Latest book news from The Bookseller

Trade absorbs Budget measures Publishers and retailers could be affected by the introduction of a new National Living Wage, announced in Chancellor George Osborne’s summer Budget, delivered yesterday (8th July). Richard Mollet, c.e.o. of The Publishers Association, said: “All companies will be looking carefully at the changes on the National Living Wage and the potential impact on pay-roll.”

Creative Scotland looks to publisher loans Offering publishers soft loans rather than grants, and taking the "delivery track record" of publishers more into account when assessing applications, are among the recommendations for the Scottish literature and publishing sector in an extensive review published by Creative Scotland today (9th July).

Andrew Kidd reveals Alexi reading app Former Aitken Alexander m.d. Andrew Kidd has launched Alexi, a book recommendation app giving “people a new channel of discovery”. The app is currently in beta, but users of the full version of the app, available in late autumn, will be able to read books recommended by authors including Ali Smith and A S Byatt within Alexi itself.

Salt's Davies wins Frank O'Connor award Welsh writer Carys Davies [pictured] has won the €25,000 Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award for her collection The Redemption of Galen Pike, published by the independent Salt Publishing. The award is the single most lucrative prize in the world for a collection of short stories. Davies will be formally presented with her prize in September at the closing of the Cork International Short Story Festival.

Man Group c.e.o. joins PRH board Emmanuel Roman, the c.e.o. of the Man Group, sponsor of the Man Booker Prize, has joined the board of directors of Penguin Random House. Roman will act as an independent director. He has served as c.e.o. of the London-based Man Group since 2013. As well as a career in investment, Roman has also been involved in a range of philanthropic organisations. He is a trustee of the Paris Review of Books, the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, the Tate Foundation, and the University of Chicago.

Svensson podcasts for Sphere Little, Brown Book Group’s Sphere has created a series of podcasts to support the publication of crime novel The Father: Made in Sweden Part I by Anton Svensson. Working with American publisher Quercus US, the six Made in Sweden podcasts will be released ahead of the book’s publication, on 6th August. Anton Svensson is the pseudonym for novelist Anders Roslund and screenwriter Stefan Thunberg.

Badly injured Cole warns on livestock threat Children’s author Babette Cole has said she wants the public to avoid fields with cows, after suffering serious injuries whilst out walking her dog. The author, who was attacked in while walking her dogs around a property in Devon she was interested in buying, told The Bookseller she suffered a fractured shoulder blade, three fractured ribs and cuts to her ears (one had to be sewn back on), as well as to her face.

Mills promoted at PFD Rachel Mills has been promoted to international business director at Peters Fraser & Dunlop literary agents (PFD). Mills previously headed up PFD’s foreign rights department and she received the prize for Rights Professional of the Year at The Bookseller Industry Awards earlier this year.

IPA: 'Freedom of expression linked to copyright' A new IPA report suggests that the poor state of creative industries and of freedom of expression in developing countries is directly linked to the absence of copyright protection.

Pullman backs SOA call for better contracts Philip Pullman has backed a campaign for better author contracts from the Society of Authors. Pullman urged publishers to comply with the SOA’s recommendations, which include proper accreditation and remuneration, saying “it's not always easy [for authors] to see our way through the thickets of legal language that grow so vigorously around the commercial exploitation of our work, nor to know how our own position with regard to our rights compares with others”.

O’Domhnaill joins Bright as finance director Bright Group International has appointed Eamonn O’Domhnaill to the newly created position of finance director. O’Domhnaill, who took on the role this week, previously held the same role at The Book People. Bright’s founder Vicki Willden-Lebrecht said O’Domhnaill’s appointment is part of plans to strengthen the senior executive team.

Century celebrates life of Deirdre Barlow Century is to publish a book celebrating the life of Deirdre Barlow, a character on ITV’s “Coronation Street”. Deirdre: A Life on Coronation Street is described as a “tribute to one of Corrie fans' all-time favourite characters”. Anne Kirkbride, who died in January this year, played the character for more than 40 years and 3,000 episodes of the programme.