I spent last weekend at CrimeFest in Bristol – a convention for crime and mystery writers and readers, “where the pen is bloodier than the sword”, to quote their tagline.

I’ve been going there ever since it started, and I always love it. Mixing with mystery writers and readers from all over the world, entertained by a varied programme of panels and author interviews, catching up with old friends and making new ones, and talking about books and writing till the cows came home…what better way to spend a long weekend?

We are pleased to announce that we have acquired a new trilogy from Carole and John Barrowman! 

Behind the Candelabra, reportedly the film that was 'too gay' for Hollywood, reportedly the final film from director Steven Soderbergh, premieres at the Cannes film festival on 21 May, on HBO in the US on 26 May, in cinemas in the UK on 7 June. And just to prove that you can't have too much of a good thing, the book on which the film is based is out from HoZ on the 7 June too.

January at five-forty-five in the morning. I arrived at Earls Court station to meet the District line train driver. Transport for London had warned me that if I was late he would go. Of course he would – him and his train would leave without me. I was an hour early.  

Thanks to our talented friends at Holst Digital - the trailer for The Abomination has ARRIVED!

Ever wondered what it is like to be gazumped by Dan Brown? Our Publishing Director, Laura, spills all in her latest Huffington Post blog.

And there are more amusing words to come as Laura has taken up a regular spot writing for the Huffington Post on 'Notes from a small publisher'. Her next blog focuses on women in publishing. Keep your eyes peeled!

In my book, The Politics of Humanity, I describe myself as an accidental humanitarian, since I had not expected to go into that particular world. I could also be described as an accidental author. Although, like many others, I once had a go at writing a novel, it did not get far.

You can really tell that publishing is an industry of passion. At the London Book Fair this week I feel surrounded by enthusiasm and in a business that is up and down like a rollercoaster, with high stakes and big losses, the levels of passion and hope definitely isn't waning.

Yesterday the urbane and charming George Tiffin - screenwriter, director, novelist and now ace non-fiction author - came to the office to meet HoZ's marketing and publicity team and to talk about All the Best Lines: Golden Words from the Silver Screen. George has scoured the archives for 750 of the very best movie lines, has interspersed them with anecdotes and one-liners, plus feature articles exploring themes as diverse as opening lines, last lines, the womanizing of James Bond, the art of screenwriting, the art of the cameo role from Hitchcock to Tarantino, and the career of Woo

Last week, Victoria Hislop came to the HoZ office to discuss the final list of contributors for her upcoming anthology of women’s short stories. A few hours later, having thrown names back and forth across the table, wrinkled noses in childish disgust over suggestions, beamed with delight at the mention of authors half-forgotten yet passionately loved, I was exhausted. It turns out, dear reader, that choosing “the best” 100 is not so easily done after all.