Latest from The Bookseller

Daunt confident of Waterstones sale after pre-tax profit jump Waterstones’ managing director James Daunt has said he is confident the bookselling chain will find a buyer, after posting its latest set of financial results showing the business has grown its pre-tax profit by 80%.

Trade cheers as Sturgeon oversees arts funding boost Scottish authors, booksellers and publishers have reacted with jubilation following news that Creative Scotland and other arts bodies are to receive more funding from the Scottish Government in 2018.

Fire and Fury sets UK e-book chart ablaze Fire and Fury may have missed out on the print number one last week, but after a shortage of hardback copies in bookshops over the weekend, readers hungry to learn all about Donald Trump’s McDonald’s habit turned to the digital shelves.

Bullish Scottish indies report sales rises in 2017 Scottish booksellers have trumpeted a strong year of trade in 2017, despite economic uncertainty and competition from online retailers.

Jonathan Kellerman moves to PRH from Hachette Thriller writer Jonathan Kellerman is moving to Century and Arrow from Headline.

Smith and Solomon triumph at the Lollies Books by Jim Smith, Christine Hamill, David Solomons, Kes and Claire Gray and Jim Field have been revealed as the winners of the 2018 Laugh Out Loud Awards.

Maths book pre-empt adds up to six figures for Quercus Quercus has pre-empted a debut book about maths for a six-figure sum, which tells "true stories of life-changing events where mathematics has played a critical role".

Bickmore and Fry join Canongate board Canongate has appointed Francis Bickmore and Jenny Fry to its board with immediate effect.

Connal to spearhead new narrative non-fiction list at Octopus Octopus has appointed Claudia Connal as publishing director to head up a new strand of narrative non-fiction within the business.

Elena Ferrante to write weekly Guardian column Elena Ferrante is to write a weekly newspaper column for the Guardian’s new look Weekend magazine.

PRH's Francesca Russell to join Bonnier Zaffre Francesca Russell, currently Penguin Random House's publicity director for Century and Arrow and deputy publicity director for Cornerstone, is joining Bonnier Zaffre as publicity director.

Peter Mayle dies British writer Peter Mayle, the author of several books about his move to Provence in France, has died aged 78.