Though a global pandemic darkened the early 2020s, four children's book imprints that launched soon before its onset are shining brightly as they mark their fifth anniversaries this year. Read more
"It is really meaningful to me that people in their 20s and a little bit younger still have a place in their hearts for my books," the author tells PEOPLE
Keira Knightley is latest star to publish a children's book, but some say trend pushes aside genuine writers and makes it harder to find great children's fiction
The author Lynne Reid Banks, known for her novel The L-Shaped Room and her children's book series The Indian in the Cupboard, has died at the age of 94.
In 2022, over 4 million books were released via traditional publishers and via self-publishing. According to author Sam Subity, less than .02% of those published were middle-grade books. Middle-grade book sales were down 16% in the same year. According to Publisher's Weekly, however, there was an overall increase in sales of Young Adult novels.
When you are next visiting a bookstore, and find your way to the children's section, you might be forgiven for thinking that there is no longer such a thing as a children's author. Instead, you will be ambushed by piles of books blazoned with the names of actors, singers, comedians, DJs and people who generously exhibit themselves on social media.
Jordan Lees' début children's fantasy, The Whisperwicks: The Labyrinth of Lost and Found, has been on an incredible journey over this past year. Read more
Stewart Collins says support for the Petworth literary festival in West Sussex is growing, and Kathryn Streatfield suggests local events are the solution for a changing festival world
Though a global pandemic darkened the early 2020s, four children's book imprints that launched soon before its onset are shining brightly as they mark their fifth anniversaries this year. Read more
Aside from the wonder of engaging with tons of stories and fiction across genres, listening to audiobooks also opens older adults up to communities both online and offline.
Available statistics on the UK talking books market vastly underplay its size, says Kelli Fairbrother, who calls for more investment and innovation in the sector.
National Literacy TrustUK-based organisation which has campaigned since 1993 to improve literacy standards across all age groups. Excellent research information and details of the many initiatives the charity is currently involved in. www.literacytrust.org.uk. It also has a useful page of news stories on UK literacy, which links to newsletter http://www.readitswapit.co.uk/TheLibrary.aspx finds only 35% of eight to 18-year-olds enjoy reading in their spare time, a sharp drop on last year to the lowest figure yet recorded
A recent Nielsen BookData and GfK Entertainment report on global book sales for the first eight months of the year shows "rising revenues in fiction, while sales of nonfiction books are declining in many regions. The TikTok community BookTok is playing an increasingly important role."
The largest book publisher in The Netherlands has confirmed it plans to use artificial intelligence (AI) to translate some of its books into English, The Bookseller can exclusively reveal.
Cambridge University PressPublishing business of the University of Cambridge; granted letters patent by Henry VIII in 1534 world's oldest publishing house; second largest university press in world; (http://uk.cambridge.org/aboutus/infoforauthors/electronic.htm) tells you how to submit manuscripts electronically, but only deals with non-fiction. & Assessment (CUPA) is contacting 20,000 authors to request their permission before licensing their content for the training and development of large language models (LLMs).
'Writers must fortify themselves with pride and egotism as best they can. The process is analogous to using sandbags and loose timbers to protect a house against flood. Writers are vulnerable creatures like anyone else. For what do they have in reality? Not sandbags, not timbers. Just a flimsy reputation and a name.'