News stories from the book world in January 2007

So have we arrived at what Evan Schnittman, Oxford University Press's VP of Business Development, called this week in Publishing News 'the most significant moment in the history of e-books'? He goes on to say 'the Holy Grail of e-books - Kindle + Amazon = the first consumer e-book success story'. But it is he right? It may still be too soon to tell.

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At midnight on Saturday the Writers Guild of AmericaAssociation of writers in motion picture, broadcast, cable and new media.  http://www.wga.org went on strike, with what look like extremely well-organised plans to picket the studios. 90% of the Guild's 12,000 members had voted to strike in what has been a slow-brewing dispute.  Read more

Is this just another false dawn for the e-book? Strong rumours that Amazon were about to launch their new Kindle device at the Frankfurt Book FairWorld's largest trade fair for books; held annually mid-October at Frankfurt Trade Fair, Germany; First three days exclusively for trade visitors; general public can attend last two. appear to have been just that. But this is not the first time that much-anticipated e-book developments have failed to produce the expected outcome.  Read more

This week the focus of the international book world will be on Frankfurt and its famous book fair, still the largest and most influential one on the planet. Starting on Wednesday 10th October, more than 7,000 exhibitors from over 100 countries will bring their staff to Frankfurt for several days of frenzied meetings and schmoozing.  Read more

In a week when the Sunday Telegraph has announced with horror that the latest book by topless model Katie Price (aka Jordan) was outselling the entire Booker shortlist (which will not surprise those familiar with the bestseller lists), London literati have been transfixed by an extraordinary saga involving one of the oldest literary agencies in the world.  Read more