INTRODUCTION


The Bookseller Buyer’s Guide Fiction Spring/Summer 2021


A preview of new titles published between February 2021–July 2021


Using the Buyer’s Guides


The titles listed in the Spring/Summer 2021 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 under the publishers’ imprints, which have been ordered alphabetically. 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 category/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).


W


henever Britain goes into a trying period, the received wisdom goes, readers will turn to fiction for escape from the reality of the day-to-day. Which seems to scan, but is almost always a complete nonsense if you look at book sales data. Except in 2020, when a Publishers Association report said that fiction sales actually shot up 13% during Lockdown 1.0—which must give the publishers and sellers of fiction a modicum of cheer as 2021 opens with another lockdown (what is it now, 7.0?). Plus, fiction even ruled the streaming services as the two biggest pandemic streaming hits, BBC’s “Normal People” and Netflix’s “Bridgerton”, came from Sally Rooney and Julia Quinn’s novels respectively. This spring has some very welcome returns: Kazuo


Ishiguro’s first post-Nobel novel and Steven Hall’s second book, Maxwell’s Demon, which comes along 14 years after his cult classic début, The Raw Shark Texts. But there is an exciting new crop, too, led by Zakiya Dalila Harris’ much-hyped publishing house-set The Other Black Girl; Three Women author Lisa Taddeo’s move into thriller writing with Animal; and Mel Giedroyc’s (of Mel and Sue and “Bake Off” fame) début The Best Things.


Tom Tivnan Managing editor


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 executive Robyn Carr 87


Marketing and sales executive Phoebe Wyatt 80 Managing director Hugh Comerford HR manager Nicky Jooste


Contacte020 3358 03XX @firstname.secondname@thebookseller.com Post ? The Bookseller/The Stage Media Co Ltd, 47 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3XT Customer servicee013 7185 1879 @bookseller@escosubs.co.uk B thebookseller.com/subscribe


Printed by Buxton Press, Palace Road, Buxton SK17 6AE. ISSN 0006-7539. ©2021 The Bookseller/The Stage Media Co Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.


February 2021–July 2021 05


Additional copies of all three Bookseller Buyer’s Guides are available (£15 per set). An annual Buyer’s Guide Subscription will have them delivered to your door twice a year (from £30). Call 013 7185 1879 or email bookseller@escosubs.co.uk to order.


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