Newsletter: September 2006

The end of summer is definitely in sight here in the UK. At the risk of sounding overly gloomy, there's been a certain nip in the air recently. But with publishers relaxing after their frantic summer reading promotions, what's making the news in the UK book world? As usual, we're here to provide a monthly digest of what's been happening...

On-line search engine and mega-company Google has announced that it plans to start allowing customers not just to view online out-of-copyright classic books but to download and print them off too. UK publishers have responded with mixed feelings about the proposals. Find out more.

There were red faces all round when it emerged that plot details from the officially-sanctioned and hotly anticipated sequel to J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, the intriguingly titled Peter Pan in Scarlet, have been leaked. The sequel penned by the award-winning British children's author Geraldine McCaughrean wasn’t due to be launched for another six weeks when a plot summary was published by the New York Times.

Meanwhile the forward-looking National Library of Scotland (where even Sean Connery pops in, it seems) has announced plans to launch a new retail space which it hopes will turn it into one of the country’s leading independent booksellers. The venture aims to raise the profile of smaller independent publishers north of the border, and host author events too.

Finally, as usual, there have been a few prizes awarded and debated over the last month. Khaled Hosseini's bestselling novel The Kite Runner was voted 2006 book of the year by UK reading groups, despite being originally published in 2003. James Meek won the £10,000 Scottish Arts Council Book of the Year Award with The People’s Act of Love. And the Man Booker Prize panel announced its longlist of nineteen candidates, among them Sarah Waters’ The Night Watch, David Mitchell’s Black Swan Green – and a popular choice in the blogging world – Kate Grenville’s The Secret River. Incidentally, if you've read any of the longlisted entries and reckon you know which will / should win, why not have your say on our discussion forum?

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