News
China Literature in UK drive C
WORDS Benedicte Page
HINA’S BIGGEST ONLINE publisher, China Literature, part-owned by e-commerce giant Tencent, is planning an English-
language expansion. To date, nearly 10 million original works have been created on its platforms by close to seven million writers. In China the content is largely read on smartphones, with more than 190 million readers having accessed its sample chapters for free. They can buy the (oſten serialised) works via online micropayments, at which point authors get a share of the revenue. Despite acknowledging that US and European readers don’t currently have the same inclination as Chinese users to read longer works on smart- phones, China Literature hopes to entice English- language readers interested in China’s culture via website and app
WebNovel.com. The site has launched with 150 translated titles, 90% of which are offered free, with the rest priced at $0.01 per 100 words. While most of the authors writing on China Literature platforms are amateurs, some— like Tang Jia San Shao and Mao Ni—have gone on to enjoy commercial success, with their work brought into print or, in some cases, adapted into comics, games and films. China Literature hopes the same patern of exploiting IP will happen in other markets.
Tang Jia San Shao has been the breakout success of the writing platform China Literature
International licensing director Aaron Huang said: “Popular online fiction offers a fast, data- supported way for production companies to develop film and TV plots, computer games and other forms of entertainment. Audiences know the characters and story—they’re already sold on it.” The first step is to build the English-language readership. Sandra Chen, WebNovel product manager, told The Bookseller Daily that the busi- ness is looking to acquire local content and find English-language writers who want to write on the WebNovel platform.
Pet detective Butcher lights up LBF
A heartwarming story about a pet detective and his rescue dog has been sold across Europe and in the US. Molly & Me: How One Man and his Dog Became a Crime-Solving Duo by Colin Butcher was sold in the US, in a six-figure pre-empt, to Macmillan list Celadon Books in a deal brokered by Furniss Lawton agent Rory Scarfe. In the UK, a pre-empt made just hours after submission was turned down; the book is the subject of an eight-way auction due to take place next week. Goldmann won a five-way auction in Germany, while Sperling beat off four rivals in Italy. Former policeman Butcher recruited a rescue dog to help him
track down missing cats for their heartbroken owners. His story has also been pre-empted in Finland (WSOY), Norway (Aschehoug) and the Netherlands (House of Books), with a Swedish auction ongoing. An auction for film rights is also expected to take place.
Talking Heads’ Frantz’s tell-all tale to Faber
Faber is to publish the memoir of Chris Frantz, one of the mem- bers of seminal post-punk band Talking Heads. Faber Social cre- ative director Lee Brackstone bought UK and Commonwealth rights in Frantz’s Remain in Love from Cathryn Summerhayes at Curtis Brown, on behalf of Sloan Harris and Dan Kirschen at ICM. Frantz will write about founding the band with David Byrne and Tina Weymoth in 1975, as well as the group’s success in the 1980s.
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Winterson’s take on Frankenstein to Cape
Jeanette Winterson’s Frankisss- tein will be published simulta- neously by Jonathan Cape in the UK and Grove Atlantic in the US in autumn 2019. Cape’s Rachel Cugnoni acquired UK and Com- monwealth rights from Caroline Michel at PFD, while Elisabeth Schmitz bought North American rights from PFD’s Alexandra Cliff. The novel will breathe new life into Mary Shelley’s horror story, grappling with issues of identity, technology and sexuality.
Love song to Istanbul scoops €20k EBRD prize
The €20,000 European Bank for Reconstruction & Develop- ment (EBRD) Literature Prize has been claimed by Burhan Sönmez for Istanbul Istanbul (Telegram Books), a novel that was translated into English from Turkish by Ümit Hussein. The prize money will be split between the author and trans- lator. Set after a military coup, the winning title is a love song to Istanbul, inspired by the author’s own experiences.
Overdrive and Bookseller pair up for libraries focus
The Bookseller, with spon- sor Overdrive and partner The Reading Agency (TRA), is launching a Libraries of the Year focus, to highlight the work libraries do to encourage reading, improve literacy and provide access to books. Libraries of the Year 2018 will be announced today (11th April) at the Overdrive Conference. Working with TRA, The Book- seller will solicit submissions from public libraries of all sizes, and then produce detailed case studies on 10 libraries. These will form a basis of a report, to be distributed to 4,000 UK libraries, MPs and advisory bodies, on the value librar- ies play in their communities. Additionally, The Bookseller will hold a discussion with the 10 libraries, with one of them to be named Library of the Year. Nigel Roby, publisher and chief executive of The Bookseller, said: “Libraries are essential to societ and one of the ways in which their benefit can be championed is for best practices to be showcased. This will give libraries up and down the UK an extra activit-based resource to support their calls for proper library provision.” Johanna Brinton, business development manager at Over- drive, said: “We are delighted at the opportunit to support this award. Libraries are essential to the fabric of our societ and we fully support their mission.”
Giedroyc’s Best Things makes Headline news
Headline has signed world rights to TV presenter Mel Giedroyc’s début The Best Things. Associate publisher Sherise Hobbs inked a two-book deal with Paul Ste- vens of Independent Talent, and will publish in summer 2019. The “funny, warm, life-affirming” novel follows a family that loses everything—only to find them- selves in the process. Giedroyc said: “I’m delighted that Head- line has taken me into its stable and bosom.”
11th April 2018
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