Remarkable Sales Spike in First Week Shows Positive Immediate Impact of Scotiabank Giller Prize Shortlist Nomination
TORONTO October 19, 2007 - The five finalists for the 2007 Scotiabank Giller Prize have seen an average sales increase of 388% in the first week after the shortlist was announced, according to BookNet Canada’s BNC SalesData.
In the week ending October 14, 2007, A Secret Between Us by Daniel Poliquin saw the highest percent increase at 1200%, followed by Effigy by Alyssa York with 564%. Divisadero by Michael Ondaatje and The Assassin’s Song by M.J. Vassanji, already selling at a robust rate before the shortlist announcement, increased by 83% and 70% respectively, while Elizabeth Hay’s Late Nights on Air has seen a 22% bump in sales.
“The Giller Prize has an amazing ability to catalyze the interest of Canadian readers,” says Michael Tamblyn, CEO of BookNet Canada. “The response of retailers, media, and the buying public is immediate, enthusiastic, and intense.”
All statistics are drawn from sales tracked in the week ending Sunday, October 14, 2007 by BNC SalesData, Canada’s national book sales tracking service. The shortlist was announced on Tuesday, October 9, 2007 and was selected by an esteemed jury panel comprised of author and 2005 Scotiabank Giller Prize winner David Bergen, author Camilla Gibb and author, poet and artist Lorna Goodison.
For more Scotiabank Giller Prize analysis and more information on BookNet Canada and BNC SalesData and, visit BookNet Canada’s website at www.booknetcanada.ca.
- # # # -
About BookNet Canada
BookNet Canada is the not-for-profit agency created by the Canadian book industry and the Department of Canadian Heritage to facilitate improvements in the book industry supply chain. It provides services and develops standards and certification in areas including electronic commerce via EDI (Electronic Document Interchange), bibliographic data, and analysis of point-of-sales and other supply chain data. BookNet acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP) for its initiatives.
