Orion history titles represented in Spear’s Book Awards shortlist
Two Orion titles have been shortlisted for the Spear’s Book Awards. Snowdon by Anne de Courcy has been shortlisted for Best Biography and Wellington by Jane Wellesley has been shortlisted for the Family History Prize.
The Spear’s Book Awards celebrate the very best books of the year. Authors and celebrity judges from the worlds of literature, finance and society will be in attendance as prizes are given out for categories which include some of the most influential books of the past 12 months. The awards ceremony will take place on 30th June.
Snowdon and Wellington are out now in all good bookshops.
Lavinia wins Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel
The world’s leading SF magazine, Locus, has just announced the winners of their 2009 awards. We’re pleased to announce Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin has won the Best Fantasy Novel award. This comes after unprecedented acclaim from national press and the SF community.
Lavinia is out now in hardback.
Blood of Elves wins David Gemmell Award for Heroic Fantasy
We’re delighted to announce that Andrzej Sapkowski’s Blood of Elves has won the very first David Gemmell Award for Heroic Fantasy. Gollancz were well represented, with both Joe Abercrombie and Brandon Sanderson (who we publish later this year) on the 5-person shortlist. The winner was chosen by public vote, with more than 10,600 people from 26 countries casting their vote for the best heroic fantasy novel of the year. All 5 shortlisted authors receive a small axe. In addition Andrzej also receives a beautiful full-size battle axe.
Blood of Elves is out now in paperback.
Gollancz bitten by blood lust at True Blood launch party
Gollancz was bitten by the blood lust this week when we attended the launch party of hottest new TV show of the year: True Blood. Based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris and published by Gollancz, True Blood is a deliciously addictive combination of razor sharp writing, a young and talented cast and scarily sexy vamps. And for one night, the Deep South came to London’s Ghost bar in Farringdon which was transformed into every bloodsucker’s favourite watering hole, Fangtasia, to mark the the show’s launch on the FX Channel next month. There were inventively themed cocktails, a terrific blues band to give the night a true Deep South vibe, scantily dressed ghouls and girl dancers and for those tempted to get into the real vampire sprit, authentically macabre True Bloody Mary shots - made with just enough pig’s blood to keep any vamp away from your neck for a little while at least! Check out the photos from the party and remember to tune in to True Blood next month. Dead Until Dark, the first Sookie Stackhouse novel, is out now from Gollancz. The rest of the series will be published next month. True Blood premieres on FX on Saturday July 19th. Find out more here.
Christopher Bigsby shortlisted for James Tait Black Memorial Prize
Christopher Bigsby’s Arthur Miller has been shortlisted for the Best Biography category of the James Tait Black Memorial Prize.
The James Tait Black Memorial Prizes are among the oldest and most prestigious book prizes awarded for literature written in the English language. The winner of both the fiction and the biography categories will be announced at an awards ceremony at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on 21st August.
Arthur Miller is out now in hardback.
How the Soldier Repairs the Gramophone wins translation prize
Orion’s Anthea Bell has won the Oxford Weidenfeld Translation Prize 2009 for her translation of Sasa Stanisic’s How the Soldier Repairs the Gramophone.
How the Soldier Repairs the Gramophone is a fresh, poignant and very funny novel about a young child caught up in the Bosnian conflict, and is out now in paperback.
Orion books read on Radio 4 in June
BBC Radio 4’s program A Good Read will be discussing two Orion paperbacks in June. The Angry Island by A.A. Gill will be on 16th June at 4pm, repeated on 19th June at 11pm, and Wartime Women by Dorothy Sheridan will be on 23rd June at 4pm, repeated on 26th June at 11pm.
The Angry Island and Wartime Women are both out now in paperback.
Too Close to Home wins Crime Writers of Canada Award for Best Novel
We’re delighted to announce that Too Close to Home by Linwood Barclay has won the Crime Writers of Canada 2009 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel.
This year marks the 26th year for the prestigious Arthur Ellis Awards, named after the nom de travail of Canada’s official hangman. Awards are presented in six categories for works in the crime genre published for the first time in the previous year by authors living in Canada, regardless of their nationality, or by Canadian writers living outside of Canada.
Too Close to Home is out now in hardback.
An Equal Stillness wins Orange Prize for New Writers
We are delighted to announce that Francesca Kay’s novel, An Equal Stillness, has won The Orange Prize for New Writers 2009. The prize is awarded to all first works of fiction written in English by a woman of any age or nationality, and published as a book in the UK. The emphasis of the award is on "emerging talent". The winner of the prize receives £10,000.
An Equal Stillness is out now in hardback. Congratulations go to Francesca!
Orion crime books shortlisted for Theakston’s Old Peculier
The shortlist for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award 2009 has been announced and Orion has two books shortlisted.
Exit Music by Ian Rankin and Savage Moon by Chris Simms have both been shortlisted, with the winner announced at the Harrogate Crime Festival in July.
Vote for your favourite crime novel here.
Grumpy Old Women back on TV
Grumpy Old Women returned to our screens last night with a new series on Tuesdays at 10pm on BBC2. The female grumpies include Sheila Hancock, Jenny Eclair, Stephanie Beacham, Muriel Gray, Arabella Weir, Jenni Trent-Hughes and Pam St Clement.
Their brand new nationwide live tour, Grumpy Old Women Live 2, Chin up Britain, will start touring on 10th June.
Grumpy Old Couples is out now in paperback.
Ursula Le Guin wins the 2009 Nebula Award
Ursula Le Guin has won the 2009 Nebula Award for her novel, Powers. The novel was voted by the SF and Fantasy Writers of America as the Best Novel of 2008.
The Nebula Award is one of the most prestigious awards in the SF and Fantasy world and the shortlist for the award encompasses both adult and young adult fiction.
Powers is out now in hardback and paperback.
Michael Connelly International Guest of Honour at Crimefest In May
Bestselling American crime author Michael Connelly is the International Guest of Honour at this year’s Crimefest in Bristol on 14th - 17th May.
Michael will be talking about his new book, The Scarecrow, plus signing copies of all his books on Saturday 16th May at 4.30pm.
For more details on Crimefest, go to http://www.crimefest.com/. The Scarecrow is out now in hardback.
Wartime Women on Radio 4, hosted by Kate Mosse
A Good Read on Radio 4 will be discussing Wartime Women: A Mass-Observation Anthology, edited by Dorothy Sheridan, on 23rd June. Orion author Kate Mosse will also be hosting the segment.
Wartime Women is a unique document offering unrivalled insight into women’s minds and lives during the Second World War and is out now in paperback.
New series of Hell’s Kitchen starts on ITV1
The new series of Hell’s Kitchen, with Marco Pierre White at the helm once again, started on the 14th April on ITV1. If you missed it, you can see a recap and meet the celebrity lineup on the ITV website. The series continues tomorrow at 9pm.
Marco’s autobiography, The Devil in the Kitchen, is out now in paperback.
Robert Hutchinson presents Inside the Body of Henry VIII
Robert Hutchinson, author of The Last Days of Henry VIII, will present Flashback TV’s Inside the Body of Henry VIII on Monday 20th April at 9pm on the History Channel.
Inside the Body of Henry VIII is the autopsy of one of our most famous monarchs. The program will go beneath the skin and dissect Henry’s body to reveal the impact his life and life-style had on his health and body, and ultimately on the history of England. Using CGI technology, they will recreate him physically, watch him grow from birth to death and see how his body and mind changed and were influenced by the life he led.
Robert’s latest book, House of Treason: The Rise and Fall of a Tudor Dynasty, is out now in hardback.
Caroline Lawrence wins the Classical Association Prize 2009
Caroline Lawrence has won the Classical Association Prize 2009 for her ’Roman Mysteries’ series. The prize, which is worth £5000, is awarded for ’a significant contribution to the public understanding of Classics’. The award was presented on Sunday 5th April, at a ceremony held in Glasgow.
Read Caroline’s blog on the ceremony here and Mary Beard’s blog on the prize here.
Caroline’s latest Roman mystery, The Prophet from Ephesus, is out now in paperback.
Carl Honore to appear at the Slow Down London Festival
Carol Honore, author of the bestselling In Praise of Slow, will be giving the Slow Down London Festival keynote lecture at the South Bank Centre on Saturday 25th April.
The Slow Down London Festival will be held in London from 24th April to 4th May 2009. Slow Down London is a new project to inspire Londoners to improve their lives by slowing down to do things well. The Festival offers ideas and opportunities to help us challenge the cult of speed and appreciate the world around us.
In Praise of Slow is out now in paperback.
Globalising Hatred shortlisted for the Jewish Quarterly/Wingate Literary Award
Globalising Hatred: The New Antisemitism by Denis MacShane has been shortlisted for the 2009 Jewish Quarterly/Wingate Literary Award.
The winner of the Award will receive £4,000 and will be announced at a special reception on 20th May 2009.
Globalising Hatred is out now in hardback and paperback.
Matt wins Cartoonist of the Year
Matthew Pritchett (better known as the cartoonist Matt) has won the Cartoonist of the Year at the British Press Awards. The Daily Telegraph cartoonist has been entertaining readers for 20 years with his hugely popular satirical and political cartoons.
The Best of Matt 2008 is out now in paperback.
Lawrence Freedman’s A Choice of Enemies wins the 2009 Lionel Gelber Prize
Sir Lawrence Freedman, one of Britain’s most distinguished historians, has won the 2009 Lionel Gelber Prize for his book A Choice of Enemies: America Confronts the Middle East.
“If you were to select only one book to understand the turmoil and confusion of events in the Middle East over the past 30 years, this is a perfect choice,” said Noah Rubin, Chair of the Lionel Gelber Prize, in announcing the winner today. Rubin is grand-nephew of Lionel Gelber, the Canadian scholar, author and diplomat renowned for his work in international relations.
Now in its 19th year, the US$15,000 prize is presented by the Lionel Gelber Foundation in partnership with the Munk Centre for International Studies at the University of Toronto and Foreign Policy magazine. Lawrence Freedman will accept the award in Toronto on Tuesday March 31 where he will deliver the annual Lionel Gelber Lecture.
The Reader and Valkyrie coming soon on DVD and Blu-ray
The Reader, based on the novel of the same name by Bernhard Schlink, will be released on DVD on 25th May. This is be one of the most highly-anticipated DVD releases of 2009.
Valkyrie, the blockbuster starring Tom Cruise, and based on Philipp Von Boeselager’s book Valkyrie: The Plot to Kill Hitler, is also released on DVD and Blu-ray on 8th June.
Gollancz books nominated for prestigious Arthur C Clarke award
The shortlist for the prestigious Arthur C Clarke Award, one of the most respected and important awards for SF literature, was announced this week and Gollancz have three of the six titles in the running. The Margarets by Sheri S Tepper, The Quiet War by Paul McAuley and House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds are all nominated for the award, which was established by the late SF writer Arthur C Clarke to promote science fiction writing. A Gollancz title has won the award for the past three years. The award will be presented at a special ceremony in London on 29th April, as part of the opening night of the SCI-FI LONDON festival. The winner will receive a cheque for £2,009 and an engraved book end.
Jonathan Wilson wins the Football Book of the Year Award
Jonathan Wilson has won the Football Book of the Year award at the British Sports Books Awards, for his acclaimed Inverting the Pyramid. The book has received some extraordinary reviews since it was first published in June last year. On presenting the award, football journalist Patrick Barclay heaped even more praise upon it, saying that while he expected a good book from Jonathan, he didn’t expect anything quite so marvellous.
Inverting the Pyramid was also shortlisted last year for the William Hill award. It is now available in paperback.
Orion books shortlisted in the Galaxy British Book Awards
Four Orion titles have been shortlisted for the Galaxy British Book Awards this year:
That’s Another Story by Julie Walters: Tesco Biography of the Year No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay: Books Direct Crime Thriller of the Year Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth: Play.com Popular Non-Fiction Award Horrid Henry Robs the Bank by Francesca Simon: WHSmith Children’s Book of the Year
For more info and to vote for your favourite go to the Galaxy British Book Awards website.
The Same Earth shortlisted for Scottish Arts Council Book Awards
The Same Earth by Kei Miller has been shortlisted in the Fiction category of the Scottish Arts Council Awards. The winner will be announced in April, and will then be put forward for the £30,000 Scottish Arts Council Book of the Year Award.
The full shortlists can be found on the Scottish Arts council website.
The Same Earth is available now in paperback.
Hell’s Kitchen returns to ITV1 in April
Hell’s Kitchen returns to our TV screens in April, with enigmatic chef Marco Pierre White at the helm. There will be 17 episodes in the ITV1 series, with the lineup to be announced shortly.
Marco’s Great British Feast is out now in hardback, and his autobiography, The Devil in the Kitchen, is out in paperback.
Samuel Johnson Tercentenary celebrations
Peter Martin, author of Samuel Johnson: A Biography, is taking part in a walk which will kick off the celebrations to mark the 300th anniversary of the birth of Samuel Johnson, which falls on 18 September 2009.The Tercentenary celebrations in the UK will commence on 2 March 2009, the 272nd anniversary of the departure of Johnson and Garrick from Lichfield for London. A modern-day Johnson and Garrick will re-enact their journey (occasionally with shared horse). They will be visiting a number of schools en route to talk about their walk and the lives of Johnson and Garrick. On arrival in London on Thursday 12th March, a reception will take place at the Guildhall. Although Johnson and Garrick took the most direct route of the day, the modern-day walkers, Peter Martin and Nicholas Cambridge (Chairman, The Johnson Society of London) will be walking 165 miles using canal paths from Lichfield to London. They will be walking in aid of the National Literacy Trust.Samuel Johnson: A Biography is out now in hardback.
How the Soldier Repairs the Gramophone longlisted for Independent Foreign Fiction prize
How the Soldier Repairs the Gramophone by Saša Stanišic has been longlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. The winner of the ten thousand pound award will be announced on the 14th of May.
How the Soldier Repairs the Gramophone is out now in paperback.
The End of Sleep shortlisted for Commonwealth Writers’ Prize
We’re delighted to announce that The End of Sleep by Rowan Somerville has been shortlisted for the Best First Book Award, Europe and South Asia region, in the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize.
The Commonwealth Writers’ Prize was established in 1987, with the objective of promoting new voices, rewarding achievement and encouraging wider readership and greater literacy, thereby increasing appreciation of different cultures.
The winners will be announced on 12th March 2009.
Kate Winslet wins Best Actress Oscar for The Reader
Kate Winslet won her first Academy Award last night for her role in The Reader. The full list of winners and Kate’s acceptance speech have been posted on the Oscars website, where Kate thanks Bernhard Schlink, author of The Reader, and David Hard (screenwriter) for giving her the opportunity to play Hanna Schmitz.
The Reader continues to be one of the most talked-about books this awards season and is now available in paperback.
Whitbread Prize-winning author Christopher Nolan dies in Ireland
Weidenfeld & Nicolson and the Orion Publishing Group were sad to receive the news that Christopher Nolan, who won the 1988 Whitbread Prize with his autobiography Under the Eye of the Clock, has died in Dublin aged 43. Born with cerebral palsy, he could communicate only via a special computer and keyboard using a so-called unicorn stick, which required his mother to cradle his head in her hands as he painstakingly picked out each letter.
Christopher Nolan published his first book, Damburst of Dreams, at the age of 15 and went on to win the Whitbread Book of the Year (now Costa) in 1988 for his childhood memoirs Under the Eye of the Clock. His most recent novel, The Banyan Tree, was published in 1999. Christopher Nolan received numerous awards including an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Lancaster University and the medal of excellence from the United Nations Society of Writers. He was named Person of the Year in Ireland in 1988.
Christopher Nolan passed away at 2.30am on Friday 20 February 2009 at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin. His is an extraordinary and heart-warming story.
Orion celebrates World Book Day on 5th March
World Book Day is the biggest annual celebration of books and reading in the UK and Ireland, and we’ll be celebrating on the 5th March. Two of our authors have been chosen to write Quick Reads for the World Book Day campaign. Quick Reads are short novels written by popular authors, with the aim of encouraging people who haven’t read a book in a while to pick one up and get back into reading.
Ian Rankin’s A Cool Head and Kate Mosse’s The Cave are two of the Quick Reads published for this year’s World Book Day and will be available in all good bookstores and supermarkets on 19th February.
East of the Sun wins the 2009 Romantic Novel of the Year
Julia Gregson’s East of the Sun has won the 2009 Romantic Novel of the Year award, organised by the Romantic Novelists’ Association.
The prize was presented to Julia at the RNA’s Awards Lunch at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington on Tuesday 10th February.
The judges said of the winning book: "The last days of the British Raj in India, at a pivotal moment of its history during the ascendancy of Gandhi, were brilliantly evoked in the author’s skilled hands. With three remarkable women at its centre, each with different flaws, strengths and voices, the novel engages the reader from the first page and never lets go, following their various fortunes until it reaches its truly satisfying ending."
East of the Sun is out now in paperback.
BREAKING NEWS - Harlan Coben UK tour dates now announced
Tour dates for crime writer Harlan Coben have just been announced. He’ll be touring the UK in May to promote his new book, Long Lost, and will be at the following bookstores:
5th May - Borders Glasgow6th May - Waterstone’s Leeds & Waterstone’s Liverpool7th May - Waterstone’s Milton Keynes8th May - Waterstone’s Leadenhall Market, London
Kate Winslet wins at the BAFTAs for The Reader
Kate Winslet has won the Best Actress award at the British Academy of Film & Television Arts Awards (BAFTAs) for her role in The Reader. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink is currently at Number 4 in the Sunday Times bestseller list and continues to be one of the most talked-about books and films in the media.
Shortlists announced for the British Science Fiction Association Awards
The shortlists for the British Science Fiction Association Awards have been announced and we’re delighted to congratulate Stephen Baxter for his novel Flood, which has been shortlisted for the Best Novel award.
Flood was also nominated for the Best Artwork award.
Writer, wit and barrister John Mortimer dies at 85
Rumpole of the Bailey creator John Mortimer died last week aged 85, part-way through a final Rumpole adventure. Fans of Horace Rumpole will have to keep guessing the outcome of his latest case, as the book is unlikely to be published.
John Mortimer: Devil’s Advocate by Graham Lord is the unathorised, warts-and-all biography of John Mortimer and is available now in paperback.
Kate Winslet wins a Golden Globe for The Reader
Kate Winslet had a double win at this year’s Golden Globes, picking up Best Actress for Revolutionary Road and Best Supporting Actress for The Reader.
Insiders have also tipped The Reader for 13 BAFTA nomiations, which are announced on Thursday 15th January.
The paperback of The Reader by Bernhard Schlink is out now.
Anna Paquin also won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama, for her role in True Blood, the TV series based on the True Blood series written by Orion author Charlaine Harris.
Film success for Bernhard Schlink’s The Reader
The highly anticipated film adaptation of Bernhard Schlink’s The Reader finally opened in UK cinemas on 2nd January. Kate Winslet is getting rave reviews for her role as a former Nazi concentration camp guard on trial for war crimes:
“Magnificent Kate’s triumph” SUNDAY EXPRESS
“Kate Winslet is superb” OBSERVER
“Even more impressive is the way she peels away layer after layer of her character” DAILY MAIL
The film has already scooped up 4 Golden Globe nominations and there’s buzz that Kate might finally scoop that elusive Oscar for her performance! If you saw the film and loved it, don’t forget to pick up a copy of our fantastic tie-in paperback edition.
BBC’s Survivors out on DVD
The smashing BBC remake of Survivors is released on DVD on 26th January.
Survivors is a remake of the cult 70s TV series, based on the original novel of the same name. The series stars Julie Graham (Bonekickers), Max Beesley (Hotel Babylon) and Freema Agyeman (Doctor Who).
A new paperback version of Survivors is now available.
Series two of Dexter starts on ITV1
The fantastic new series of the critically acclaimed Dexter is scheduled to start on ITV1 on January 8th.
This hugely popular series is sure to reward fans and new viewers alike. We’ve got all the Dexter books available now so take a look and prepare to be chilled by this edgy and dark series.
SFX readers vote Gollancz novels as favourites of 2008
SFX magazine have published the list of their readers Top 10 science fiction and fantasy novels for 2008 and the best news is, Gollancz books comprise half of the list! Here’s the Top 10, with Gollancz books highlighted:
1. Making Money by Terry Pratchett2. Flood by Stephen Baxter3. Matter by Iain M. Banks4. The Last Theorem by Arthur C. Clarke & Frederik Pohl5. Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik6. House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds7. The Red Wolf Conspiracy by Robert VS Redick8. The Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie9. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss10. Anathem by Neal Stephenson
Launch of Carol Drinkwater’s online gallery
To celebrate the publication of The Olive Tree, the fifth book in Carol Drinkwater’s bestselling olive series, we’ve launched a special online photo gallery.The gallery features a wealth of amazing photos taken by Carol herself during her travels around the Mediterranean through countries as diverse as Libya, Morocco, Spain and Malta. Take a look and be inspired for your next holiday!
Carol will also be presenting a seminar at the France Show at Earls Court in January 2009.
Brasyl on Warwick Prize longlist
Brasyl, Ian McDonald’s hugely acclaimed science fiction novel, has made the longlist for the inaugural Warwick Prize for Writing. The prize aims to explore "how writing evolves" and "pick out its moving edge." Brasyl joins a longlist of 20 books, both fiction and non-fiction, by writers from Croatia, America, Canada, Australia, UK, Ireland, Spain and Colombia, covering a range of subjects including politics, maths, economics, global warming, slavery, nature, music, science fiction and poetry. The judging Panel is chaired by award-winning science fiction writer China Mieville and the final shortlist of six titles will be revealed in January with the winner announced in February at the University of Warwick. Congratulations to Ian!
Simon Sebag Montefiore wins for Young Stalin
Simon Sebag Montefiore has been awarded the prestigious Grand Prize of Political Biography for Young Stalin at the Book Fair du Touquet (Pas-de-Calais).
The jury commented that the book was chosen for ‘the exceptional quality of investigative work and writing which shows a young unknown Stalin (1879-1953) ready to conquer power. We discover the many facets of a cultivated revolutionary and Mafiosi, brutal and seductive, who would shake the world.’
Young Stalin is out now in paperback.
Love and War in the Pyrenees wins Travel Writers Award
Love and War in the Pyrenees by Rosemary Bailey has won the British Guild of Travel Writers Award for Best Narrative Travel Book Award.
Love and War in the Pyrenees is currently available in hardback and will be published in paperback July 2009. Congratulations Rosemary!
Joseph Boyden wins Giller Prize
Joseph Boyden has won Canada’s most prestigious English-language fiction prize, the Giller Prize, for his second novel, Through Black Spruce.
At a lavish televised ceremony in Toronto, the 42-year-old Mr. Boyden prevailed over four other finalists to win $50,000 as the 2008 Scotiabank Giller Prize laureate.
Barry Awards success for Orion authors
The results of the 2008 Barry Awards are in, and Orion has a great showing:
Other nominations included A Quiet Belief in Angels by RJ Ellory, One Under by Graham Hurley, The 50/50 Killer by Steve Mosby all nominated for Best British Crime Novel, and No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay nominated for Best Thriller.
Jonathan Wilson’s Inverting the Pyramid shortlisted for Sports Book of the Year
Jonathan Wilson’s Inverting the Pyramid: The History of Football Tactics has been shortlisted for the prestigious William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award. The acclaimed Inverting the Pyramid is the second of Wilson’s books to nominated for an award and has been hailed by critics as ’a masterful work, it’s all deliciously nerdy - a cross between a coaching manual and a social history - and if its publication helps foster a flowering of interest in the tactical and analytical side of the game in this country, it could be the best thing to have happened to English football in years.’ TIME OUT and ‘one of the most revelatory sports books of the year, as well as one of the best, who would have thought that a book charting the history of football tactics and strategy, from the 1870s to the present day, could be so engrossing and entertaining.’ SCOTLAND ON SUNDAYOther shortlisted titles include: John Carlin’s Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela And The Game That Made A Nation (Atlantic); Janie Hampton’s The Austerity Olympics: When the Games Came To London in 1948 (Aurum); Rowan Simons’ Bamboo Goalposts: One Man’s Quest to Teach The People’s Republic of China To Love Football (Macmillan); Jeremy Whittle’s Bad Blood: The Secret Life Of The Tour de France (Yellow Jersey) and Marcus Trescothick’s Coming Back To Me: The Autobiography (Harper). The annual award, which is now in its 20th year, is worth £20,000 and a free £2,000 bet to the winner. The William Hill Sport’s Book of the Year will be announced on 24th November.
Laura Wilson wins the CWA Historical Crime Award 2008
Congratulations to Orion author Laura Wilson who has been awarded the £3,000 CWA Ellis Peters Historical Crime Awards 2008 for her novel Stratton’s War, after being shortlisted twice before.
Her win was announced at a ceremony last night (27th October).
To read more about Stratton’s War go to http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/PB-39359/Stratton’s-War.htm
Maeve Binchy’s blockbuster new novel, Heart and Soul, out now in hardback
Maeve Binchy’s captivating new novel, Heart and Soul, is currently storming up the hard back fiction charts and charming readers and reviewers alike. The Times have said ’Oh, the bliss ... Maeve’s back, on top form ... The heart is the theme, literally and metaphorically, and this is heartwarming stuff - sweet but never cloying.’ While Metro described it ‘as warming as cocoa’ – perfect as these winter nights draw in!
Look out for the beautiful advertising in shopping malls and high streets around the country and if you can’t wait to get your hands on a copy, listen to our audio extract or read a PDF extract now.
Spread the Word - so many books, so little time
Thousands of books are published every year, and only a small percentage makes the mark that it should.
The World Book Day team asked publishers large and small to submit books they thought deserved to reach a wider readership – most specifically those that would make good subjects for discussion, those that don’t merely entertain, but give greater food for thought.
From the many submissions received, they have selected fifty titles, two of which are Orion books - The Abyssinian Proof by Jenny White and The Solitude of Emperors by David Davidar.
You can vote for your favourite Book to Talk About on the list by going to http://www.spread-the-word.org.uk/. Voting for the long list ends on 2nd January 2009.
Live from New York - the Eminem book launch
Well, Eminem’s officially back in business! The music world is buzzing after Wednesday’s launch party for The Way I Am in New York. It was Eminem’s first public appearance in 3 years and stars of hip hop turned out in force to show their support for his return to centre stage. Guests included 50 Cent, LL Cool J, Kid Kudi and lots of familiar faces from the small and large screen.
The venue - a sneaker store in downtown Manhattan - was decked out with massive blow-ups from the book, Eminem’s sneaker collection, and various awards and memorabilia.
Nike designed a limited edition ’The Way I Am’ sneaker to celebrate the book’s release. One of only 313 pairs (a ref to Detroit’s area code) it was on display and the shoe was printed with some of the hand written lyrics that appear in the book.
And of course other than Eminem’s appearance the other big news of the evening was the announcement of a new album entitled Relapse which he talked about during a live broadcast on Sirius Radio. The news has spread across the world via the web so expect to see news all over the place including Q, NME, Guardian, various BBC outlets and a major interview on Radio 1 next week!
On Tuesday before the launch Eminem recorded a major interview with Zane Lowe exclusively about The Way I Am. Slim Shady is noted for hating interviews so even before his retreat from the world 3 years ago he rarely spoke to the media. Tune into Radio 1 on Monday 20th October at 7pm to hear the world-exclusive interview.
Free Finding Happiness audio extract now available
Abbot Christopher Jamison, author of Finding Sanctuary, and the abbot from the hit TV BBC series The Monastery, turns his attention to the eternal questions of how to be happy, and why we believe it is so important, in his new hardback, Finding Happiness.
Finding Happiness is also available in audio download, CD or eBook format. To listen to a short extract go to http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/HB-40815/Finding-Happiness.htm
Cliff NcNish live forum on Write Away website
Young adult fantasy writer Cliff McNish will be hosting a live forum on www.writeaway.org.uk on the 13th November from 7-8pm. He will be chatting about ’Ghosts and Ghouls’, the Write Away theme for October/November.
Cliff’s latest novel, Angel, is about fourteen-year-old Freya, whose life as a guardian angel proves to be more than she can sometimes copes with.
To leave advance questions for Cliff to answer in the forum, go to http://www.writeaway.org.uk
Orion winners at the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards
It was a brilliant night for Orion at the inaugural ITV3 CRIME THRILLER AWARDS, televised last night.
Ian Rankin beat off stiff competition from Lee Child, Robert Harris and Peter James to win AUTHOR OF THE YEAR for Exit Music!
BEST FILM went to The Bourne Ultimatum, beating Gone Baby Gone, No Country for Old Men and The Dark Knight himself for the honours!
And it’s also worth mentioning that INTERNATIONAL TV CRIME DRAMA OF THE YEAR went to The Wire. Fans will know that our very own George Pelecanos is on the writing team for this fantastic show.
Many congratulations to Ian and everyone at Orion who has worked so hard on our wonderful crime list.
Gollancz authors at Fantasycon 2008
There may not have been many Gollancz writers at Fantasycon this year, but we certainly made up in quality what we might have lacked in quantity, with James Barclay putting on a particularly excellent show as Guest of Honour.
Shell-shocked authors was pretty much the theme of the weekend, with Simon Green reeling from the news that the first of his ‘Secret Histories’ series, The Man with the Golden Torc, had made the New York Times bestseller list that week – it’s out in paperback from Gollancz, together with the sequel, Daemons Are Forever. Stephen Jones (editor of many of our short story collections, including Necronomicon and The Conan Chronicles) was rendered speechless (briefly!) when he was told he’d won a British Fantasy Award for one of his many anthologies, as was Scott Lynch, who was chosen as this year’s recipient of the Sydney J. Bounds Best Newcomer Award – Joe Hill was the first winner, last year.
Suzanne McLeod was still finding it hard to believe she was a published writer (her first novel, The Sweet Scent of Blood, arrived on the bookshelves just two weeks before), and Stephen Deas, author of the dragon fantasy The Adamantine Palace, was equally incredulous; his very first proof copy arrived the first day of Fantasycon.
William Heaney was so shocked to find himself being taken seriously that he was mostly to be found topping up his Dutch courage! Luckily Gollancz stalwarts like Simon, Steve, Graham Joyce and Mark Chadbourn – paying a flying visit – were on hand to support our newcomers in fine style.
New BBC1 remake of 70s cult TV show, Survivors
Coming soon to BBC1 is a remake of the cult 70s TV series, Survivors, based on the original novel of the same name. The new series stars Julie Graham (Bonekickers), Max Beesley (Hotel Babylon) and Freema Agyeman (Doctor Who).
Imagine being a survivor of a disease that kills nearly everyone you’ve ever met - in fact, almost everyone on the planet.
You are among the lonely few to live and now you must start again in a world where everything that was once safe and familiar is now strange and dangerous.
What would you do? How would any of us cope in a brave new world where all traditional 21st century comforts – electricity, clean running water, advanced technology – have disappeared?
It’s an opportunity for new beginnings, but with no society, no police and no law and order, the ‘lucky’ few face terrible dangers – not just the daily struggle for food and water, but also the deadly threat from other survivors…
Orion are publishing a re-issue of Survivors by Terry Nation in early November.
Elmore Leonard signs new contract with Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Weidenfeld & Nicolson and the Orion Publishing Group are delighted to announce the acquisition of two new works from master crime writer Elmore Leonard. COMFORT TO THE ENEMY, a three-part novel continuing the career of legendary lawman Carl Webster, will be published in hardcover in April 2009. ROAD DOGS will follow, also in hardcover, in November 2009, and unites three familiar characters from his earlier novels: Jack Foley, the most famous low-key bank robber in America; Cundo Rey, wealthy conman and Cuban refugee from La Brava; and Dawn Navarro, a beautiful psychic from Riding the Rap.
Elmore Leonard is “the crime-writer’s crime writer, king of all he surveys” (Ian Rankin) who has achieved international critical acclaim and commercial success, and been awarded The Crime Writers’ Association’s Cartier Diamond Dagger and the Mystery Writers of America’s title of Grand Master. He has written more than forty books during his phenomenal career, and many of his books have been made into hit movies, including Rum Punch, which became Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown.
Orion authors win at prestigious Burghley Horse Trials
Orion authors took the top four places at a very gruelling and competitive Burghley Three Day Event this weekend.
William Fox-Pitt was first and second, riding Tamarillo and Ballincoola while Mary King was third and fourth riding, Imperial Cavalier and Apache Sauce.
The paperback of William’s book will be published in May in time for Badminton next year and Mary King’s autobiography will be published to coincide with Burghley 2009.
Olympic success for Orion authors!
Cyclist Bradley Wiggins has wone his second gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The British team took home the gold in the team pursuit, where the British team beat the world record by an amazing 3 seconds! Bradley Wiggin’s autobiography, In Pursuit of Glory, is released in October 2008.
Orion authors William Fox-Pitt and Mary King also took home the bronze in the horseriding 3 day event. William Fox-Pitt’s autobiography, What Will Be, is out now, while Mary King’s autobiography is released in August 2009.
Joe Hill wins 2008 International Thriller Award
The International Thriller Writers have given this year’s Award for Best First Novel to Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill. The International Thriller Writers celebrated and announced the winner for their literary awards at a gala celebration in New York City on July 12th.
Joe Hill’s new novel, 20th Century Ghosts, is published in paperback in October.
Gus and Waldo have Pride!
Everyone’s favourite partnered penguins Gus and Waldo, the cheeky stars of Gus and Waldo’s Book of Love and Gus and Waldo’s Book of Fame, made a surprise appearance at London’s Gay Pride on Saturday July 5th. Their creator Massimo Fenati who writes and draws their cheeky adventures set up a stall to sell the books and T shirts featuring the penguins and said he had a “fantastic response.”
“There were even a couple of big Gus and Waldo fans whose eyes popped out as soon as they saw there was a whole stall dedicated to their feathered heroes!” he said. Watch out for Gus and Waldo’s naughtiest adventure yet - Gus and Waldo’s Book of Sex which is published in October by Orion.
New Michael Palin picture gallery now live
Visit the New Europe Online Gallery to see exclusive photographs taken by Basil Pao as he accompanied Michael Palin on his recent trip through all the countries that formerly lay behind the Iron Curtain. The photographs displayed here have not appeared in print anywhere – not even in the stunning hardback book that accompanied the TV series. The paperback edition of New Europe is now available.
Graham Hurley shortlisted for Theakston’s Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year
For the second year in a row Graham Hurley has been shortlisted for Theakston’s Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year Award. Hurley’s acclaimed novel, One Under, has been chosen by the general public as one of this year’s outstanding British crime novels, he has been hailed as:
‘One of the great talents of British police procedurals. Every book he delivers is better than the last and ONE UNDER is no exception. I can’t recommend it highly enough’ INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY
’There is no-one writing better police procedurals today than Graham Hurley. He gives an almost cinematic quality to the narrative, creating a convincing sense of watching a team of real detectives at work’ SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
The winner of this year’s Crime Novel of the Year will be announced at the Theakston’s Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival on Thursday 17th July. For more information and to book your tickets visit: http://www.harrogate-festival.org.uk/crime/index.html
Jaine Fenn signing at The Little Green Dragon bookshop
Jaine Fenn, whose debut novel Principles of Angels was released last month by Gollancz, did a signing at her local bookshop The Little Green Dragon in Alton to meet readers and sign books. Here are a couple of photos of the day!
A backlash from Jeff Lindsay’s creation!
Jeff Lindsay and ‘Dexter’ at the special preview screening in London of the new series of Dexter. (June 2008)
The paperback of Dexter in the Dark is out 26 July 2008.
The new series of Dexter is starts in early July on FX Channel.
Authors longlisted for Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year
One Under by Graham Hurley and Shifting Skin by Chris Simms have both been longlisted for the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. The shortlist will be decided by public vote - click here to vote for your favourite.
Exit Music wins CrimeFest audio award
Exit Music by Ian Rankin won the Sounds of Crime Award at CrimeFest on Saturday 7th June. The award was sponsored by Audible.co.uk, the Internet’s leading audio download website. Published in 2007, Exit Music is read by Ian MacPherson and was one of 5 audio titles nominated.
New novel from cult SF writer Greg Bear
Readers who have been waiting for more than a decade for another Greg Bear novel will not be disappointed in July when his new book City at the End of Time is released.
The SF publishing event of the year, Bear’s new novel is a visionary epic well worth the wait.
Major crime writers nominated for the Barry Awards
Four Orion crime authors have been nominated for the Barry Award’s Best British Crime Novel. The Barry Awards are sponsored by the US’s top crime magazine, DEADLY PLEASURES. Our nominated authors are RJ Ellory for A Quiet Belief in Angels, Graham Hurley for One Under, Steve Mosby for The 50/50 Killer and Edward Wright for Damnation Falls.
Carlos Ruiz Zafon now published exclusively by Orion
Orion will now publish Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s new adult novel, The Angel’s Game, in June 2009 PLUS his previous four young adult novels.
Carlos Ruiz Zafon was born in Barcelona and is the award-winning author of five books. After Don Quixote, The Shadow of the Wind is the most successful Spanish novel ever, and has sold ten million copies worldwide. It has been translated into over forty languages, received numerous international awards and has been on the bestseller lists of several countries for more than four years.
Children’s authors nominated for Queen of Teen prize!
Here’s your chance to nominate your favourite female author and see her crowned Queen of Teen! The Book People are running a competition to find the best female writer as voted for by young female readers. So who’s your favourite? Could it be Michelle Paver with her thrilling Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series, Caroline Lawrence for her Roman Mysteries adventures or Sally Gardner for her beautiful historical novels? Get on over to the Queen of Teen site and let them know in 200 words why you think you’re favourite author should be nominated. Nominations close on July 10th and by entering you automatically get placed into a prize draw to win a special ticket to the ultra glamorous coronation party in September!
Phillp Pullman loves Firmin!
Philip Pullman is raving about Firmin, a darkly comic rat’s tale of exile, unrequited love and the redemptive power of books, published in August 2008 and written by debut author Sam Savage. Pullman describes Firmin as ’one of the most enjoyably surprising books I’ve read for a long time. It’s a work of great originality: whenever I thought it was going to be one sort of book, it gently swerved aside and became another. It’s held together by the character of the narrator himself, a rat of deep humanity and intelligence, and the final impression is one of delicate tragedy. This really is a book like nothing else. ’
Audio books chosen for the Guardian’s 40 Best Audiobooks
Four Orion audiobooks have been chosen in the Guardian’s 40 Best Audiobooks promotion. Our featured titles include Agent Zigzag by Ben MacIntyre, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday, Exit Music by Ian Rankin and Horrid Henry’s Stinkbomb by Francesca Simon. The audiobooks will feature in a supplement in the Guardian on 28th June and will be promoted 3 for 2 in all Waterstone’s bookstores.
Gollancz wins the prestigious Yellow Pencil design awards
Orion Publishing has won a Yellow Pencil design award for the Gollancz Future Classics cover design. The prestigious Yellow Pencil awards are awarded to the best in the art and design world - the equivalent to the Oscars in status. The judges look for highly original and inspiring ideas that are highly executed. Well done to the design team at Orion!
The Orion design team accept the Yellow Pencil award
Orion marketing campaign wins at the British Book Awards
Orion Marketing Manager, Jessica Mead, has won the prestigious Guardian Marketing Campaign of the Year for her campaign to promote Young Stalin by Simon Sebag Montefiore, published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. The award was announced at the British Book Awards gala dinner, held on the 13th May, where winners were announced in categories such as Campaign of the Year, Publisher of the Year and Editor of the Year.
Ilario & Rome Burning nominated for Sidewise Awards
Ilario by Mary Gentle and Rome Burning by Sophia McDougall have been shortlisted for the Sidewise Awards for Alernate History. The winners will be announced at Denvention 3, the 66th World Science Fiction Convention, the week of August 6-10 in Denver, USA.
Who Killed Nancy? Sid Vicious author directs documentary
A new documentary directed by Sid Vicious fan and author Alan Parker is set to be released in October this year. Exploring the truth behind who killed Nancy and where Sid was on the night of her death, the documentary will premiere at cinemas on the anniversary of Nancy’s death. Alan’s new book, Sid Vicious: No One is Innocent, will be released in September.