Latest book news from The Bookseller

Half-year market rise for publishers Colouring-in craze buoys publishers’ first-half results What a year it has been so far: 2015 is off to a flying start, with healthy eating, psychological fiction and adult colouring books helping the print market to its first half-year rise in seven years.

Dramatic revelation in first Harper Lee chapter ALERT: CONTAINS SPOILERS The first chapter of Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman shows protagonist Jean Louise “Scout” Finch rejecting a marriage proposal and dealing with her father Atticus’ old age and illness, and also reveals the death of a major character from To Kill a Mockingbird.

Authors Guild demands 50% e-book royalty The US Authors Guild has begun to ratchet up the pressure on publishers to pay authors a greater share of earnings from e-books as part if its “fair contract initiative”. The Guild has demanded a 50% net royalty rate, and called for authors and agents to fight for it.

'Leopold Blue' wins Branford Boase Rosie Rowell [pictured] and her editor Emily Thomas have won this year’s Branford Boase award for little-known YA novel Leopold Blue (Hot Key Books). The award, which is given annually to the author and editor of an outstanding debut novel for children, is a work of “originality, power and intelligence”, said chair of the judges Julia Eccleshare. “The characters and setting are brilliantly observed and described… The background gives it particular depth and it transcends the coming-of-age genre.”

Writers demand trade action on diversity Writers have called on the publishing industry to “take action now” on diversity by offering bursaries and paid internships for all entrants to the industry and mentoring writers from under-represented groups.

Summer Reading Challenge aims for world record The Reading Agency is hoping to set a new record for "most pledges received for a reading campaign" for this year’s Summer Reading Challenge, which launches tomorrow (11th July). The agency has teamed up with Guinness World Records for the challenge and, starting from this weekend, libraries will collect children’s "pledges" to read as many books as possible this summer.

Macmillan doubles titles on Scribd and Oyster Macmillan US is doubling the number of titles it has placed on subscription services Scribd and Oyster. In January Macmillan US put 1,000 backlist titles on to both platforms. Today (9th July) it will add 1,000 more titles including, adult fiction and non-fiction, and children’s books. In a blog post Scribd said the new list “reads like a Who’s Who of great writers”.

Profile celebrates new office Profile Books held its annual summer party at its new office in Holford Yard, just off Pentonville Road in London WC1, last night (9th July). Despite the tube strike, there was a good turn out. Writers including children’s author Francesca Simon, historian and television presenter Mary Beard, Zoe Pilger, whose debut Eat My Heart Out was published by Serpent’s Tail last year and Joanna Biggs, author of All Day Long, mingled with publishers and agents under a marquee.

‘Intimate portrait’ of McCartney to Hodder & Stoughton Hodder & Stoughton has acquired an “intimate portrait” of musician Paul McCartney, written by journalist Paul Du Noyer. Non fiction publisher Hannah Black acquired world English rights to Conversations with McCartney in a deal with Ros Edwards at Edwards Fuglewicz Literary Agency.

Cardiff to celebrate Dahl centenary in 2016 A city-wide celebration of Roald Dahl, including theatrical spectacles and art exhibitions, will take place in Cardiff next year to celebrate the author’s centenary. For the "City of the Unexpected" event, co-producers National Theatre Wales and Wales Millennium Centre will organise live events across Cardiff to mark 100 years since Dahl was born in the Welsh capital.

Jaipur Literature Festival to hold US event The Jaipur Literature Festival is to hold its first ever US event, with writers including Jung Chang and Simon Sebag-Montefiore, later this year. The event will run between 18th and 20th September in Boulder, Colorado, and will be called JLF@Boulder. It will feature more than 100 writers, thinkers, poets and performers. There will also be a number of events held in the run up to the festival.

Saunders longlisted for Guardian children’s prize Kate Saunders’ Five Children on the Western Front (Faber), the winner of the Costa children's book award in January, is longlisted for this year’s Guardian Children’s Prize.