Breaking news on authors, publishers, and book-related topics

Harry Potter trial ends

Apr 17 2008: A three-day trial over an unauthorized Harry Potter encyclopedia ended Wednesday with J.K. Rowling stating that she is ''vehemently anti-censorship'' and generally supportive of the right of other authors to write books about her novels but that Vander Ark had ''...

Full Story

Judge tells Potter parties to settle the case

Apr 16 2008: A Harry Potter fan who sought to publish an encyclopedic guide to the wildly popular fantasy novels broke down and cried on the witness stand Tuesday as he faced off in court against his idol J.K. Rowling.

According to USA Today, the former middle school librarian, ...

Full Story

Orange Prize shortlist announced

Apr 16 2008: Three first novelists remain in contention for this year's Orange prize for fiction, in a shortlist announced this morning that pits them against three others with a total of 24 novels behind them.

Chair of the judges Kirsty Lang said she was "extremely pleased" to ...

Full Story

J.K. Rowling takes the stand

Apr 15 2008: J.K. Rowling, the creator of the wildly popular Harry Potter series who rose from poverty to become the world’s most famous children’s author, took the stand in a Manhattan courtroom on Monday to sharply criticize a fan accused of stealing her work to publish a ...

Full Story

Lonely Planet stands by accuracy of its travel guides

Apr 15 2008: In the wake of author Thomas Kohnstamm claims to have made up parts of the Lonely Planet books he wrote, lifted information from other publications and accepted gifts in contravention of Lonely Planet's policies, Lonely Planet have reviewed the books that Kohnstamm ...

Full Story

Online sales tax for New York State

Apr 10 2008: The New York State legislature has approved a budget that includes a a provision that requires out-of-state online retailers to collect and remit sales tax on purchases by state residents. Governor David Paterson has said he will sign the budget.

"Independent ...

Full Story

Pulitzer Prize Awards

Apr 08 2008: This year's Pulitzer Prize winners include

• Fiction: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz (Riverhead Books)
• Biography: Eden's Outcasts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father by John Matteson (Norton)
• General Nonfiction: The Years...

Full Story

Authors Guild Looking at Antitrust Issue of Amazon’s POD Plan

Apr 07 2008: Saying it is reviewing the antitrust and other legal implications of Amazon’s “bold move,” the Authors Guild sent an e-mail late Friday to its membership questioning the motives—and implications—of the e-tailer’s new position on print-on-demand that makes publishers use...

Full Story