London Book Fair


News


JÉRÔME FAVRE


11th March 2025


New SFF imprint Bloomsbury Archer ‘out to make some real publishing magic’


KATIE FRASER Staff writer


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loomsbury is launch- ing a new science fiction and fantasy imprint, Bloomsbury Archer, which it says


will cross “the constellation of speculative fiction”, helmed by publishing director Vicky Leech Mateos ( 1). The ‘Archer’ derives from the existing Bloomsbury emblem of Diana, Roman goddess of the hunt, and references the new imprint’s “pursuit of the very best storytelling and new stars”. Leech Mateos will build a list that


covers fantasy, science fiction, crossover stories, speculative romance, horror and mythological retellings. The US branch will be led by publishing director Noa Wheeler


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(editor of Bloomsbury’s current biggest brand, Sarah J Maas) and senior director of marketing and publicity Erica Barmash. The list kicks off with Samantha Shannon’s Among the Burning Flowers, a prequel to the Roots of Chaos series, which will be released in September 2025. Shannon’s full backlist will also move under the new imprint.


Australia Top Five Best- sellers


Maehashi remains the wizard of Aus Celeb chef Nagi Maehashi’s RecipeTin Eats: Tonight (which in October 2024 became Australia's fastest-selling non-fiction book since records began), bags the Aussie chart pole position, on 300,000 units, some 123,000 copies greater than the next-bestseller, her own RecipeTin Eats: Dinner. With Liane Moriarty’s Here One Moment next (158,000 copies), Pan Macmillan Australia


makes a clean sweep of the top three. Data source:Nielsen/GfK


Also in September, Alan Moore’s


The Great When will be Archer’s first mass-market paperback. New acquisitions to follow include Natasha Siegel’s As Many Souls as Stars in November 2025; Sarah Mughal Rana’s Islamic-inspired epic fantasy Dawn of the Firebird in December; and Sam Beckbessinger’s “female rage horror”, Femme Feral, in April 2026. Leech Mateos had previously


worked at HarperVoyager for nearly six years, a stint that included being named on The Bookseller’s 2022 Rising Stars list, before being hired by Bloomsbury in 2023 with the aim to ramp up the publisher’s SFF footprint. All of Leech Mateos’ acquisitions since joining will move to the new imprint following its September launch. Leech Mateos said: “As an editor, I’m always


hunting for stories that transport and bring joy, while also telling me something true. It’s an honour to take that quest forward with Bloomsbury, which has published the most groundbreaking authors across genre fiction.” She added: “The aim will be to


take books to market using Bloomsbury’s brand-building toolkit, which has launched some of the biggest names in genre, while holding inclusivity and cultures of fandom and community close. A focused, individual approach to each title with first-rate author care is key and I’m already blown away by the breadth of the list. Bloomsbury Archer is out to make some real publishing magic.” Bloomsbury’s MD of group sales


and marketing Kathleen Farrar said: “Bloomsbury’s rich history in these genres needs no introduction. From the original publication of the fantasy classic Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, to the top-selling authors of recent years, Samantha Shannon and Sarah J Maas, Bloomsbury has led the fantasy space for decades. Now we have the opportunity to formally expand with the creation of a new imprint.”


299,859 TCM copies sold


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Frostrup and Berry’s midlife cookery book goes to DK RED


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K RED has pre-empted an “essential cookbook for women navigating the chal-


lenges and changes of midlife” from broadcaster and menopause campaigner Mariella Frostrup ( 2) and chef and founder of The Great Taste Company Belles Berry, daugh- ter of cookery legend Mary Berry. DK Life’s editorial director Cara


Armstrong bought world rights to Menolicious: Eat Your Way to a Better Menopause from Rachel Goldblatt and Jonathan Lloyd at


Curtis Brown. The title is scheduled for a simultaneous August 2025 release in the UK and US. The book promises to benefit the


16 million women in the UK alone who are in their menopausal decade, aiming to aid managing symptoms through recipes designed to help balance hormones, boost energy levels, improve weight management and “let readers embrace the free- dom of this new stage of life”. Frostrup and Berry will also offer practical tips, drawing from their


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176,938 TCM copies sold


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157,741 TCM copies sold


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117,619 TCM copies sold


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112,865 TCM copies sold


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met Belles and together achieve our passion project of creating a cookbook that supports women through menopause. As we’ve both learnt from personal experience, how we fuel our bodies during midlife has a huge impact on every- thing from energy levels to sleep, weight and mood.” Berry added she was excited to


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own lives. Frostrup, the long-time BBC journalist, who in 2024 was appointed the UK government’s menopause employment ambas- sador, said: “I’m so excited to have


help “empower women to have a better lived experience in midlife through the power of food”. Armstrong called Frostrup and


Berry “the dream team” who could offer “straightforward advice, lived experience, and zero meno-wash- ing – just sensible nutrition and recipes to die for”.


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