Home 5 Articles and Reports 5 “This Other Eden” The Book That Got Barnes & Noble’s CEO Talking

“This Other Eden” The Book That Got Barnes & Noble’s CEO Talking

by | Feb 15, 2023 | Articles and Reports, News

A novel by the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Paul Harding has received an unexpected endorsement from Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt in an interview in Publishers Weekly.  Talking about the retailer’s role in bringing books to readers – a role that is more important as newspapers “fade away by the day” – he said that one example of the type of book the chain should be making happen is Harding’s This Other Eden (Norton), a tale of racism on an island off the coast of Maine.  He describes it as a “work of genius [which isn’t getting] the type of glare it deserves”.

Sales for the chain were up in 2022 on 2021, with fiction and manga leading the way.  He said non-fiction needs attention and that sales of ebooks were quiet.  The chain is looking at its non-book gift area and revamping it to make its non-book offering more related to books.

Digital audio is doing well, with a subscription service drawing in customers.  It has started supporting Macy’s online operation and will consider further such ventures.

The company has benefited from the rise in reading during the pandemic and its store regeneration programme is on-going.  Daunt believes a well-presented store leads to a rise in sales.

He hopes to have around 30 more stores to add to its tally of 600 by year’s end, taking into account closures and openings.  He also said the company may revisit locations where stores were closed under previous ownership to see if new opportunities have emerged.

He concluded: “I’m feeling very good about things.  It is an exciting time to be a bookseller.”

 

Recent News

03Jul
A New Identity Marks a Global Vision

A New Identity Marks a Global Vision

In a testament to its long-standing commitment to culture and knowledge, e& continues its partnership with the International Prize for Arabic Children’s Literature. First launched in 2009 by the UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY) under the name “Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s Literature,” the prize was born from the vision of Sheikha […]

02Jul
Cassell places its bet on Alcaraz

Cassell places its bet on Alcaraz

As the world’s elite tennis players gather in Wimbledon for this year’s championships, Cassell – part of the Hachette group – has announced the acquisition of Being Carlos Alcaraz by tennis journalist Mark Hodgkinson. Garbiñe Muguruza, a former women’s singles world number one from Spain, has written the foreword. Trevor Davies acquired world English language […]

01Jul
Ryan and Amelina Win 2025 Orwell Prize for Political Writing

Ryan and Amelina Win 2025 Orwell Prize for Political Writing

Irish author Donal Ryan has won the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction for his novel Heart, Be at Peace. Ryan, from Nenagh, Co Tipperary, described winning the award as “a great honour and very unexpected”. “I was kind of getting past my imposter syndrome but it’s come charging right back up now,” he said. ”I’m […]

Related Posts

A pioneering Emirati experience in bibliotherapy

A pioneering Emirati experience in bibliotherapy

In the chaos of modern life and its growing challenges, people seek safe outlets to release emotions and tend to inner wounds. Here, reading emerges as more than just a pastime, it becomes a ritual of self-reconciliation. A book does not merely offer words; it offers...

Cassell places its bet on Alcaraz

Cassell places its bet on Alcaraz

As the world’s elite tennis players gather in Wimbledon for this year’s championships, Cassell – part of the Hachette group – has announced the acquisition of Being Carlos Alcaraz by tennis journalist Mark Hodgkinson. Garbiñe Muguruza, a former women’s singles world...

Ryan and Amelina Win 2025 Orwell Prize for Political Writing

Ryan and Amelina Win 2025 Orwell Prize for Political Writing

Irish author Donal Ryan has won the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction for his novel Heart, Be at Peace. Ryan, from Nenagh, Co Tipperary, described winning the award as “a great honour and very unexpected”. "I was kind of getting past my imposter syndrome but it’s...

Previous Next
Close
Test Caption
Test Description goes like this