INTRODUCTION


The Bookseller Buyer’s Guide Fiction Spring/Summer 2020


A preview of new titles published between February 2020–July 2020


Using the Buyer’s Guides


The titles listed in the Spring/Summer 2020 Buyer’s Guide are divided into categories, with sub- divisions according to format and age range where appropriate. Within each category, the entries are listed alphabetically by author surname. All the books included


were submitted by publishers via the online database (Bookseller BuyersGuide.co.uk). Regardless of size, publishers were restricted to submitting 10 titles and/or series per cate- gory/imprint, and given a 30-word limit to describe each title. If a title is an audiobook or has an audio edition, it is stated in the title’s metadata. Other formats are as follows: hb (hardback); pb (paperback); tpb (trade paperback); pbo (paperback original); mmpb (mass-market paperback); eb (e-book).


L


ast year had one of the most eagerly awaited literary sequels in some time: Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments. The Handmaid’s Tale follow-up ended up becoming the fastest-selling adult novel in four years, on its way to claiming a shared Booker Prize. As Alice O’Keeffe notes in her preview, there is bound to be similar literary sequel mania this year, with Hilary Mantel’s concluding volume of her Thomas Cromwell trilogy—and it would perhaps be unwise to bet against Mantel taking the Booker for what would be an unprecedented third time. Yet Mantel is just the tip of iceberg in what looks like


a rich and varied 2020 in fiction. Much is often made of débutants in the world of fiction, but the next six months seems particularly blessed in sophomore efforts from young (or young at writing) novelists, including Sophie Mackintosh, Christina Dalcher and Ruth Jones, the last of whom made the transition from “Gavin & Stacey” writer/star to bestselling author with


aplomb. And there are a number of eagerly awaited “kinda débuts”, such as first adult bows from the likes of children’s superstar Kiran Millwood Hargrave and American cultural commentator, essayist and Black Panther comics writer Ta-Nehisi Coates.


Tom Tivnan Managing editor


Publisher & chief executive Nigel Roby61


Editor Philip Jones 64 Charts & data analyst Kiera O’Brien 75 Books editor Alice O’Keeffe 72 Managing editor Tom Tivnan 73 Associate editor Caroline Sanderson


Children’s book previewer Fiona Noble Head of central production Mark Guest 77


Creative editor Danny Arter 79 Production assistant Sophie Scott-Foss 83


Director of publisher relations Emma Lowe 62


Sub-editor Steve Langley Head of client development Gerard O’Hare 84


Account manager Brittany Owens 87


Marketing & sales executive Phoebe Wyatt 80 Finance and administration manager Sasha McMullin 74


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February 2020–July 2020 05


Buyer’s Guide


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