Akoya Publishing launches with slate of 10 books for 2026
thebookseller.com – Thursday October 10, 2024
A new independent publisher, Akoya Publishing, has announced its launch with a slate of 10 books set for 2026. Akoya is a new literary press which "celebrates courageous, visionary and innovative writing". Akoya has been founded by Norwegian entrepreneur Camilla Hagen, with Xenia Stafford as the managing director, and is a "longtime vision coming to life".
The new press will be dedicated to publishing an inspiring range of literary fiction, non-fiction and poetry.
Akoya will begin publishing in spring 2026, with the release of They by award-winning Danish writer Helle Helle, translated from Danish by Martin Aitken.
Hagen acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Gina Winje at Winje Agency with rights sold in six languages. They is the first of three books by Helle Helle that Akoya has acquired, with Hafni Says and Hey Hafni following.
AAP StatShot: US Industry Was up 18.1 Percent for Month of July
publishingperspectives.com – Thursday October 10, 2024
In its July 2024 StatShot report released this morning (October 8), the Association of American Publishers (AAP) cites total revenues across all categories up 18.1 percent over July 2023.
Year-to-date revenues, the AAP reports, were up 7.6 percent at US$7.8 billion for the first seven months of this year.
As Publishing Perspectives readers know, the AAP’s numbers reflect reported revenue for tracked categories including trade (consumer books); religious presses; educational course materials; and professional publishing.
Authors of the July 2024 AAP StatShot report point out that, “Nearly all categories experienced an uptick year-over-year.”
In the trade category, adult book net sales rose by 23.9 percent in July, compared to the same month in 2023. Both fiction and nonfiction contributed significantly to this growth, with fiction sales up 25.8 percent and nonfiction up 21.4 percent. This contributed to a 9.0-percent year-to-date increase in adult book sales, with fiction growing by 13.4 percent and nonfiction by 4.0 percent.
In children’s and young adult (YA) book, net sales increased by 15.3 percent year over year. Within this sub-category, fiction sales grew 21.0 percent and nonfiction decreased by 6.7 percent. Year to date, this sub-category remains relatively flat with a 0.5-percent decrease.
Watson, Little appoints Gabrielle Demblon as foreign rights manager and literary agent
thebookseller.com – Wednesday October 2, 2024
Watson, Little has appointed Gabrielle Demblon as foreign rights manager and literary agent effective 1st October. Demblon succeeds Rachel Richardson, who departed the agency in September to embark on her own venture.
In her new role, Demblon will lead the sale of translation rights for Watson, Little’s roster of authors, while also curating her own list. Demblon joins from Mira Trenchard Literary Scouts (MTLS), where she has worked for the past six years on behalf of a list of international publishers and media clients. Her expertise spans all adult book genres, as well as graphic novels and podcasts, with particular interest in literary fiction, speculative and high-concept narratives, and LGBTQ+ voices. Demblon will work with the assistance of Annie Ku, Rights Assistant, who joined Watson, Little in 2023.
Mother and son Suzi Wooldridge and Cameron Toman launch Synergy Publishing
thebookseller.com – Wednesday October 2, 2024
Suzi Wooldridge, the c.e.o. of Bridge Logos in the US, has set up a lifestyle book publisher, Synergy Publishing, in the UK with her son, Cameron Toman.
Wooldridge took over the helm of Christian publishing company Bridge Logos, which was formerly owned by her parents.
Synergy Publishing’s first title, Invincible Not Invisible by Fiona Lambert, was published in August. The publisher’s spring 2025 season includes titles from Nicky Hambleton-Jones, Andrew Barton and Sharry Cramond.
The Bent Agency's Gemma Cooper launches Gemma Cooper Literary
thebookseller.com – Thursday September 26, 2024
Gemma Cooper, director and literary agent at The Bent Agency UK (TBA), is launching her own agency, Gemma Cooper Literary.
She takes her full list of authors, including Waterstones Children’s Book Prize for Younger Readers winners Robin Stevens and Jessica Townsend, as well as B B Alston and Sibéal Pounder, Carnegie Medal shortlisted author Sophie Anderson, and Waterstones Crime Thriller of the Month author Katy Watson.
Cooper will continue to represent authors from across the world, and sell their work directly into the UK, US and Australia. She will be working with Rich Lit Rights for foreign rights.
Les Nouveaux Editeurs announces creation of first publishing house
thebookseller.com – Wednesday September 25, 2024
Les Nouveaux Editeurs, the freestanding group of publishers launched by ex-Hachette Livre chief Arnaud Nourry at the end of May, has announced the creation of its first publishing house.
Called La Tribu, it will specialise in French fiction and non-fiction and will be managed by its founder Julia Pavlowitch. “She is a shareholder” in the company, and will have “full editorial independence", Nourry said in a statement.
Pavlowitch has spent 12 years as an editor for independent publishers, Les Arènes, L’Iconoclaste and Phébus. She plans to release about 15 titles a year in what she describes as a “personal project that brings together all the conditions for encouraging literary creation”.
BBC 500 Words creative writing competition returns for children across the UK
bbc.com – Wednesday September 25, 2024
The UK’s most successful writing competition for children, BBC 500 Words, opens today (Tuesday 24 September).
The competition, which is supported by BBC Teach, encourages children of all abilities to dive deep into their imagination and write the story they would love to read in 500 words or less, without fear of spelling, grammar or punctuation errors.
Open to ages 5-7 years and 8-11 years, the competition is being launched by Children’s Laureate and 500 Words judge Frank Cottrell-Boyce, with a message from Her Majesty The Queen, on The One Show this evening (Tuesday 24 September, BBC One, 7pm).
Frank Cottrell-Boyce says: “The thing I most love about 500 Words is how unpredictable it is. When I open the envelope of stories I never know whether I’m going to laugh, cry or shiver with horror. The best feeling is when a child has put something of themselves into the story. Then it’s like meeting a new person.”
Emma Layfield launches Children’s Books North Agency in Manchester
thebookseller.com – Wednesday September 25, 2024
Emma Layfield has launched the Children’s Books North Agency (CBNA), which is based in Manchester and represents writers and illustrators from the north of England and Scotland.
Layfield has worked in publishing for 25 years, and will run CBNA alongside the Children’s Books North network.
CBNA represents writers and illustrators of picture books, fiction and non-fiction. The launch list includes bestselling writer, illustrator and animator Michael Whaite, from Lancashire; author Bethan Clarke from Cheshire; FAB Prize winner Lucy Farfort from Newcastle; Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award winner Rachel Plummer from Edinburgh; Oscar’s Book Prize shortlistee Francis Martin from Lancashire; and debut illustrator Jess Mahy from Yorkshire.
Felicity Bryan Associates hires agent James Gill
thebookseller.com – Wednesday September 25, 2024
Felicity Bryan Associates (FBA) has hired James Gill, a founding member of United Agents Ltd, who has worked in publishing and literary representation since 1995. He is set to join FBA on 16th October.
His authors have been Sunday Times number one and top-10 bestsellers in fiction and non-fiction, and shortlisted for the Booker Prize, the Baillie Gifford Prize, the Nibbie Novel of the Year Award and the Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year, as well as past winners of the Wolfson History Prize, the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award, the Whitbread Prize, the Whitbread First Novel Award, the Wainwright Prize and the Ondaatje Prize.
Eleanor Birne joins RCW as literary agent
thebookseller.com – Tuesday September 24, 2024
RCW Literary Agency has announced that Eleanor Birne has joined the company as a literary agent.
She was previously an agent with PEW Literary, and prior to that, a publishing director at John Murray before becoming an agent first at David Godwin Associates and latterly at PEW Literary where she has built a strong list of authors including Mary Costello, Louise Kennedy and Michael Magee.
Birne said: "I have loved my time at PEW Literary working with such talented, creative people. I have always admired RCW and the extraordinary list of writers it represents and am very excited to be joining such an impressive team."
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