Quercus boosted by ebooks surge

Ebook sales almost quadrupled in December against a year earlier at the Dragon Tattoo publisher Quercus.

The independent publisher said 2012 had begun well, with strong sales of Christie Watson's Tiny Sunbirds Far Away following her win in the Costa Best First Novel Award. Ms Watson, 35, a nurse and mother of three, worked in hospitals in London before writing the novel while on maternity leave.

Quercus's English-language rights to Stieg Larsson's Dragon Tattoo books continued to be a key source of revenue. There has been renewed interest because of the new Hollywood adaptation of the first Larsson book, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, starring Noomi Rapace.

The three titles in the series were again among the top 10 best-selling books in the UK last year. But chief executive Mark Smith pointed out that revenue from non-Larsson titles during the key final quarter of 2011 increased by 83 per cent compared with a year earlier.

Other Quercus bestsellers include Alison Littlewood's A Cold Season, chosen for the Richard and Judy Book Club, and Peter Conradi's The King's Speech, which accompanies the Oscar-winning movie.