Long Barn Books Blog

Amazing how much gossip the book trade generates. The on-going saga of the literary agency PFD and its new boss Caroline Michel, has hit the mainstream press and even the gossip columns. It is an interesting and somewhat convoluted saga which is still really of serious interest only to book trade insiders who will know the names and understand the subtleties involved. Caroline gets headlines mainly because she is glamorous, beautiful and lovely. And keeps making surprising moves.

But a much bigger surprise came today with news that Richard Charkin is leaving Macmillan after 10 years, to become CEO of Bloomsbury in its post-Potter era - or ‘when the money dries up-time’. A terrific challenge and no one is more up to it and to make waves and have huge fun while doing it than Richard. He has always had fun. I have known him for about 30 years and he`s one of the shrewdest, warmest of men and of book men - but I wouldn`t like to be his enemy. He has posted for the last time on his unfailingly interesting, entertaining and controversial blog for Macmillan, charkbklog. We`ll really really miss it.

News of his arrival with Bloomsbury came  on the day I got the cover for my new children`s book THE BATTLE FOR GULLYWITH, which they are publishing next May. It is absolutely terrific and when I have discovered how to put up images on this blog I will show it to you. If you really can`t wait, go to my author blog at www.susan-hill.com - I know how to put up pretty pictures there.

More great news. Our Long Barn author CHRIS EWAN who wrote the great first novel which won our competition last year, THE GOOD THIEF`S GUIDE TO AMSTERDAM, has just sent in his next caper-crime story about Charlie Howard, TE GOOD THIEF`S GUIDE TO PARIS. His agent tells me it is even better - I get my copy tomorrow in the post - a treat for the weekend. And Chris has had at least one really fabulous review in America, where AMSTERDAM has just come out from the pretigious St Martin`s Press. I`m sure there`ll be more but this is so enthusiastic it bodes really well for his future there.

Last but not least huge congratulations to my favourite independent bookshop JAFFE AND NEALE in Chipping Norton, my regular port of call for new books and great coffee. Patrick and Polly last week won the Best Independent Bookseller award - I`m off over there tomorrow morning to admire the trophy.