SPONSOR


DESCRIPTION


  a series of Limited Editon writing instruments paying tribute to icons such as Sophia Loren and Pelé.


THE NUMBERS


AUTHOR OF THE YEAR RICHARD OSMAN


R


ichard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club was published in October 2020 on the busiest day in the publishing calendar. It went straight to number one, and now holds the record for the longest consecutive run there (16 weeks). A TV presenter, producer, comedian and


writer, Osman was best known as the creator and co-presenter of “Pointless”. The Thursday Murder Club has changed that. A light-hearted crime thriller


WINNER Richard Osman


featuring four septuagenarians, it sold 45,000 hardbacks in its first week to become the fastest-selling crime novel on record and, six weeks later, the Christmas Number One. Described by its editor Katy Loftus as an “antidote to Brexit”, the novel captures, Loftus says, an “innate sense of Britishness that is both nostalgic and contemporary; so right for now. I feel as though it is a rallying cry for togetherness and inclusiveness,” concluded its editor. Osman was conscious of not being a “celebrity who writes”; he wanted the


book to stand on its own terms. According to his publisher, Osman exhibited “an extraordinary work ethic and a good heart. His charm with booksellers and buyers, his kindness to every member of the team, his willingness to do many things he found uncomfortable, and the adoration felt by his fans, all contributed to a single message: this book will make you feel better.”


49


The Thursday Murder Club has spent 25 weeks at the top of The Bookseller Original Fiction chart and achieved the longest consecutive run at number one.   be Christmas Number One, achieving the highest sale for a festive chart- topper since 2010. All told, it is the fastest- selling novel since  The Casual Vacancy in 2012.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52