BA takes on Booktime magazine

The Booksellers Association is to take on the production of Booktime magazine, formerly published by Bertrams, and will publish an autumn edition in October.

It follows the BA's decision to purchase Bertline from the Bertrams, to support the trade.

The bi-monthly magazine will continue to be free to consumers, and be stocked in independent bookshops. It will span titles for adults and children and feature author interviews, book round-ups of anticipated titles and quizzes.

Alan Staton, director of strategy and communications at the BA, said: “We’re delighted to be producing the next issue of Booktime, which has proved universally popular among book lovers and booksellers alike. At this pivotal time for bookshops in the UK, when they need more support than ever before, we hope that publishers will support independent bookshops by booking advertising in the autumn issue.”

The full editorial and design team will be retained on a freelance basis, with plans to increase the number of bookshops that stock the magazine to over 400, projecting a 20,000 circulation for the autumn issue.

Richard Hawton, UK regional sales director at Simon & Schuster, said: “Here at S&S, we’re very pleased to see the return of Booktime! It’s proved to be an excellent vehicle for author interviews and features, offering insight into the hard work that goes into writing and creating the books we love so much. It’s especially heartening that independent booksellers will continue to have something special and insightful to offer readers upon their return to the High Street. We wish everyone in editorial and production there the best of luck and very much look forward to working with them in the future.”

Emma Milne-White, owner of Hungerford Bookshop, added: “We are so pleased to hear that Booktime will continue. It's another enjoyable way for our customers to discover new books. It certainly leads to orders and sales, and it is a real bonus to be able to offer something of this quality for free.”