M2 Best Books articles from February 2004

M2 Best Books archives from February 2004

Mexico City begins 'underground' commuter library.(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Subway passengers in Mexico City were handed 250,000 free books by the city's administration with the aim of creating a vast underground library. The city's plan is to distribute seven...

Legal publishers face digital challenge.(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Legal publishers are to face a new web-based challenger after entrepreneur Richard Shepherd bought a controlling interest in employment law website Emplaw. Shepherd plans to relaunch the...

Frame's death leaves literary world wanting.(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Following the death of author Janet Frame, the publishing world is waiting to see if she left any works to be published following her death. Her biographer, Michael King, said that she...

Arab author Abdul Rahman Munif dies.(Brief Article)(Obituary)
February 2, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Arab author, Abdul Rahman Munif, has died of kidney failure and heart problems aged 71. Munif's novels looked at political oppression in the middle east, and were banned by some Arab...

Australian politician promises free books for parents.(Mark Latham)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Australian opposition leader, Mark Latham, has made a campaign promise that parents will receive up to three free books per year if his Labor party are elected. Under his Read Aloud...

Putin's judo book to be released in the US.(North Atlantic Books will publish 'Judo: History, Theory, Practice')(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Non-profit publishing house North Atlantic Books is to publish Russian President Vladimir Putin's book on Judo technique. The President's American-based agent found the publisher, which...

Unknown poem by "world's worst poet" found.(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD An unknown poem by the man dubbed the world's worst poet has been discovered in the papers of a former journalist. The poem by William McGonagall called 'Lines In Praise of The Royal...

REVIEW: Human Factors in Flight.(Book Review)
February 3, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Captain Frank H Hawkins - a former Human Factors Consultant to KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, where he was a line captain and R & D pilot for over 30 years - has produced the second edition of...

REVIEW: Cabbie.(book review)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
February 3, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD The 'Black Cabs' of London are recognized pretty much all over the world, but in order for a taxi driver to be able to hold a badge he or she has to pass a very intensive exam known as 'the...

Five month celebration of Joyce's walk through Dublin.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Organisers in Dublin are set to celebrate the centenary of Irish literature's most famous date with a five month long festival. 'Bloomsday', on 16 June 2004, will mark the hundredth...

Barefoot aims to come back strong and cut out the middleman.(Barefoot Books)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Barefoot Books, the children's publisher started by two friends in 1997, has found its feet again after losing its early momentum following an ill-timed expansion into the US. In 2002...

Paperback 'Phoenix' release date announced.(the paperback edition of 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' will be released on 7/10/04)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD The paperback edition of 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' will be released on 10 July 2004 published Bloomsbury have announced. The fifth book in the Harry Potter series, will...

Historian Lord Bullock dies.(at the age of 89 years)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
February 3, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Historian and author Lord Bullock, best known for his acclaimed biography of Adolf Hitler, has died aged 89 in Oxfordshire. Born Alan Bullock, his best known work was 'Hitler: A study of...

'Light Brigade' proof shows Tennyson's nerves.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Plans by 19th century poet Alfred Lord Tennyson to cut the most acclaimed passages from 'The Charge of the Light Brigade' have been revealed. Notes by the poet on a publishers proof...

Haynes reports 13% rise in six-month pre-tax profit.(Haynes Publishing Group PLC)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Haynes Publishing Group plc has announced a rise of 13% in pre-tax profit in the six months to November 2003. A flat performance in the US was offset by the strong showing of the...

Bookworld and BarginBooks report 25% growth in sales for Christmas period.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Bookseller David Flatman, trading under the Bookworld and BarginBooks names, has reported a 25% growth in sales in the seven weeks to 17 January 2004. The Scottish company made a loss of...

Random House to publish new Donald Trump book.('How to Get Rich')(Brief Article)
February 4, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Random House is to publish a new book by real estate tycoon Donald Trump. The self help book 'How to Get Rich' will be released in April and follows the success of Trump's reality TV...

Rugby World Cup winning coach signs with Hodder.(Clive Woodward)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD England's World Cup winning Rugby coach, Sir Clive Woodward, has signed a deal with publisher Hodder & Stoughton for a book telling the story of the teams path to winning the trophy. ...

Haynes launches 'The Sex Manual'.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Haynes Publishing, famed for its car manuals, has launched a practical guide to sex, called 'The Sex Manual'. The book offers step by step instructions and an added guide to sex in the...

MWA Edgar Award nominees announced.(Mystery Writers of America)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD The nominations for the 2004 Edgar Awards have been announced by the Mystery Writers of America, Inc. The awards, which celebrate the best crime and mystery writing of the year, will be...

NZ Post buys WH Smith's Books and More shares.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD WH Smith has sold its 50% stake in New Zealand's Books and More franchise to NZ Post. State-owned NZ Post now owns the company outright, in line with its plan to hold a majority share in...

Canada's Great Literary Awards nominees announced.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Canada's third annual Great Literary Awards will be held on 3 March 2004, celebrating Canadian titles that were mostly ignored by the country's more prestigious literature awards. The...

Biographer seeks Orwell's 'buried treasure'.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD George Orwell may have buried treasure on Southwold Common, according to his biographer D J Taylor. Taylor, who won a Whitbread prize for 'Orwell - The Life', was told the tale of Orwell...

Waterstone`s promotes acting operating director to permanent position.(Nick Williams, Waterstone's Booksellers Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Bookstore chain Waterstone`s has appointed their acting operations director to the position permanently. Nick Williams has been acting operations director since September 2003, and a...

REVIEW: MMS Technologies, Usage and Business Models.(Book Review)
February 5, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD 'MMS Technologies, Usage and Business Models' is a guide book to the world of MMS, which for those who don't know stands for Multimedia Messaging Service. This book would be of little...

Joyce`s house of inspiration saved.(home of James Joyce's great-aunts restored, Dublin, Ireland)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD The house made famous by James Joyce in his short story `The Dead`, 15 Usher Island, Dublin, has been restored for posterity. The house had fallen into disrepair before it was saved by...

USD4m book deal for former General Electric CEO.(Jack Welch, HarperCollins Publishers Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Former General Electric CEO, Jack Welch, has signed a USD4m book deal with HarperCollins. The book, called `Winning`, is a follow up to Welch`s bestselling memoirs, `Jack: Straight from...

REVIEW: Vlad the Impaler.(Book Review)
February 5, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD With all the recent popularity of hit vampire-centric shows and films like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Queen of the Damned and Underworld it is refreshing to find a book that attempts to take...

Arthur C. Clarke nominations announced.(awards for British science fiction)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD The nominations for the Arthur C. Clarke award for British science fiction have been announced. The winner of the award, now in its 17th year, will receive an engraved bookend and a cash...

Double celebration for Seattle`s indie book scene.(Jackson Street Books, Queen Anne Books, Seattle, Washington)(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Seattle`s independent book scene will receive a welcome boost when two stores open their doors to the city. Jackson Street Books will open its doors for the first time on 7 February 2004...

NZ Post children`s book awards nominees announced.(Brief Article)
February 5, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD The nominations for the NZ Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults have been announced. Judges for the contest say that this year`s nominations are the strongest ever. School...

WH Smith adopts core stock policy.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Troubled UK bookseller WH Smith is reviewing its core stock purchasing strategy in the UK, using the Nielsen BookScan data to create an initial core stock list. The company has not...

County Books buyer 'unlikely' says administrator.(Remainders Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD The administrators of discount book chain County Books have reportedly admitted that a buyer is unlikely to be found. Rival discount store Remainders Ltd bought 24 County stores and is...

Supermarket book supplier's financial problems concern publishers - report.(Cork International)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Cork International, which supplies books to major supermarkets, is reportedly in talks with publishers after running into financial trouble. Publishers could be left unpaid for up to...

Poet Laureate calls for action to save manuscripts for the UK.(Andrew Motion expresses his views in Royal Society of Literature's magazine)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD UK Poet Laureate Andrew Motion has called for more incentives to stop rare and important literary artifacts from being sold abroad. Motion, writing in the Royal Society of Literature's...

Plymbridge creditors appoint barrister to manage company's administration.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Creditors of Plymbridge, the book distributor that has gone into administration, have appointed a former insolvency expert to manage the company's administration. The ten largest of...

Former Chinese movie star promotes new book.(Anchee Min)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Chinese-born author Anchee Min is to give a series of readings to promote her new book, 'Empress Orchid'. Min emigrated to the US in 1984, leaving behind an acting career that had seen...

Greg Dyke 'to sign GBP1m book deal'.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Ex-BBC director general Greg Dyke, who left the corporation after the publication of the Hutton report, is reportedly to sign a GBP1m book deal with HarperCollins. Dyke is keen to tell...

REVIEW: Rules of Play.(Book Review)
February 9, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD This weighty tome, by authors Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman, seeks to provide a reference work for games designers that they can draw on and utilise in their work. It features a massive 672...

REVIEW: Moving to Linux; Kiss the Blue Screen of Death Goodbye!(Book Review)
February 9, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Every Windows PC user must have encountered the "blue screen of death" at some point. Marcel Gagne has written a book which promises to "kiss the blue screen of death goodbye" by showing the...

Big Read leads to big sales.(BBC's program promotes books)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Classic books sold up to ten times as many copies in 2003 than in 2002 in the UK, thanks largely to the BBC's Big Read. The series, to find Britain's favourite book, boosted author sales...

'Nanny Diaries' authors second novel runs into trouble.(Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD The authors of the two million selling novel, 'The Nanny Diaries', have run into trouble with their publisher, Random House, over their second novel. Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus...

Harry Potter gets classical translation.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD The first Harry Potter book has become the longest piece of text translated into classical Greek in 1,500 years according to its translator, Andrew Wilson. It is hoped that the...

Australia launches second 'Books Alive' promotion.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD The Australian Government has launched its second 'Books Alive' promotion in an attempt to convert Australia's 4 million occasional readers into more regular readers. The scheme,...

Supermarkets to enter World Book Day promotion.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Independent and chain-store booksellers are said to be angry at the proposed entry of supermarkets into the World Book Day promotion on 4 March 2004. Traditional booksellers have argued...

Man arrested at Zia airport in possession of banned autobiography.(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD A Bangladeshi businessman was arrested at Dhaka's Zia International Airport on Saturday (7 February) for allegedly carrying copies of a banned autobiography of an exiled writer. The...

REVIEW: Children - Consumption, Advertising and Media.(Book Review)
February 9, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD This collection of research papers on the effect of the media and advertising on children's habits, and in particular their behaviour in relation to the consumer market, is strictly aimed at...

Left wing publisher and bookseller, Alewyn Birch dies.(Obituary)
February 9, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Publisher and bookseller, Alewyn Birch, has died aged 81 after a series of strokes. Birch set up Birch Books after returning from service in Italy during World War II, and produced left...

Chinese online manuscript trader makes profit as market opens up.(China On Line Manuscripts Trading Centre)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD China On Line Manuscripts Trading Centre has grown into the largest of its kind in China, according to search engine alexa.com. The site, which provides a platform for publishers,...

REVIEW: Airline Survival Kit.(Book Review)
February 9, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD The sub-title to this book is `Breaking Out of the Zero profit Game` and is, in essence, an airline industry 'self-help' book. Although it uses actual business ideas and models, everything is...

REVIEW: The Northern Lights - Organization Theory in Scandinavia.(Book Review)
February 10, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD I`ve read quite a lot of books in my life. Some have made me laugh, some cry, some both at the same time, and in the case of Stephen King`s `Pet Cemetery`, absolutely terrified. However...

REVIEW: The i-mode Wireless Ecosystem.(Book Review)
February 10, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Japanese wireless technology provider NTT DoCoMo launched i-mode, the packet-based service for mobile phones, in February 1999. The service has successfully spread over Japan with close to...

Author Roddy Doyle lays into 'Ulysses'.(Brief Article)
February 10, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Bestselling Irish author, Roddy Doyle, has criticised one of Ireland's best loved books - James Joyce's 'Ulysses'. At a gathering in New York to celebrate Joyce's birthday, Doyle said...

Reed faces difficult 2004, despite healthy profit.(Reed Elsevier PLC.)
February 10, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Academic publisher Reed Elsevier, maybe losing the confidence of investors after scaling down its growth from double to mid to high single figure earnings for 2004, despite recording a pretax...

Electronic firm to launch advanced e-book unit.(Brief Article)
February 10, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Electronics giant, Philips, is set to launch an advanced e-book viewer as early as 2005. The gadget, the size of a single paperback, will be able to store thousands of books, with a...

Cambridge University press acquire 'Law in Context' from LexisNexis UK.(Brief Article)
February 10, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Cambridge University Press has purchased the 'Law in Context' series from Reed Elsevier company, LexisNexis UK. The 40-plus strong series concerns all areas of law taught in universities...

Last member of the celebrated 'Bloomsbury Group' dies.(Frances Partridge)(Obituary)
February 10, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD The last surviving member of the 'Bloomsbury Group', diarist Frances Partridge, has died aged 103. Part of the group which included authors Leonard and Virginia Woolf and the painter...

New Zealand writer wins 2004 Glen Schaeffer Award.(Brief Article)
February 10, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD -New Zealand based writer, Tracey Hill, has been awarded the Glen Schaeffer Award 2004, giving her automatic entry to the prestigious Iowa Writer's Workshop. The Iowa Writer's Workshop...

Politico's to close London store.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Rent rises and the London congestion charge have reportedly forced specialist political bookseller Politico's to close its central London store. A spokesperson for the company said that...

Authors of 'The Nanny Diaries' dropped by Random House.(Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Random House has cancelled the reported multi-million dollar contract given to the authors of the bestselling novel 'The Nanny Diaries'. The second novel from Emma McLaughlin and Nicola...

Bertelsmann plans to build slowly in Chinese market.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Bertelsmann, the leading foreign publisher in China, is reportedly taking it slowly in an attempt to break the potentially lucrative market. The company hopes that by developing the...

Entries sought for Pendleton First Novel Award.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD The Pendleton May First Novel Award is accepting entries for the 2004 prize. Writers must live in London or the south of England and their novel must have be published between October...

Korea looks for translators for 100 books.
February 11, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD The Korean Publishers Association is seeking applications from translators interested in translating Korean books into English, German, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, Arabic and French. The...

China relaxes foreign investment in media laws.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD The Chinese government has issued new guidelines allowing media outlets, such as publishers, to start pilot schemes that encourage private investment and could eventually lead to flotation on...

Borders issues earnings guide.(Borders Group Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Bookseller Borders Group Inc has issued earnings guidance of 2-3 cents per share for the company's first quarter. This is a rise on the same period in 2003, when a 6-cent loss per share...

German author's controversial new book shelved by publisher.(Alexander Fest shelves "Final Cut" by Thor Kunkel)(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD The new novel from German author Thor Kunkel has reportedly been shelved by his publisher, Alexander Fest. 'Final Cut', which is based on research the author did into pornography made by...

Bowker adds PubEasy to expanding publishing portfolio.(R.R. Bowker)(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD RR Bowker, the owner of publishing data service Pubnet, has acquired booksellers information and ordering service, PubEasy. PubEasy is currently used by 11,000 booksellers to place...

Macmillan launches e-publishing support division.(Macmillan Publishing Services)(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Publisher, Macmillan, has launched a new division offering third party clients e-publishing support, using the expertise developed by Macmillan India. The new division, which will be...

Corgi and booksellers anticipate paperback 'Da Vinci Code'.(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Booksellers, WH Smith and Borders, along with publisher Corgi, are hoping for big things from the paperback edition of Dan Brown's bestseller 'The Da Vinci Code'. The book, which has...

Judges unsure over IRS claim that tax-dodge book is fraudulent.(United States Internal Revenue Service)("The Federal Mafia: How the Federal Government Illegally Imposes and Unlawfully Collects Federal Income Taxes")(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Federal appeal court judges in the US have reportedly been unmoved by the federal government and IRS's attempts to ban a book about how to avoid paying tax, and to obtain a list of all who...

'Word Pocket Guide, 2nd Edition' set for April 2004 release.(from O'Reilly)(Brief Article)
February 12, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Publisher O'Reilly is to release the second edition of the 'Word Pocket Guide' in April 2004. Aimed at all user levels, the publisher claims that the book is the ultimate quick reference...

Brown Reference Group purchases Andromeda Oxford.(Brief Article)
February 13, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Publisher, Andromeda Oxford, which has been in administration since November 2003, has been bought by Brown Reference Group (BRG). BRG, which produces academic and educational titles, as...

HarperCollins and Orion stop Cork's supply while payment is negotiated.(supermarket supplier Cork International)(Brief Article)
February 13, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Supermarket supplier, Cork International, reportedly owes millions of pounds (GBP) to publishers, after coming clean about its financial situation. HarperCollins and Orion have both...

Booksellers protest at Penguin's direct sales scheme.(Brief Article)
February 13, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Booksellers are worried that Penguin's move to sell its books directly from its website will take business away from the traditional bookstore. Penguin plans in the near future to have...

Jacqueline Wilson most borrowed author in UK.(Brief Article)
February 13, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Children's author, Jacqueline Wilson, has unseated Catherine Cookson at the top of the library borrowing charts. Wilson's books, which include the Tracey Beaker series, were checked out...

Indigo Books announces drop in third quarter profits.(Brief Article)
February 13, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Canadian bookseller, Indigo books, has suffered a 6.5% drop in profits over its third quarter, which included the 2003 holiday period. The company blamed the fall on cost pressures in its...

Second major purchase for HarperCollins.(publishing house signs contract with author Philip Norman for biography of John Lennon)(Brief Article)
February 13, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD A new biography of John Lennon has been brought by HarperCollins, the second major acquisition in a week, after winning the race for Greg Dyke's book about the David Kelly/Hutton Inquiry. ...

Ottakar's fire first shots in direct selling row.(bookstore chain not to purchase from Egmont Books due to publisher's deal with a direct seller)(Brief Article)
February 13, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Bookstore chain, Ottakar's, has said that it will not be placing orders for 2005 annuals from publishing group Egmont, due to the publisher's deal with a direct seller. Egmont decided to...

Seattle poet wins World Poetry Slam Championship.(Buddy Wakefield)(Brief Article)
February 13, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD The inaugural Individual World Poetry Slam Championship has been won by performance poet, Buddy Wakefield. Wakefield, 29, from Seattle, beat off competition from 36 other slam poets in...

Senator honoured by Writers Guild of America.(Brief Article)
February 13, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD The Writers Guild of America has awarded the East Evelyn F. Burkey Award to US Senator, John McCain. The award is presented to a person the guild considers to have brought honour and...

Australia's National Biography award short-list announced.(Brief Article)
February 13, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD The short-list for the Australian National Biography Award has been announced. The diverse selection includes Zoltan Torey's book on his adjustment to his blindness caused by an accident...

REVIEW: The Piltdown Forgery.(Book Review)
February 16, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD This book was originally published fifty years ago but it has been re-released to mark the anniversary of the discovery that the Piltdown Man was a fake. It has been written by J.S. Weiner,...

New Zealand Children's Literature Foundation selects its 2004 Notable Books.(Brief Article)
February 16, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD The Children's Literature Foundation of New Zealand (CLFNZ), has picked what it considers to be the best books published in 2003 for its annual Notable Books list. The CLFNZ has...

Author and domestic violence pioneer, Susan Schechter dies.(Brief Article)(Obituary)
February 16, 2004... M2 BEST BOOKS-(C)2000-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD Author and social worker, Susan Schechter, has died of cancer at her home in Iowa City, she was 57. Schechter's work focused on raising the profile of domestic violence, with her history...