly Cooper is in the running for Sainbury's Popular Fiction Book of the Year.

2010 Man Booker shortlistees including Tom McCarthy, David Mitchell and last year's winner, Hilary Mantel, are also up for a gong as part of what Amanda Ross, m.d. of Cactus, which is behind the event, described as the “cream of British publishing”.

The winners of the eight categories will be awarded on 10th November. The ceremony will be broadcast on More4 on 13th November, followed by five further tie-in shows in the run-up to Christmas.

The shortlists in full:

Sainsbury's Popular Fiction Book of the Year

Dead Like You Peter James (Macmillan)
The Ice Cream Girls Dorothy Koomson (Sphere)
Jump! Jilly Cooper (Bantam Press)
One Day David Nicholls (Hodder & Stoughton)
The Red Queen Philippa Gregory (Simon & Schuster)
Worth Dying For Lee Child (Bantam Press)

Non-Fiction Book of the Year

Alex's Adventures in Numberland Alex Bellos (Bloomsbury)
At Home Bill Bryson (Doubleday)
D-Day Antony Beevor (Viking)
The Making Of Modern Britain Andrew Marr (Pan)
Must You Go? Antonia Fraser (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
Operation Mincemeat Ben MacIntyre (Bloomsbury)

National Book Tokens New Writer of the Year

Patrick Barkham The Butterfly Isles (Granta Books)
Edmund de Waal The Hare with Amber Eyes (Chatto & Windus)
Katherine Webb The Legacy (Orion)
Rebecca Hunt Mr Chartwell (Fig Tree)
Natasha Solomons Mr Rosenblum's List (Sceptre)
Simon Lelic Rupture (Picador)

WH Smith Children's Book of the Year

The Great Hamster Massacre Katie Davies, illus Hannah Shaw (Simon and Schuster)
Monsters of Men Patrick Ness (Walker Books)
Mr Stink David Walliams (HarperCollins Childrens Books)
Shadow Michael Morpurgo (HarperCollins Childrens Books)
TimeRiders Alex Scarrow (Puffin)
Zog Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler (Alison Green Books)

Tesco Food & Drink Book of the Year

The Flavour Thesaurus Niki Segnit (Bloomsbury)
Jamie's 30 Minute Meals Jamie Oliver (Michael Joseph)
Kitchen: Recipes from the Heart of the Home Nigella Lawson (Chatto & Windus)
Kitchenella Rose Prince (Fourth Estate)
Plenty Yotam Ottolenghi (Ebury Press)
Tender II Nigel Slater (Fourth Estate)

Tesco Biography of the Year

Coco Chanel, The Legend And The Life Justine Picardie (Harper NonFiction)
Decline and Fall: Diaries 2005-2010 Chris Mullin (Profile Books)
The Fry Chronicles Stephen Fry (Michael Joseph)
A Journey Tony Blair (Hutchinson)
Wait For Me Duchess of Devonshire (John Murray)
What You See Is What You Get Alan Sugar (Macmillan)

International Author of the Year

Colm Toibin Brooklyn (Penguin)
Jonathan Franzen Freedom (Fourth Estate)
Stieg Larsson The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Quercus/MacLehose Press)
Kathryn Stockett The Help (Fig Tree)
Emma Donoghue Room (Picador)
Christos Tsiolkas The Slap (Tuskar Rock Press)

Waterstone's UK Author of the Year

Tom McCarthy C (Jonathan Cape)
Maggie O'Farrell The Hand That First Held Mine (Headline Review)
Kate Atkinson Started Early, Took My Dog (Doubleday)
David Mitchell The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet (Sceptre)
Rose Tremain Trespass (Chatto & Windus)
Hilary Mantel Wolf Hall (Fourth Estate)

William Hill Winner Announced!

2010-10-26T14:45:00.004+01:00

The shortlist for the 22nd William Hill Sports Book of the Year, worth a record £22,000, a £2000 free bet and a day at the races to the winner, has been unveiled -

Open by Andre Agassi
Trautmann's Journey by Catrine Clay
A Last English Summer by Duncan Hamilton
Blood Knots by Luke Jennings
Beware of the Dog by Brain Moore
Bounce by Matthew Syed

The winner will be announced on 30th November. Who's your winner?

For more details on the titles visit the COTW subject lists.

Howard Jacobson wins the Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2010

2010-10-13T09:43:00.002+01:00

Howard Jacobson is named the winner of the £50,000 Man Booker Prize for Fiction for The Finkler Question.

London author and columnist Howard Jacobson has been longlisted twice for the prize, in 2006 for Kalooki Nights and in 2002 for Who's Sorry Now, but has never before been shortlisted.

Sir Andrew Motion, Chair of the judges comments ‘The Finkler Question is a marvellous book: very funny, of course, but also very clever, very sad and very subtle. It is all that it seems to be and much more than it seems to be. A completely worthy winner of this great prize.'

Mario Vargas Llosa wins Nobel

2010-10-07T09:18:00.004+01:00

Mario Vargas Llosa's publisher at Faber has hailed the 2010 winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature as "a writer of enormous range, passion and insight".

The Nobel foundation awarded the prize to Llosa "for his cartography of structures of power and his trenchant images of the individual's resistance, revolt, and defeat".

New 'on-line' Richard and Judy Book Club Launched

2010-09-01T10:50:00.004+01:00

The eight titles selected for the book club are -

Sister by Rosamund Lupton

A Place of Secrets by Rachel Hore

The Snowman by Jo Nesbo

The Wilding by Maria McCann

No and Me by Delphine de Vigan

Waiting for Columbus by Thomas Trofimuk

The Crying Tree by Naseem Rakha

Operation Mincemeat by Ben MacIntyre

The Richard and Judy Book Club will launch across W H Smith stores from tomorrow (2nd September).

The pair will review one book every fortnight and post their reviews online at www.whsmith.co.uk/richardandjudy. On the website there will also be live interviews with authors and reviews from other readers.

Libraries must not be a 'soft touch' for cuts - The Bookseller Article

2010-08-25T14:02:00.002+01:00

Article from The Bookseller...

The Reading Agency has said libraries should "not be a soft target for cuts" after statistics released last week showed a continued decline in library visitors. The stats have led to a media blitz on the issue of libraries, with some campaigners suggesting that up to 1,000 libraries could be under threat from local government cuts.

Last week, the Department for Culture, Media and Sports' (DCMS) Taking Part: The National Survey of Culture, Leisure and Sport report showed a 1.7% decrease in the number of library goers last year. But the agency said that digging deeper into the statistics showed that there was not just a "straightforward picture of a decline in public interest and take up". It said instead that children and young people's use was steady, with children's book borrowing rising for five years in a row.

The Reading Agency also said the best libraries offered a range of groups, activities and services to deliver added value. It said "the social consequences of this more active approach are profound".

The agency singled out the Summer Reading Challenge for children, and the Six Book Challenge for emergent adult readers as two initiatives which have had a positive response from the public. The Summer Reading Challenge saw 725,000 children take part in 2009, an increase of 5% on the 2008 total. This year it is estimated more than 750,000 children will take part. For the Six Book Challenge 13,500 adults registered this year - up 50% on 2009.

In a statement the agency said: "In tough financial times, we cannot afford to undercut libraries' ability to create a nation of readers, our literacy skills deficit is already too large. The scale of cuts means the library network is unlikely to survive in its current shape, so prioritizing and innovating will be key."

It added: "We must not lose sight of libraries' radical social purpose ... They should not be a soft target for cuts."

James Tait Black Memorial Prizes - Winners Announced

2010-08-23T15:55:00.000+01:00

Novelist A S Byatt and literary critic John Carey have been crowned winners of Britain’s oldest literary awards, the £10,000 James Tait Black Memorial Prizes.

Byatt was awarded the fiction prize for her Man Booker-shortlisted The Children’s Book at the ceremony on Friday (20th August), while Carey took home the biography prize for his book William Golding: The Man Who Wrote Lord of the Flies. Golding himself took home the prize in 1979.

The prizes, founded in 1919, are for the best work of fiction and the best biography published during the previous 12 months. They are the only major British book awards judged by scholars and students.

Finalists revealed for Specsavers Crime Thriller Awards 2010.

2010-08-10T09:23:00.000+01:00

The Dagger finalists are -

CWA GOLD DAGGER 2010
Blacklands - Belinda Bauer
Blood Harvest - S J Bolton
Shadowplay - Karen Campbell
The Way Home - George Pelecanos

CWA IAN FLEMING STEEL DAGGER 2010, SPONSORED BY IAN FLEMING PUBLICATIONS LTD
A Loyal Spy - Simon Conway
Innocent - Scott Turow
The Dying Light - Henry Porter
The Gentlemen's Hour - Don Winslow

CWA JOHN CREASEY (NEW BLOOD) DAGGER 2010
Acts of Violence - Ryan David Jahn

Rupture - Simon Lelic
The Holy Thief - William Ryan
The Pull of the Moon - Diane Janes

The winners will be announced on the 8th October at a ceremony broadcast on ITV3 on 12th October.

Heinemann Library & Raintree join forces

2010-06-21T09:26:00.001+01:00

In 2008, Heinemann Library & Raintree was purchased by Capstone Publishers, a market leading company of school and library materials in the US.

In January 2010, the company rebranded as Raintree - incorporating Heinemann Library and Raintree under one banner.

'By combing all our publishing under one respected imprint we hope to reduce confusion and build a strong identity with resources that captivate all readers. Raintree will continue to publish for struggling or reluctant readers, recognising that every library and classroom includes readers at a range of levels.' - Raintree

The TV Book Club 'Summer Reads'

2010-05-25T10:58:00.004+01:00

Following on from the success of the first series earlier in the year, the TV Book Club returns for a new series, which will be broadcast from 27 June to 15 August. The series will run for 8 weeks, and each episode will be 30-minutes long.

The promotion will run in libraries from the end of June until August 2010.

The full list of selected titles will be announced next week so watch this space!

Email Jim Bickerstaffe on james.bickerstaffe@holtjackson.co.uk with how many sets you would like to order and we’ll do the rest!

Orange Award for New Writers 2010 - Shortlist

2010-04-14T09:51:00.000+01:00

Launched in 2005 in partnership with Arts Council England, the Orange Award for New Writers celebrates emerging female literary talent. and potential.

The shortlisted titles are:

The Book of Fires by Jane Borodale (9780007305735)

The Boy Next Door by Irene Sabatini (9780340918814)

After the Fire, a Still Small Voice by Evie Wyld (9780224088879)

The winner will receive a £10,000 bursary.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner - An Eclipse Novella by Stephenie Meyer

2010-04-07T14:10:00.003+01:00

Atom has announced that it will release the first new title from Stephenie Meyer in nearly 2 years.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner is a novella told from the point of view of Bree, a character originally featured in Eclipse. The novella will be released onSaturday 5th June 2010 and is priced at £11.99 in hardback.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner is the riveting story of Bree Tanner, a newborn vampire first introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the world she inhabits. The novella chronicles the newborn vampire army’s journey as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion.

This is a title not to be missed –

Orange Prize for Fiction - Longlist

2010-03-19T13:44:00.001Z

Now in its 15th year, the Orange Prize celebrates excellence, originality and accessibility in women's writing.

This years Longlist is as follows -

Rosie Alison - The Very Thought of You
Eleanor Catton - The Rehearsal

Clare Clark - Savage Lands

Amanda Craig - Hearts and Minds

Roopa Farooki - The Way Things Look to Me

Rebecca Gowers - The Twisted Heart
M.J. Hyland - This is How

Sadie Jones - Small Wars
Barbara Kingsolver - The Lacuna
Laila Lalami - Secret Son

Andrea Levy - The Long Song
Attica Locke - Black Water Rising

Maria McCann - The Wilding
Hilary Mantel - Wolf Hall

Nadifa Mohamed - Black Mamba Boy
Lorrie Moore - A Gate at the Stairs
Monique Roffey - The White Woman on the Green Bicycle

Amy Sackville - The Still Point
Kathryn Stockett - The Help

Sarah Waters - The Little Stranger

The shortlist will be revealed on 20 April, with the winner announced at a ceremony on 9 June, where the prize of £30,000 will be presented.

Mills & Boon price changes

2010-01-13T11:59:00.006Z

As from March 2010 the Mills & Boon titles will be priced as follows –

Hardback

Romance
16 titles per month @ £13.50 (was £12.99)

Medical
4 titles per month @ £13.50 (was £12.99)

Historical
3 titles per month @ £13.99 (was £13.50)

Large Print

Romance
8 titles per month @ £13.99 (was £13.50)

Medical
6 titles per month @ £13.99 (was £13.50)

Historical
3 titles per month @ £14.50 (was £13.99)

Desire
1 title per month @ £13.99 (was £13.50)

Special Edition
1 title per month @ £13.50 (was £13.99)

Intrigue
1 title per month @ £14.50 (was £13.99)

If you have any queries please contact Bev Jaundrill on 01772 298028 or bev.jaundrill@holtjackson.co.uk

The Reading Agency – Spotlight

2010-01-04T09:10:00.001Z

The Reading Agency's 'Spotlight' aims to introduce children to the best new writing and expand their reading horizons, help parents make informed reading choices for their children, and enhance libraries' promotion of current children's literature.

We'll be promoting the monthly titles through the Holt Junior website and you can order promotional material via the The Reading Agency website. Visit www.readingagency.org.uk/children/spotlight

The TV Book Club

2009-11-25T11:36:00.006Z

From the team behind the hugely successful Richard & Judy Book Club comes a brand-new book show called The TV Book Club. The show will be broadcast from 17 January 2010 on Sunday evenings on More4 and repeated on Mondays during the day on Channel 4. The series will run for 10 weeks, and each episode will be 30-minutes long.

The selected titles will be announced at the end of December, but you can get your orders in now!

Email Jim Bickerstaffe on james.bickerstaffe@holtjackson.co.uk with how many sets you would like to order and we’ll do the rest!

Promotional material is available from the Reading Agency website using this link.

*The TV Book Club replaces the now obsolete Richard and Judy Book Club. However, old Richard and Judy orders will be deleted and TV Book Club orders will need to be placed as above.*

Mueller Nobel Prize for Literature

2009-10-08T11:12:00.004+01:00

German author Herta Mueller has been awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize for Literature, the academy in Stockholm has announced.

The Romanian-born writer follows last year's French winner Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio, while British writer Doris Lessing won in 2007.

Mueller, born in 1953, is renowned for her depiction of the harsh conditions under Nicolae Ceausescu's regime.

Man Booker Prize for Fiction Winner

2009-10-06T11:40:00.002+01:00

Hilary Mantel has been named the winner of the £50,000 Man Booker Prize for Fiction for Wolf Hall.

Wolf Hall has been the bookies' favourite since the longlist was announced in July 2009.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel was picked from a shortlist of six titles. A.S. Byatt, J.M. Coetzee, Adam Foulds, Simon Mawer and Sarah Waters were all shortlisted for this year's prize.

James Naughtie, comments ‘Hilary Mantel has given us a thoroughly modern novel set in the 16th century. Wolf Hall has a vast narrative sweep that gleams on every page with luminous and mesmerising detail."

Was Wolf Hall your winner?

Hodge suggests "Amazon-style" home delivery service

2009-09-09T11:04:00.002+01:00

Culture minister Margaret Hodge has said that libraries should think of selling books as well as lending them. However publication of the full DCMS Library Review and the results of the Wirral Inquiry are to be delayed yet further.

Speaking at the Public Library Authorities (PLA) conference in Brighton, Hodge gave advance hints of the Review's findings, confirming earlier press reports that she was considering an "Amazon-style" home delivery service for libraries, with readers ordering books online and paying "a small fee" to have it delivered to their home. She also suggested that libraries should sell as well as lend: "How about a tie in with Amazon: 'You've borrowed the book, now send a brand new copy to a friend'".

A library ticket for every new born baby to last them through life was also on the cards, as are loyalty cards rewarding book reads with free DVD hires. "We need to offer young people something new and distinctive."

As librarians do you think this could work?

Joint Academic Consortia Book Agreement

2009-09-07T13:07:00.007+01:00

Holt Jackson is pleased to announce success in our bid for the Joint Academic Consortia Book Agreement for the supply of English Language Materials.

Contract Manger, Jaqui Holborn comments "The Joint Academic Consortia is a welcome addition to our academic portfolio and we are developing our existing web services and 'shelf ready' offering to ensure we provide a first class service that is second to none".

Samuel Johnson Prize - Winner Announced

2009-06-30T14:55:00.000+01:00

Leviathan by Philip Hoare was announced as the winner of the BBC Samuel Johnson Prize 2009.

It's the story of a man's obsession with whales, which takes him on a personal, historical and biographical journey - from his childhood to his fascination with Moby-Dick and his excursions whale-watching.

The award celebrates diverse and thought-provoking writing in non-fiction, including current affairs, history, politics, science, sport, travel, biography, autobiography and the arts. The award has now been running for 11 years and is the world's most valuable non-fiction prize, worth £30,000 to the winner.

Under the Spotlight - Kazuo Ishiguro

2009-06-23T10:55:00.001+01:00

With the recent publication of Nocturnes, Holt Jackson has once again joined with Faber to promote the fantastic work of Kazuo Ishiguro.

To celebrate, Faber are running a review competition for reading groups. Simply submit the review and if it is used on the Faber website www.faber.co.uk, the reviewer will receive a complete set of Ishiguro novels! Reviews should be sent to gemmal@faber.co.uk

For full details on all the titles visit our homepage http://www.holjackson.co.uk/ and click on the promotions page

Scottish Book of the Year - Winner Announced

2009-06-19T14:34:00.000+01:00

James Kelman has won Book of the Year 2009 in the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Book Awards for his novel Kieron Smith, boy.

Commenting on his award James Kelman said ‘There are good writers working in this country and it is an honour to be awarded the SMIT-SAC Book of the Year 2009. '

Along with the award he takes away the £30,000 prize.

Wales Book of the Year 2009 - Winner Announced

2009-06-15T15:23:00.000+01:00

Deborah Kay Davies has won the Wales Book of the Year 2009 for her debut collection of short stories Grace, Tamar and Laszlo the Beautiful.

She received the £10,000 prize from judge Mike Parker.

Orange Prize for Fiction - Winner Announced!

2009-06-03T14:46:00.000+01:00

Marilynne Robinson, an American author, has won the 2009 Orange Prize for Fiction for her novel Home.

Chair of judges, Fi Glover has said 'This year's Orange Prize winner has a luminous quality to it that has drawn all of the judges to a unanimous decision. The profound nature of the writing stood out, as has the ability of writer to draw the reader into a world of hope expectation, misunderstanding, love and kindness.'

Robinson accepted a cheque for £30,000 at the Royal Festival Hall in London after the jury praised her work as a “kind, wise, enriching novel, exquisitely crafted”.

Victoria Hislop visits Holt Jackson

2009-05-01T10:57:00.000+01:00

Best selling author Victoria Hislop ‘popped in’ to Holt Jackson during a visit to the north-west on Thursday.

Arriving at midday and after a short tour of the building, Victoria sat down for an exclusive book signing! Staff were given the opportunity to get their copies of The Island and The Return personally signed. She spent some time chatting about her current books and we got a sneak preview of her thoughts for the next novel.

On leaving, Victoria wrote in the Holt Jackson Showroom visitors book "Thank you for making me so welcome! I have very much enjoyed meeting everyone. I hope to ‘Return’!"

A fantastic afternoon had by all. Thanks to Jim Gross for organising it.

And, we have signed copies to give away, so watch this space!

Richard & Judy Summer Reads 2009

2009-04-30T12:35:00.003+01:00

It’s that time of year again………

If lucky enough to be going to sunnier climes or just getting away, then Richard and Judy Summer Reads are one of the best ways to make the most of your free time.

This years titles are –

Mystery Man - Colin Bateman
Guernica - Dave Boling
Palace council - Stephen Carter
The great lover - Jill Dawson
Mr Toppit - Charles Elton
Past imperfect - Julian Fellowes
The piano teacher - Janice Lee
The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller

For more information on all the titles, visit the COTW list here. or contact Jim Bickerstaffe on Jbickerstaffe@holtjackson.co.uk

Under the Spotlight - Faber Firsts

2009-04-27T09:44:00.003+01:00

Holt Jackson is celebrating with Faber and Faber during their 80th anniversary year!

They are showcasing a delightful collection of ten outstanding first novels, all with new covers designed to reflect classic eras of Faber’s design history. There are reading guides for all the books and reading groups will have the chance to win limited edition Faber bags full of books plus every novel Faber is publishing in this anniversary year.

Download the competion details here for a chance to win.

Have a look at the titles on this flyer, and you can visit the list on COTW here.

If you would like any further information, contact Gemma Fiorello on gfiorello@holtjackson.co.uk, or visit the Faber and Faber website at http://www.faber.co.uk/

Join the celebrations and order your new copies today!

Under the Spotlight - For Dummies!

2009-03-04T09:07:00.004Z

Holt Jackson has teamed up with Wiley to offer you a fantastic mix of books For Dummies!

There’s something for everyone, and you can have any of the titles listed in any combination, it’s totally up to you!

Simply pick at least 15 volumes from the titles on the flyer and you will receive your FREE For Dummies dumpbin and poster along with pens, notepads, post-it-notes and bags to put all the goodies in!

Download the form here, fill it in and send it back to Gemma Fiorello at gfiorello@holtjackson.co.uk and we’ll do the rest!

For more information click here, and you can visit the list on COTW here.

Under the Spotlight

2009-02-03T11:25:00.002Z

The Big day is nearly here, the 5th of March marks World Book Day 2009!

To support the current list of World Book Day Quick Read titles we have provided the backlist for you to promote.

There’s something to suit all tastes that will hopefully encourage everyone to pick up a book!

To take a look at the huge list of titles, click here!

Costa Book Award - Overall winner announced!

2009-01-28T11:03:00.001Z

This year’s Costa Book of the Year has been awarded to Sebastian Barry for his novel The Secret Scripture.

He has scooped the £25,000 prize money after missing out on the Man Booker Prize for Fiction in October last year.

Chair of the final judges, Matthew Parris, said: "Sebastian Barry has created one of the great narrative voices in contemporary fiction in The Secret Scripture. It is a book of great brilliance, powerfully and beautifully written."

The Holt Jackson Quarterly Newsletter!

2009-01-28T10:24:00.004Z

Due to the great response to the National Year of Reading quarterly newsletter, we have decided to carry it on!

The Holt Jackson’s newsletter will be released every 3 months, and will provide recommended reads, important dates and activities for the coming months.

We hope that you’ll find them useful!

For the January/February newsletter, click here.

Richard & Judy Book Club 2009

2009-01-07T09:48:00.003Z

The first book in Richard and Judy’s new Book List for 2009, Jesse Kellerman’s The Brutal Art will be featured on 21st January. The other nine titles will be featured on a weekly basis.

Richard Madeley said: "Judy and I are always intrigued by each new list, we really enjoy reading along with the public. We're very proud of the Book Club and we're delighted it has made the transition with us to Watch."

Here is a full list of featured titles:

Kate Atkinson - When Will There Be Good News?

Beatrice Colin - The Luminous Life of Lilly Aphrodite

Andrew Davidson - The Gargoyle

David Ebershoff - The 19th Wife

Steven Galloway - The Cellist of Sarajevo

Jesse Kellerman - The Brutal Art

Joseph O'Neill - Netherland
Frances Osbourne - The Bolter

Kate Summerscale - The Suspicions of Mr Whicher

Elizabeth H Winthrop - December

For more details please visit the subject list on COTW by clicking here.

Costa Book Award – Winners Announced

2009-01-07T09:07:00.007Z

The winners of the five categories for this years Costa Book Awards have been revealed. Each winner has been shortlisted for the grand prize announced later this month.

The category winners are –

Biography: Somewhere Towards the End by Diana Athill
Poetry: The Broken Word, by Adam Foulds
Children's: Just Henry, by Michelle Magorian
Novel: The Secret Scripture, by Sebastian Barry
First novel: The Outcast, by Sadie Jones

Under the Spotlight

2008-12-02T08:39:00.003Z

Whether it’s giving up smoking or simply getting your life in order, nearly everyone sets themselves a goal for the New Year. Something to improve your lifestyle or get your life back on track.

It’s more than likely that most people have more than one thing they need to change, so we have compiled a list of 12 popular New Year Resolutions for you to choose from.

And we all know it’s never easy! Most of us give up in the first week! So to give you a little guidance and support, we have matched each resolution with a handy title. Hopefully they will provide that much-needed encouragement to stick with it!

Take a look at the 12 New Year Resolutions we have chosen and visit the subject list click here.

Good Luck!

Costa Book Awards 2008 Shortlist

2008-12-01T15:46:00.004Z

The Shortlist for the Costa Book Awards 2008 is as follows -

Costa First Novel Award

Poppy Adams' The Behaviour of Moths
Sadie Jones' The Outcast
Jenny Rooney's Inside the Whale
Tom Rob Smith's Child

Costa Novel Award
Sebastian Barry's The Secret Scripture
Chris Cleave's The Other Hand
Louis De Bernieres A Partisan's Daughter
Patrick McGrath's Trauma

Costa Biography Award
Diana Athill's Somewhere Towards The End
Judith Mackrell's Bloomsbury Ballerina
Sathnam Sanghera's If You Don't Know Me By Now

Jackie Wullschlager's Chagall

Costa Poetry Award
Ciaran Carson's For All We Know
Adam Foulds' The Broken Word
Kathryn Simmonds' Sunday at the Skin Launderette

Greta Stoddart's Salvation Jane

Costa Children's Book Award
Keith Gray's Ostrich Boys
Saci Lloyd's The Carbon Diaries 2015

Michelle Magorian's Just Henry
Jenny Valentine's Broken Soup

One winner will be chosen from each catogory on the 6th January 2009 and will win £5,000 prize. An overall winner will then be decided on 27th January collecting the title and £25,000 in prize money!

Order your Quick Reads now!

2008-11-26T09:02:00.005Z

The line-up for Quick Reads 2009 has now been announced and it's time to get your orders in!

The Adults' Quick Reads have 10 TITLES.

The list is as follows -

9780552775298 - The Dare by John Boyne
9781906373610 Black - Eyed Devils by Catrin Collier
9780007299331 - Dragon's Den: Your Road to Success by the Dragons
9781846076435 - Doctor Who: The Sontaran Games by Jacqueline Garner
9780330464345 - The Tannery by Sherrie Hewson
9780007297184 - Reaching for the Stars by Lola Jane
9780752884509 - The Cave by Kate Mosse
9780141039923 - All These Lonely People by Gervase Phinn
9780752884493 - A Coll Head by Ian Rankin
9781842996713 - 101 Ways to Get Your Child to Read by Patience Thomson

The Children's World Book Day collection includes 11 TITLES (6 BOOKS). For more info on the children's titles please visit the Holt Junior website.

What's more, we will also be offering complimentary promotional materials to highlight the arrival of adult Quick Reads in your library! (Please note: stocks are limited and these will be provided on a first come, first served basis).

To guarantee prompt arrival of titles in time for World Book Day, Quick Reads orders will be prioritised at all stages.

To place your order, please complete this form and return to Chris Stedman by Friday 19th December 2008. ANY ORDERS RECEIVED AFTER THIS DATE WILL BE TREATED AS STANDARD.

This promotion is only available if full sets of titles are ordered.

Which Potter reader are you?

2008-10-21T14:28:00.006+01:00

The Daily Telegraph has reported that research conducted by an academic has revealed that Harry Potter readers can be split into 4 categories, and each relates to the 4 houses of Hogwarts.

Hufflepuff readers tend to read at a slow, steady and systematic pace and will enjoy reading it again and again.
Gryffindor are eager, energetic and will complete a book quickly, but soon move on to other things.
Ravenclaw take the tales with a pinch of salt; a books a book.
Slytherin are uninterested in the books and prefer the films.

As the academic points out, it is an interesting time in the world of the Potter, as the stories have ended (except for The Tales of Beedle the Bard of course!) and the anticipation and mysticism of Harry’s next adventure has gone, only loyal Hufflepuffs will continue the ‘Potter Brand’

So, which one are you?!

Under the Spotlight

2008-10-20T11:31:00.004+01:00

Screen Reads is November’s NYR theme, and we thought it would be fun to see the favourite books of people in the Holt Jackson office that have been made into films. I think you’ll be surprised at the variation!

Because of the success of last months Under the Spotlight, Screen Reads will only run for two weeks, but the subject list will remain on COTW for you to visit anytime. To view the list click here. To see images of book covers and movie posters, take a look here.

There are so many titles, too many to mention! Is your favourite there? If not, why not tell us what it is?

Man Booker Prize 2008 - Winner Announced!

2008-10-15T08:28:00.007+01:00

Aravind Adiga’s debut novel The White Tiger has won this year's Man Booker Prize.

He has beaten favourite Sebastian Barry to the £50,000 prize.

Chairman of the judges Michael Portillo, said "The novel is in many ways perfect. It is quite difficult to find any structural flaws with it."

Was this your Booker winner or did you have another favourite?

NYR Library Membership Campaign

2008-10-14T11:14:00.006+01:00

Due to the reported success of April’s Library Membership Campaign, the National Year of Reading is launching a second library membership drive this month. The campaign, called "Do Something Different!" will run for 2 weeks from 18th October to 1st November, coinciding with the school half term.

Libraries up and down the country will be putting on events, which will be supported by News of the World and local radio. There is even talk of making it an annual event with the possibility of linking with World Book Day.

Are you holding an event? Why not tell us all about it. And don’t forget, look out for Balloon Man on COTW as he’ll tell you that there’s promotional material available. It’s free and will help any event look the business!

For more information contact Gemma Fiorello on gfiorello@holtjackson.co.uk

Richard & Judy's The Daily Mail New Writers Book Club

2008-09-24T08:55:00.003+01:00

The first three titles have been announced for the new Richard & Judy/Daily Mail New Writers Book Club. They are Mudbound by Hillary Jordan, which will appear in the October slot, The Marriage Bureau for Rich People by Farahad Zama for November and Loving Frank by Nancy Horan, scheduled for December.

The programme starts on the 7th October on UKTV channel Watch, and each title will be publicised monthly in the Daily Mail, with a double-page spread.

For more details on the selected titles, click here

Dylan Thomas Prize - Shortlist Announced

2008-09-17T10:47:00.004+01:00

It’s one of the highest paying literary awards in the world, and yesterday, the shortlist for the £60,000 Dylan Thomas Prize was announced. The six listed were selected from a 16-strong longlist that was unveiled in July.

Caroline Bird - Trouble Came to the Turnip (9781857548877)
Ross Raisin - God's Own Country (9780141033525)

Ceridwen Dovey - Blood Kin (9781843546580)

Edward Hogan – Blackmoor (9781847370983)

Nam Le - The Boat (9781847671608)

Dinaw Mengestu - Children of the Revolution (9780099502739)

The award is open globally and has been designed to encourage talented new writers under the age of 30.

Peter Florence, chair of judges said that they are "confident that this will be a vintage" and that the shortlist will "produce a winner worthy of Dylan Thomas"

Richard & Judy's The Daily Mail New Writers Book Club

2008-09-16T13:07:00.002+01:00

Richard and Judy are moving to UKTV this autumn, and they’re taking the book club with them! The Best Read, Summer Read and Christmas books show will have their regular slots, but the producers have announced a new venture, a search for new writers. The Daily Mail New Writers Book Club will attempt to discover 12 new writing stars over the course of the year.

This new book club will be covered on UKTV’s new Watch channel. One title will be featured every month and will receive on-air reviews and author film. The Daily Mail will run a double-page spread before the show interviews, articles and celebrity reviews.

The first three books (October – December) will be announced soon, so watch this space!!!

Under the Spotlight

2008-09-10T11:04:00.004+01:00

Holt Junior and Walker books have worked together to create a wonderful collection of 15 new picture book titles and a whole host of free goodies. All this, and a dumpbin to showcase your books!

The titles can be viewed on COTW, and why not take a look at last years Walker book promotion list while you’re there. Also, over the coming weeks, our children’s department will be reviewing all the titles on COTW and we would encourage you to write your own!

Visit the Holt Junior website for further information on this exciting new promotion.

Man Booker Prize 2008 - Shortlist Announced

2008-09-09T15:31:00.004+01:00

This years Man Booker Prize for Fiction shortlist has been announced and is as follows -

Aravind Adiga - The White Tiger

Sebastian Barry - The Secret Scripture
Amitav Ghosh - Sea of Poppies
Linda Grant - The Clothes on Their Backs
Philip Hensher - The Northern Clemency

Steve Toltz - A Fraction of the Whole

The winner of this year's £50,000 prize will be announced on 14 October.

BA's Independent Booksellers Book Prize 2008 – Shortlist Announced

2008-08-27T15:21:00.004+01:00

Indies have picked ten adult and ten children’s titles for the Booksellers Association's Independent Booksellers Book Prize 2008.

Customers can vote at these independent booksellers using voting postcard.

The shortlists are as follows –

Adult
The Gathering - Anne Enright (9780099501633)

A History of Modern Britain - Andrew Marr (9780330439831)

I Before E (Except After C): Old-School Ways to Remember Stuff - Judy Parkinson (9781843172499)

Mister Pip - Lloyd Jones (9780719569944)

Mitfords: Letters Between Six Sisters - Charlotte Mosley (9781841157740)

Notes from an Exhibition - Patrick Gale (9780007254668)

Spilling the Beans - Clarissa Dickson-Wright (9780340933893)

The Uncommon Reader - Alan Bennett (9781846681332)

The Wild Places - Robert Macfarlane (9781847080189)

The Suspicions of Mr Whicher - Kate Summerscale (9780747599227)

Children
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J K Rowling (9780747595830)

Horrid Henry and the Abominable Snowman - Francesca Simon (9781842550700)

Hurricane Gold: Young Bond - Charlie Higson (9780141322049)

I'm Really Ever So Not Well: Charlie & Lola - Lauren Child (9780141500812)

The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Brian Selznick (9781407103488)

Mr Gum and the Power Crystals - Andy Stanton/David Tazzyman (9781405228176)

Paddington Here and Now - Michael Bond (9780007269402)

Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing with Fire - Derek Landy (9780007241620)

The Sleepwalker: (CHERUB) - Robert Muchamore (9780340931837)

Snakehead - Anthony Horowitz (9781406310399)

The deadline for vote entries is 24th October and the winner will be announced on 31st October.

Enid Blyton named best-loved author of all time

2008-08-19T10:51:00.009+01:00

Enid Blyton, creator of arguably the most famous and successful children’s stories of the 20th century, has been named the best-loved author of all time.

She has beaten the likes of Dahl and Rowling to the top spot.

2000 adults were asked to name their favourite authors as part of a research programme commissioned to mark the 2008 Costa Book Awards.

The top ten looks like this -
1. Enid Blyton
2. Roald Dahl
3. J.K. Rowling
4. Jane Austen
5. William Shakespeare
6. Charles Dickens
7. J.R.R. Tolkien
8. Agatha Christie
9. Stephen King
10. Beatrix Potter

For a full list of the top 50 best-loved authors, visit the Daily Mail article here.

ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards Shortlist Announced

2008-08-19T08:52:00.008+01:00

The shortlists for the three categories in the ITV3’s Crime Thriller Awards are as follows –

Breakthrough Author Award
Chelsea Cain – Heart sick (9780230015890)
Stuart MacBride - Broken Skin (9780007193189)
Michael Robotham - Shatter (9780751537314)
Anne Zouroudi - The Messenger of Athens (9780747592754)

International Author of the Year
Jeffery Deaver - The Sleeping Doll (9780340833865)
Stieg Larsson - The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (9781847245458)
Karin Slaughter - Skin Privilege (9780099481843)
PJ Tracy - Snow Blind (9780141019222)

Author of the Year
Lee Child - Bad Luck and Trouble (9780553818109)
Robert Harris - The Ghost (9780091796242)
Peter James - Not Dead Enough (9780330446129)
Ian Rankin - Exit Music (9780752893518)

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on 3rd October, which will be broadcast on ITV3 on the 6th.

Under the Spotlight

2008-08-01T09:37:00.010+01:00

August is National Year of Reading’s sporting theme and the start of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and to honour the great Games we have selected a fantastic collection of 12 Olympic titles.

You can learn all about their ancient beginnings to the modern events, with all the bits in between. And you never know; it might even inspire you to join in and go for gold!

Take a look at these sporting titles click here, or visit the Holt Jackson website.

Man Booker Longlist Announced

2008-07-30T08:43:00.005+01:00

The following 13 titles are in the running for this year's Man Booker Prize for Fiction:

Aravind Adiga - The White Tiger (9781843547204)
Gaynor Arnold - Girl in a Blue Dress (9780955647611)

Sebastian Barry - The Secret Scripture (9780571215287)

John Berger - From A to X (9781844672882)

Michelle de Kretser - The Lost Dog (9780701182106)

Amitav Ghosh - Sea of Poppies (9780719568954)

Linda Grant - The Clothes on Their Backs (9781844085415)

Mohammed Hanif - A Case of Exploding Mangoes (9780224082044)

Philip Hensher - The Northern Clemency (9780007174799)

Joseph O'Neill - Netherland (9780007269068)

Salman Rushdie - The Enchantress of Florence (9780224061636)

Tom Rob Smith - Child 44 (9781847371263)

Steve Toltz - A Fraction of the Whole (9780241143902)

Michael Portillo, Chair of judges said that the panel ‘are pleased with the geographical balance of the longlist with writers from Pakistan, India, Australia, Ireland and UK’ and that the ‘list covers an extraordinary variety of writing’

The shortlist will be announced on 9th September, and the winner named on 14th October.

2008 BBC National Short Story Award Winner Announced

2008-07-16T09:13:00.002+01:00

Clare Wigfall has won the £15,000 prize for the BBC National Short Story Award for The Numbers

Jane Gardam received the runner up prize of £3,000 for The People on Privilege Hill

Chair of the judges, broadcaster and writer Martha Kearney, said that the standard and diversity of the shortlist was proof that 'short story is alive and well'.

Rushdie Wins Best of the Booker

2008-07-11T12:07:00.003+01:00

Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children has been awarded the Best of the Booker prize, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the awards.

The shortlist comprised of five other previous Booker winners, Pat Barker’s The Ghost Road, Peter Carey’s Oscar and Lucinda, J M Coetzee’s Disgrace, J G Farrell’s The Siege of Krishnapur and Nadine Gordimer’s The Conservationist.

This comes as the third Booker award for Rushdie, who is ‘absolutely delighted’ and graciously thanked ‘all those readers around the world who voted for Midnight's Children’.

Panalist Victoria Glendinning said that the novel had won by a "quite a large margin".

BBC National Short Story Award Shortlist Announced

2008-07-07T12:57:00.008+01:00

It’s the world’s biggest award for a single short story with a prize of £15,000 for the winning author.

The shortlist for the BBC National Short Story Award is as follows -

Richard Beard - Guidelines Measures to Cope with Disgraceful and Other Events
Jane Gardam - The People on Privilege Hill
Erin Soros - Surge
Adam Thorpe - The Names
Clare Wigfall - The Numbers

The winner and runner-up will be announced on Monday 14 July

The Desmond Elliot Prize 2008 Winner Announced

2008-07-01T16:14:00.004+01:00

Nikita Lalwani has been awarded the 2008 Desmond Elliot Prize for her book Gifted (ISBN: 9780670917075).

The prize for a 'sparkling good read' is worth £10,000 to the winner.

Chair of the Judges, Penny Vincenzi said Gifted has a "wonderfully bittersweet charm" and is a "book of extraordinary range" which "Desmond Elliot would have loved".

For more information, please visit www.desmondelliottprize.com

Under the Spotlight

2008-07-01T09:34:00.010+01:00

To coincide with the National Year of Reading theme, Rhythm & Rhyme, and Michael Rosen’s 2008 Poetry Tour, we are promoting a special collection children’s poetry titles.

It’s a fantastic collection of 21 books, including Rosen’s Book of very silly poems and You wait till I’m older than you!, with an exclusive collection of free promotional gifts for everyone to enjoy!

To view the complete list of titles, click here.

Library Membership Campaign a Huge Success

2008-06-19T12:19:00.004+01:00

'Join a Library Day' could become an annual event after the success of the National Year of Reading initiative this April.

National library membership saw a 24 per cent increase on figures from last April, prompting the idea of an annual drive on attracting new members.

Honor Wilson-Fletcher, NYR project director, said, "We set a target for the eight months of 350,000 new library members and we hit that target in less than two months."

Wilson-Fletcher attributes the success to "a mix of local activity and national campaigning" and says it doesn't stop there; "we will be doing more work to support libraries in reaching our target audiences both with the Summer Reading Challenge and with adult learning enrolment in the autumn."

Harper Lee All Time Favourite

2008-06-17T12:06:00.008+01:00

To Kill A Mockingbird has taken the top spot in a new survery of 2000 people to find the greatest book of all time.

The poll, conducted by online retailer Play.com, saw the classic novel beat off competition from recent favourites The Da Vinci Code and the Harry Potter series.

The top 10 titles were:

1. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
2. Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkien
3. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C S Lewis
4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
5. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
6. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
7. Animal Farm by George Orwell
8. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
9. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J K Rowling
10. Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones, Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveller's Wife and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini were among some of the other modern classics making it into the top 50.

Richard & Judy Summer Reads Line-up Announced

2008-06-16T09:07:00.004+01:00

This year's Summer Reads have now been announced - the titles are as follows:

The Outcast - Sadie Jones

No Time For Goodbye - Linwood Barclay

East of the Sun - Julia Gregson

Down River - John Hart

The Pirate's Daughter - Margaret Cezair-Thompson

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee - Rebecca Miller

Addition - Toni Jordan

The Ressurectionist - James Bradley

For more information on the selected titles, please click here.

Tremain Wins Orange Prize

2008-06-05T09:33:00.006+01:00

Rose Tremain has won the 2008 Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction for her novel The Road Home (9780701177935).

Awarded yesterday, the judges described the book as "a powerfully imagined story and a wonderful feat of emotional empathy told with great warmth and humour".

Joanna Kavenna won the Award for New Writers for her novel Inglorious (9780571232611).

Established in 1996 as a celebration of fiction written by women, the Orange Prize is frequently met with criticism linking to sex discrimination. Shortlisted author Sadie Jones has backed calls for a men's prize, suggesting it would help promote reading among boys. She said: "Anything that adds interest or glamour for boys can only be good sense."

Under the Spotlight

2008-06-02T09:06:00.003+01:00

Escape this summer with a timeless classic from Oxford University Press.

Drawing on the influence of the NYR's June theme Reading Escapes, for this month's Under the Spotlight, we're suggesting you grab one of the 11 great titles launched this month as part of the Escape collection.

Whether reading to escape, or escaping to read, lose yourself in the intense thoughts of Mrs Dalloway, take a Journey to the Centre of the Earth or experience the adventures of The Counte of Monte Cristo.

For more details on the other titles available, visit our homepage or view the titles here.

Richard & Judy Summer Reads

2008-05-28T14:12:00.009+01:00

Finally the holiday season is upon us - grab your sunscreen, shades and the hottest read of the summer...struggling for inspiration? There's only one place to look!

Yes, it's that time of year again when Richard and Judy feature a selection of beach reads almost guaranteed surefire success.

Past titles highlighted by the Richard and Judy Summer Reads feature have included The Island, The Memory Keeper's Daughter and The House at Riverton.

This year, there will be eight titles selected, which will be announced on the show during the week commencing 16th June. The book club will focus on one title per week thereafter, eventually announcing the winning title during week commencing 18th August.

The titles are strictly top secret at this point in time - but to be sure you're well stocked to meet the demand, you can pre-order the titles now!

Please contact Jim Bickerstaffe at jbickerstaffe@holtjackson.co.uk

Happy Families is Learners' Favourite

2008-05-28T09:54:00.009+01:00

Adele Parks's Happy Families (9780141034911) has won the Quick Reads Learners' Favourite Award.

Announced as part of Adult Learners Week, the winner was voted for by a wide range of readers including adult literacy groups, Union Learning Representatives and the general public.

Happy Families was one of ten Quick Reads released this year, which included titles by Gordon Ramsay, Josephine Cox and a new Doctor Who story.

Accepting the award, Parks said: "Everybody who gets involved in Quick Reads is committed, we all want to make a difference, and so I'd like to accept this award on behalf of everyone working on this project."

New Prize Shortlist Announced

2008-05-22T14:47:00.008+01:00

The shortlist for this brand new prize for 'sparkling fiction' has now been announced and comprises:

Child 44 - Tom Rob Smith

Gifted - Nikita Lalwani

Sunday at the Cross Bones - John Walsh

Bestselling author Penny Vincenzi, chairing the judging panel, said:
" These three books are true page-turners, they are all intelligent and thought-provoking, and they cover a very broad range. And all three have that crucial quality for a successful book - word-of-mouth appeal."

The winner of the Desmond Elliot Prize 2008 will be announced on 26th June.

Draw a crowd with an author event...

2008-05-16T16:23:00.002+01:00

If you're looking for an innovative, exciting new way to draw in readers and promote forthcoming titles, we may have the perfect solution for you with our author visit service.

An author event can be a magical experience for all those involved, as librarians, customers and school pupils alike get the chance to interact with a best-selling author.

Every event is different; from workshops with children's illustrator Liz Million, to "murder mystery" evenings with the talented authors from Creme de la Crime.

Our marketing team have an extensive list of contacts and, in the past, have secured visits from such acclaimed names as Kate Mosse, Peter Lovesey and Adele Geras. We are also able to arrange a selection of the featured author's books on a 'sale or return' basis so your audience can purchase a signed copy as a special memento of the event.

For more information on this exclusive service, please email cstedman@holtjackson.co.uk

Best of the Booker Shortlist Announced

2008-05-12T14:51:00.009+01:00

As part of their 40th anniversary celebrations this year, the Man Booker Prize are awarding a one-off celebratory prize to determine the best winning title over the 40 years the Man Booker has been awarded.

The 'Best of the Booker' shortlist, as selected by a panel of judges, was announced today. The six contenders are:

Pat Barker - The Ghost Road

Peter Carey - Oscar and Lucinda

JM Coetzee - Disgrace

JG Farrell - The Siege of Krishnapur

Nadine Gordimer - The Conservationist

Salman Rushdie - Midnight's Children

Victoria Glendinning, chairing the judging panel, said: "It was a great experience, revisiting all the Booker and Man Booker Prize winners, and very tough arriving at the shortlist - but we really feel that the six novels we picked represent the best fiction-writing of the past 40 years and that each one of them will stand the test of time."

The overall winner will be voted for by the public and announced on 10th July as part of the London Literature Festival.

Voting starts today - so visit www.themanbookerprize.com/news/vote and have your say!

Displays Attract More Readers

2008-05-09T11:28:00.002+01:00

A new survey comissioned by The Bookseller has found that retail displays now take centre stage in attracting readers to new books and authors.

The survey, which questioned 1000 people nationwide, showed 26% people get information about new releases from displays, followed by press and TV/radio coverage at 14 and 13% respectively.

Recommendations from family and friends, once rated as the most popular method of discovering new titles, now lag behind with just 12% of votes.

Other formats of discovering new books and authors included internet recommendations, with 9% of the vote, and advice from shop staff and librarians - although only 2% of people claimed to respond to their recommendations.

Under the Spotlight...

2008-05-01T10:42:00.002+01:00

This month the spotlight is shining on healthy living for the mind, body and spirit.

Taking inspiration from this month's National Year of Reading theme, we have a great selection of titles on offer and are also looking at two best-selling authors - top psychic Sylvia Browne and nutrition guru Patrick Holford.

To see what we have in store, be sure to visit our main website and COTW subject lists throughout May.

The Prize for Sparkling New Fiction...

2008-04-28T14:09:00.004+01:00

"The Desmond Elliott Prize is a new biennial prize for a first novel written in English and published in the UK. Named in honour of literary agent and publisher Desmond Elliott, one of the most charismatic and successful men in recent publishing history who died in August 2003, the Prize is designed to celebrate sparkling new fiction and is worth £10,000 to the winner."

- www.desmondelliottprize.org

To view the first ever longlist for this new prize, please click here.

The Best Book in the World...

2008-04-22T16:30:00.003+01:00

A new website, 'Poll the People' has been launched in a bid to find out what is truly the world's favourite book.

Poll the People allows you to enter your top five films, albums and books of all time to participate in this ongoing international poll.

According to Glenn Cooper, who launched the site, it "was borne out of frustration with the endless stream of magazines, TV and online polls where results were based on a very limited survey".

Currently topping the chart for best book is Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird. Do you agree with this?

In the poll, recent successes such as Cecelia Ahern's P.S. I Love You, sit alongside classics such as Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice, but what do you think is the best book in the world....ever?!

Join a Library!

2008-04-17T16:06:00.005+01:00

Saturday 26th April will be the first ever 'Join a Library Day'.

As part of the National Year of Reading's library recruitment campaign, libraries throughout England can expect a variety of new members as a universal joining form appears in the Daily Mirror.

Children's newspaper First News and local press nationwide will also offer their support to the campaign which will hopefully see thousands of people flocking to their libraries, where they will receive a 'Welcome to Your Library' joining pack. (350,000 have been produced.)

There is also an added incentive for young people to join as the first 235,000 new young members will receive a free copy of the NYR's Ultimate Book Guide, outlining the best children's and teen reads.

The National Year of Reading runs until December and aims to "help build a greater national passion for reading in England - for children, families and adult learners alike."

Leave a comment and let us know what you've got planned for national 'Join a Library Day'!

Orange Prize Shortlist Announced

2008-04-15T15:27:00.005+01:00

The shortlist for this year's Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction has now been announced. The titles are as follows:

Fault Lines - Nancy Huston

The Outcast - Sadie Jones

When We Were Bad - Charlotte Mendelson

Lullabies for Little Criminals - Heather O'Neill

The Road Home - Rose Tremain

Lottery - Patricia Wood

The winner will be announced on 4th June.

More Than Words

2008-04-14T11:35:00.004+01:00

This month we're loving the fantastic new range of Oxford World's Classics - featuring favourites such as Dickens, Shakespeare and the Brontes, alongside more unusual titles - there's an Oxford World's Classic for everyone!

The relaunch kicks off with the Dream and Desire collections - see our promotions page now for more information and to check when your favourite's due for release!

Galaxy British Book Awards Winners

2008-04-10T09:30:00.006+01:00

JK Rowling and Ian McEwan were the big success stories at last night's Galaxy British Book Awards. The Harry Potter author celebrated the end of her bestselling series with the award for Outstanding Achievement. While McEwan won two of the awards, affectionately deemed the Nibbies, for his bestselling novella, On Chesil Beach.

Katie Price, who was controversially nominated for Children's Book of the Year for her title My Pony Care Book, lost out to Francesca Simon's Horrid Henry and the Abominable Snowman.

Here's the full list of winners:

Book of the Year - On Chesil Beach, Ian McEwan
Outstanding Achievement - JK Rowling
Richard & Judy's Best Read of the Year - A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini
Author of the Year - Ian McEwan, On Chesil Beach
Biography of the Year - My Booky Wook, Russell Brand
Children's Book of the Year - Horrid Henry and the Abominable Snowman, Francesca Simon
Crime Thriller of the Year - Book of the Dead, Patricia Cornwell
Newcomer of the Year - What Was Lost, Catherine O'Flynn
Popular Fiction Award - The Memory Keeper's Daughter, Kim Edwards
Popular Non-Fiction Award - Long Way Down, Ewan McGregor & Charlie Boorman.

Do you think JK Rowling's award was long overdue? Which was your favourite R&J read? Is your favourite author a winner? As always, let us know your thoughts - and be sure to tune in to Channel 4 at 4.40pm this Sunday to catch the whole ceremony!

Orange Broadband Award for New Writers Shortlist Announced

2008-04-08T10:45:00.002+01:00

The shortlist of writers competing for this year's Orange Award for New Writers has now been announced.

The titles are:

Lauren Groff - The Monsters of Templeton

Joanna Kavenna - Inglorious

Lauren Liebenberg - The Voluptuous Delights of Peanut Butter and Jam

The winner will be announced on 4th June and will be awarded £10,000 to help them pursue their writing career.

What do you think about the shortlist? Have you read any of the titles? Who should win? Leave us a comment and let us know your thoughts...

Welcome to the Holt Jackson blog!

2008-04-07T09:48:00.006+01:00

Hi everyone and welcome to the brand new Holt Jackson blog.

We felt it was time we took note of the phenomenal popularity of blogging and social networking - and launching our very own blog seemed like the best way to do it!

Our blog will work very much in the same way as our 'Latest News' section always has; offering you the latest industry, and company, news. However, the format of the blog will allow for more extensive postings and also has a great advantage of allowing interaction.

Blogging is about comment and information so, while we inform you of the latest happenings (and perhaps drop a little bit of commentary in there!), we'll encourage you to get involved too. Read what we have to say and add your own comments, whether you agree or disagree, it's a great way for you to have your say!

Another exciting feature of our blog is Book of the Week. Each week, we will be detailing a new title that we think has something special. Largely by new, upcoming authors, our Books of the Week are selected by our buyers and promise to be excellent reads - literary gems of the future! (Be sure to check out this week's hot title - The Palace of Strange Girls.)

We hope you'll agree that the HJ blog will prove a great new communication tool, and we look forward to hearing your comments!

Best wishes,