Cover Stories: Penguin downturn; Julian Barnes moves; Jewish Book Week

Pearson, owners of Penguin and Pearson Education as well as the FT, this week announced its results, with Penguin sales down £54m.

Pearson, owners of Penguin and Pearson Education as well as the FT, this week announced its results, with Penguin sales down £54m. Much is attributable to the collapse of the dollar. Only £9m is attributed to the problems at the Rugby distribution centre, where the software failed catastrophically. Soon, authors will be receiving their royalty statements and many - particularly those reliant on backlist sales - will find a downturn in their fortunes as a result. But this week, John Makinson, Penguin's head new broom, declared that compensation is not on the agenda - which is news to the Society of Authors, their out-of-pocket members, and to agents.

* Julian Barnes has become the latest leading author to leave Picador for Vintage, the paperback arm of Random House, whose Jonathan Cape imprint publishes his hardbacks. Barnes's move is all the more poignant as he was an early Picador signing with Before She Met Me, his second novel. He will join Vintage with the novel Arthur and George, which Cape will publish in July. It is based on a true story about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and a Birmingham solicitor named George Edalji, the son of a Parsee Indian who had become a vicar. Edalji was the victim of racism and, in 1903, was blamed for maiming cattle and sentenced to hard labour. Conan Doyle, scenting a miscarriage of justice, began to investigate...

* Jewish Book Week this year offers a rich and varied programme. The opening night in London tomorrow (5 March) is a tribute to Jack Rosenthal, led by his widow, Maureen Lipman. Gillian Slovo (who will be talking to The Independent's Boyd Tonkin), Steven Pinker, Adam Thirlwell, Howard Jacobson and David Baddiel will also appear. Details at: www.jewishbookweek.com