Bloomsbury is hoping for a ‘terrific’ Christmas as shoppers looking for cheaper gifts turn to books.
The Harry Potter publisher said an illustrated version of The Philosopher’s Stone will be a top seller this festive period.
And Bloomsbury said Kamila Shamsie’s novel Best Of Friends and Tom Kerridge’s Real Life Recipes cookbook will fly off the shelves. Boss Nigel Newton said: ‘The public will be flocking into bookshops as they avoid more expensive Christmas presents.’
Top seller: Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe star in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
The publisher unveiled record sales and profits for the six months to August 31. Sales in the period were £123m, 22 per cent higher than a year earlier.
And profit was £16m, up 23 per cent from last year.
Shares soared 9.8 per cent, or 40p, to 448.5p. The company has seen sales and profits boom since the pandemic struck as lockdowns sparked a surge in demand for reading.
Newton said that the interest in reading sparked during the lockdowns has continued as those who had given up on reading ‘were reminded of the pleasure of it’.
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