THIS WEEK
News Review The headlines: in brief
Paul Murray and Fern Brady win inaugural Nero Book Awards
Hamish Hamilton has scored two of the four winners in the inaugural Nero Book Awards, with books by Paul Murray and Michael Magee. They are joined by Beth Lincoln and Fern Brady. Murray scooped the fiction category for his fourth novel, The Bee Sting (Hamish Hamilton), the latest in a string of prize nods including a Booker shortlisting, an An Post Irish Book of the Year 2023 win and a nomination for The Writer’s Prize 2024. The novel tells the story of a middle-class Irish family in turmoil, as the effects of the post- 2008 banking crisis take their toll. Magee’s Close to Home (Hamish
FERN BRADY
Hamilton) took the début fiction crown. It was inspired by the author’s working-class upbringing in west Belfast, exploring masculinit, violence, povert and trauma, and won the Rooney Prize for Literature in 2023
Rights deal
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Hodder & Stoughton has revealed a 50th anniversary special hardback edition of Stephen King’s début novel Carrie, the first in a new line of the author’s classic works. Featuring a new introduction by Margaret Atwood and cover art from Hodder art director Alasdair Oliver, it will be published on 26th March, ahead of the horror classic’s half-century anniversary on 5th April.
Rights deal 08 2nd February 2024
HCCB reveals Walliams’ latest release HarperCollins Children’s Books has announced Astrochimp, a “wildly funny, action-packed” space adventure from David Walliams left, marking the author’s début into comic strip fiction. The book features illustrations by Adam Stower, and will publish on 23rd May 2024 in hardback, with simultaneous e-book and audio editions. Astrochimp is Walliams’ 41st book for children. To date his books have sold 24.7 million copies in the UK, including translations, worth over £147m.
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and Waterstones Irish Book of the Year 2023.
The children’s fiction winner was The Swiſts by début writer Lincoln (Puffin), which is illustrated by Claire Powell. Awards organisers called it “a rip-roaring murder mystery”. Strong Female Character by comedian Brady (Brazen) was named the non-fiction winner. The book was inspired by a diagnosis of autism in her 30s. Of these four category winners, one book will be selected as the overall winner and recipient of the Nero Gold Prize Book of the Year, to be announced at a ceremony in London on 14th March. A final judging panel led by award- winning author Bernardine Evaristo will select the overall winner. Each category winner receives £5,000, with the overall Nero Gold Prize Book of the Year winner receiving an additional £30,000.
Bloomsbury picks book on effects of racism Bloomsbury has won a 16-way auction for Systemic, an investigation into how racism harms health by science journalist Layal Liverpool left. Head of Bloomsbury Trade Alexis Kirschbaum and editorial director Jasmine Horsey acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Will Francis at Janklow & Nesbit. In the US, North American rights were sold to editorial director Alessandra Bastagli at Astra House in a pre-empt. Rights have also sold in Germany to Aufbau Verlag and to Atlas Contact in the Netherlands.
Shire Publications founder dies aged 88 The founder of Shire Publications, John Rotheroe, above has died aged 88. His family said they were
Te Bookseller @thebookseller
@UKTor has landed two science fiction novels from Peter F Hamilton, beginning with Exodus: The Archimedes Engine
http://tinyurl.com/mtc5pppd
“immensely proud of his publishing legacy at Shire and share his love of the unique and eclectic range of titles”. Shire Publications was founded in 1962, publishing Discovering East Suffolk, a 24-page guide to the county through a series of five motoring routes and a gazetteer of the main towns and villages. It was given away to visitors via coach operators, local churches and tourist information points. Over the following years, Shire
expanded its Discovering series and launched several new series including Lifelines, Shire Albums, Shire Archaeology and Shire Egyptology. In 2007, the company was acquired by Oxford-based publisher Osprey. In December 2010, Osprey, along with Shire, was acquired by Bloomsbury.
© Raphael Neal
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