The Latest book news from The Bookseller

Child scores Personal best with third Number One Lee Child achieves a personal best this week as his latest thriller tops the Official UK Top 50 for a third consecutive week. Personal (Bantam) sold 22,680 copies in the seven days ending 9th May and marks the first time a Jack Reacher thriller has spent more than a fortnight at the top in a single format. Sales were down 41% in volume terms week on week but more than 7,000 copies ahead of the week’s highest new entry, the paperback of David Nicholls’ Us (Hodder). Personal has now sold 93,515 copies in less than one month.

New Jamie Oliver to focus on healthy eating Jamie Oliver’s new book will focus on healthy eating, following a “personal journey” taken by the TV chef. Penguin Random House’s Michael Joseph division will publish Everyday Super Food in August this year, to tie in with a new six-part Channel 4 series. The book will contain recipes for 30 breakfasts, 30 lunches and 30 dinners, and ideas for healthy snacks and drinks. Oliver has also “taken advice from top experts in the world of nutrition, health and sleep and the result is what Jamie does best, lots of bite-sized information and delicious recipes”.

Vaizey remains as culture minister The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has confirmed that Ed Vaizey will remain in place as culture minister. Vaizey, who has filled the role since the coalition government formed in 2010, will now serve under his fourth culture secretary, John Whittingdale.

Indies strong on Jerwood Fiction longlist Independent publishers have taken the majority of spots on the 15-strong longlist for the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize 2015. The prize celebrates great British fiction and each year awards a group of eight writers with £5,000 each. This is the first time the prize has made public a longlist. Independent publishers whose books have made the list include Canongate, with Animals by Emma Jane Unsworth, about a friendship between two women.

Quarto c.f.o. Mousley retires after 28 years The Quarto Group has announced that its chief financial officer Mick Mousley is retiring. Mousley, who has been with the company for 28 years, will remain in his position until a successor can take over. Quarto has started its search for the executive role and said it will make an announcement soon.

Belinda Hollyer dies following illness Belinda Hollyer, author and former m.d. of Random House Children’s Books, has died aged 70 following an illness. Born in New Zealand, Hollyer moved to London in the 1970s, working first for Macdonald and then The Bodley Head, where she set up their paperback list Red Fox. She was appointed m.d. of RandomHouse Children’s Books following the merger of Cape, Chatto and The Bodley Head. After Random House, Hollyer moved to Philips, where she ran the London office.

Hachette UK sales hit by VAT change Sales at Hachette UK fell 4% year-on-year for the first quarter of 2015, partially due to an “unfavourable” VAT effect on e-books, parent company Lagardere has said. Hachette UK said it had “steady sales in print and digital” in the first quarter of the year, with its performance “broadly in line with expectations in what is a relatively quiet quarter for sales”. Hachette UK made the comments as its parent company Lagardere released its results for the first quarter of 2015.

Loftus joins Viking as commissioning editor Viking has appointed Katy Loftus as commissioning editor, where she will report to publisher Mary Mount. Loftus, who is currently an editor at Avon Books, will take up the post on the 18th May. Viking said her “energy and experience will be a wonderful addition to the fiction editorial team and we look forward to seeing her take the list in new, exciting directions”.

Allen and Sasot appointed to HC executive committee Fiona Allen and Eloy Sasot have been promoted to the Harper Collins’ UK Executive Committee.

Amazon to open ninth UK distribution centre Amazon is to open a new distribution centre in Dunstable, Bedforshire. At 310,000 sq ft, the new hub is the company’s ninth in the UK and second in the East of England. The company said it would create 500 new jobs. Amazon's UK operations director John Tagawa said the firm looked forward to the new site playing an "integral role" in the business. "Over the last two years, we have added well in excess of 2,000 new employees to our UK workforce and we are delighted to be able to create a further 500 permanent jobs at our new Dunstable centre," he said.

To Kill a Mockingbird commemoration release Arrow has acquired a book commemorating Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, to be published ahead of the release of Lee’s Go Set a Watchman (William Heinemann). Publishing director Jenny Geras acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, to Scout, Atticus & Boo by Mary McDonagh Murphy from Richard Pine at Inkwell Management.  In Scout, Atticus & Boo, McDonagh Murphy commemorates more than half a century of To Kill a Mockingbird by “exploring the great novel’s history and how it has left its indelible mark”.

Headteacher wins New Children’s Author Prize Emma Cox, a headteacher from Devon, has won this year’s New Children’s Author Prize, organised by the National Literacy Trust and Bloomsbury. Malkin Moonlight, chosen from a shortlist of six books, is about a cat who is looking for his friend Roux. He comes across a group of cats at a recycling centre and is soon involved in their fight with a gang of villainous cats who live in the nearby wasteland. Rebecca McNally, publishing director at Bloomsbury Children’s and one of the judges, said Cox’s book has “real warmth, humour and a strong sense of jeopardy”.