Author: alice

Legendary bestselling author Barbara Taylor Bradford was presented with a special recognition at the HarperCollins UK head office in London Bridge on Thursday 28 November 2019.

It’s the first time a ‘Lifetime Platinum Bestseller Award’ framed award has been presented and reflects a unique lifetime of incredible sales of an array of bestselling novels over a 40 year writing career.

The author was visiting the UK from her New York home to promote her new novel In the Lion’s Den and to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of her most memorable classic, Woman of Substance.

The Nielsen Bestseller Awards have presented Pinch of Nom founders, Kay Featherstone and Kate Allinson, with both Silver (250,000 copies sold) and Gold Bestseller Awards (500,000 copies sold) to celebrate the phenomenal sales achievement of their debut book.

On 13 June 2019, publisher Bluebird published a second Pinch of Nom title, Pinch of Nom: Food Planner to accompany the bestselling cookbook. The planner is a weekly journal to chart slimming progress, plan weekly meals and to inspire Pinch of Nom fans to reach their goals.

Echoing the success of the cookbook, Pinch of Nom: Food Planner is the second bestselling title in the Family, Health & Relationships category this year, the 13th bestselling Non-Fiction title of the year and is within the Top 35 in the Diet & Fitness category since records began.

On hearing they had sold a combined total of 1 million books in the UK, Kay & Kate said:

“It’s going to take a long while for this to sink in! We’re overwhelmed and in awe of the response to both the Pinch of Nom book and the planner. We can’t thank those who have believed in us enough. It’s beyond belief!” – Kay and Kate, Pinch of Nom

Publisher Carole Tonkinson said:

“Working with Kay and Kate and the Pinch of Nom team has been a huge career highlight for me.  Their cookbook has sold in every channel and seemingly to most UK households. Their delicious, healthy recipes have such a wide appeal: people looking for hearty family favourites, slimmers, people looking for simple dishes that are easy on the budget. Pinch of Nom has them all covered. We are thrilled to see Kay and Kate break another record in such a short time.”

– Carole Tonkinson, Bluebird

Bluebird announced earlier this year that it has acquired two additional Pinch of Nom titles from agent Clare Hulton, details to be announced.

Pictured: George R.R. Martin, Alastair Giles (Director of Nielsen Bestseller Awards), Jane Johnson (Publishing Director, HarperCollins) and Andre Breedt, (MD, Nielsen Book)

George R.R. Martin made a rare appearance in London last night (8 August 2019) answering questions from historian Dan Jones, in front of an audience of over 1000 guests at The Emanuel Centre, Marsham Street.

The event was managed by HarperCollins UK and Waterstones with over 500 signed copies of his latest book Fire and Blood sold.

At the start of the event the author was presented with two Nielsen Platinum Bestseller Award trophies for A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings.

The first two of his seven published books in the A Song of Ice and Fire series have both sold over a million copies in the UK across all editions. He is now one of only seventeen authors this century with more than one title in the 21st Century Platinum Hall of Fame.

Supervet Noel Fitzpatrick awarded Silver Bestseller Award pictured from l to r with Anna Valentine publisher of Trapeze, Stephen Long from Nielsen, Noel Fitzpatrck & Paul Stevens from Independent Talent

On the 31st of May 2019 at the Hay festival ‘Supervet’ Noel Fitzpatrick was awarded a Silver Bestseller Award for his uplifting memoir Listening To The Animals: Becoming The Supervet which has sales in excess of 250,000 copies in the UK.

In this long-awaited memoir, Noel recounts this often-surprising journey that sees him leaving behind a farm animal practice in rural Ireland to set up Fitzpatrick Referrals in Surrey, one of the most advanced small animal specialist centres in the world. We meet the animals that paved the way, from calving cows and corralling bullocks to talkative parrots and bionic cats and dogs.

As heart-warming and life-affirming as the TV show with which he made his name, Listening to the Animals, is a story of love, hope and compassion, and about rejoicing in the bond between humans and animals that makes us the very best we can be.

On the 14th of March, 2019, Karin Slaughter was presented with an Honorary Platinum Nielsen Bestseller Award at the London Book Fair.

This award is in recognition of Slaughter’s combined UK sales of over 5,000,000.

Published in 37 languages, with more than 35 million copies sold across the globe, her eighteen novels include the Grant County and Will Trent books, as well as  Cop Town and the instant New York Times bestselling novels Pretty Girls and The Good Daughter.

E. L. James being presented with her award by Andre Breedt

On the 13th of March, 2019, E. L. James was presented with a Sextuple Platinum Award for Fifty Shades of Grey at the London Book Fair.

A former TV executive, wife and mother-of-two based in the leafy suburbs of West London, James has been writing romantic fiction since 2009 and in 2012 her career took an extraordinary turn when the Fifty Shades Trilogy became worldwide bestsellers and subsequently a series of blockbuster movies.

James’ first novel in the Fifty Shades trilogy has astonishing sales of over 6,500,000 in the UK alone.

David Walliams, Gail Honeyman, Adam Kay, Francesca Simon and Tony Ross among those honoured

London, 22 January 2019 – Nielsen hosted its annual Bestseller Awards ceremony, in association with Coutts, to honour authors of the most successful books of 2018. Held in the prestigious Coutts atrium, authors from across three primary categories – Fiction, Non-Fiction and Children’s – received top honours as measured by Nielsen BookScan and PubTrack Digital across both print and e-book formats for a title’s lifetime of sales. The awards ceremony was hosted by Mariella Frostrup.

Mariella Frostrup Photo: Marte Rekaa

The awards categories are based on sales volumes – Silver (250,000 sales), Gold (500,000 sales), and Platinum (1,000,000 sales). The authors being recognised have all reached significant sales milestones and have helped contribute to another robust year for the UK book industry, totalling 191m books sold last year to the value of £1.6bn. In total, 22 Fiction titles have reached either Silver, Gold or Platinum status.

This year, the Platinum Bestsellers are dominated by Fiction titles with four authors honoured including Jojo Moyes for After You, Liane Moriarty for The Husband’s Secret, B. A. Paris for Behind Closed Doors and Gail Honeyman for Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. Notably, Honeyman had a stellar year with her debut, achieving sales of 1.2m in 2018 alone – well in excess of the 1m sales required for a Platinum award. Honorary Platinum winners inducted into the 21st Century Hall of Fame are Francesca Simon and Tony Ross.

Gail Honeyman Photo: Marte Rekaa

“I’d like to say a huge thank you to all of the library staff, booksellers and, of course, to all of the readers who have championed Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine over the last year or so,” said Gail Honeyman. “I’m very grateful, and I’m completely thrilled to be receiving this award.”

The Children’s category boasted some of the most successful authors including David Walliams, receiving two Platinum awards for The Midnight Gang and Ratburger as well as two Gold awards for The Ice Monster and World’s Worst Children 3. David said of his multiple wins, “I am delighted to be honoured at this year’s Nielsen Book Awards for my children’s books and I’d like to say a huge thank-you to my readers for making it possible!” Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler brought home two Platinum awards for The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child and Roald Dahl’s The BFG and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory also achieved Platinum status. Liz Pichon continued her success, having been awarded three Silver awards in 2017, with three more Silver awards for 2018. Jim Field accepted a Silver award for Oi Frog! on behalf of himself and Kes Gray.

Non-Fiction authors also received top honours. Jamie Oliver achieved Platinum status for 5 Ingredients – Quick and Easy Food while Michelle Obama’s Becoming and Adam Kay’s This Is Going to Hurt both received Gold.

Adam Kay Photo: Marte Rekaa

“Once again, we’re delighted to host and honour some of the bestselling authors the UK has produced,” said Andre Breedt, Managing Director, Nielsen Book Research International. “2018 was another strong year for the industry, with sales keeping pace with the highs of recent years and where the largest category Non-Fiction saw growth in both value and volume sales. My warmest congratulations to all the winners, it will be great to celebrate with so many of you tonight.”

“Coutts are delighted to be supporting the UK book industry through this year’s Nielsen Bestseller Awards, recognising and celebrating the UK’s bestselling titles,” said Simon Hopes, Commercial Director at Coutts. “It will be hugely inspirational to see so many accomplished authors together under one roof, and to be able to champion their achievements. We can already count a large number of the UK’s most established authors, past and present among our clients, from Bram Stoker and Charles Dickens to many of today’s best loved writers, so this is a natural fit for us.”

On April the 10th, 2018, David Baldacci was presented with an Honorary Platinum Nielsen Bestseller Award at the London Book Fair.

The bestselling American novelist has official sales totalling over 6 million copies in the UK alone.

Since his debut in 1996 with Absolute Power that was subsequently adapted to a film starring and directed by Clint Eastwood, he has published 37 novels for adults and 6 novels for younger readers. His books have been published in 45 languages and in 80 countries. With ten series of thrilling novels including the Amos Decker and Atlee Pine series as well as stand alone novels Baldacci has been captivating readers in the UK in their millions.

American author Lauren Weisberger has been awarded a Gold Bestseller Award, having sold over​ 750,000​ copies of The Devil Wears Prada in the UK.

After graduating from Cornell University and spending a year travelling the world, Lauren Weisberger worked as the Assistant to the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, Anna Wintour. Weisberger left Vogue to write for Departures magazine and study writing courses at night. Her debut novel, the Devil Wears Prada, began life as a series of essays, recording anecdotes of her time at Vogue. After adapting her non-fiction writing into a fictional novel, the book was​ first published in 2003. It proved to be a runaway success, and has now sold over three quarters of a million copies in the UK alone​.​

In 2006, Weisberger’s novel was made into a major motion picture by Fox 2000 starring Meryl Stree​p, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt. Last year, it was announced that Elton John and Paul Rudnick will be writing the Broadway-bound musical adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada. The success and popularity of Weisberger’s book continues, well over a decade ​after ​its initial publication.

Lynne Drew, Director of HarperCollins Fiction, with Lauren Weisberger

Lauren Weisberger was presented her Gold Specsavers Bestseller Award, powered by Nielsen, at HarperCollins ​London Bridge office on the 9^th July 2018. Weisberger is in the UK to launch her latest book, The Wives, which will be released on the 12^th July  (When Life Gives you Lululemons in the US).

Award-winning author, Lauren Weisberger

​The award was presented by Specsavers, Harper Collins Fiction Publishing Director Lynne Drew and Nielsen representative Annie Woodfield.

The Specsavers Bestseller Awards, powered by Nielsen Book, celebrates the UK’s bestselling books each year. Since launching in 2001, the Specsavers Bestseller Awards have recognised some of the UK’s most prolific writers including Tom Kerridge, Paula Hawkins, Philip Pullman and Cecilia Ahearn.

For more information, please visit: https://nielsenbestsellerawards.com/

For more information about the Nielsen Bestseller awards, please contact alastair@agile-ideas.com

Specsavers founder returns home to present book award, Dame Mary Perkins, attended CrimeFest on Saturday 19 May to present author, Lee Child, with his Platinum Bestseller Award.

The Nielsen Bestseller Awards celebrates the UK’s bestselling books each year. Originally published in 1997, Lee Child has sold one million copies nationwide of his bestselling thriller novel; Killing Floor: Jack Reacher.

Steven Long- Nielsen Co. MD, Lee Child, alongside Dame Mary Perkins, Alastair Giles MD of Agile Ideas & Adrian Muller, Crime Fest organiser

‘Reading is something that Specsavers is very passionate about, as of course good eyesight plays an essential role in it, and many of our customers enjoy nothing better than losing themselves in a good book, myself included,’ says Dame Mary.

‘It was a pleasure to be present Lee with his Platinum Bestseller Award at CrimeFest. Selling one million copies is a wonderful achievement and I’d like to extend my congratulations to him.’

Adrian Muller, CrimeFest co-host, says: ‘Lee Child has been one of CrimeFest’s most avid supporters since day one. So it was a great pleasure that we were able to provide Dame Mary Perkins and Specsavers – well known promoters of crime fiction – a platform to present this prestigious award.

Lee Child says: ‘I was delighted to get this award, especially from Dame Mary Perkins, who is one of my favourite people. Specsavers’ support is effective and important – especially for me, I couldn’t read without their glasses.’

Since launching in 2001, the Specsavers Bestseller Awards have recognised some of the UK’s most prolific writers including Tom Kerridge, Paula Hawkins, Philip Pullman and Cecilia Ahearn.

For more information, please visit: https://nielsenbestsellerawards.com/