Ian Rankin and Stieg Larsson top the Oxfam Shop fiction bestseller list
Oxfam’s annual survey across its network of 686 shops today found that for the second year running Dan Brown was the most donated author to Oxfam shops; as well as being one of the charity’s top sellers. Ian Rankin’s books were the second most donated, and Jeremy Clarkson was the first non-fiction author to make the top ten most donated list.
Ian Rankin topped the high street second hand books bestseller chart, as he did in 2009. However of the top ten best sellers, five are new entries - including big screen favourites Steig Larsson, JK Rowling and Twilight author Stephenie Meyer, indicating a strong link between Hollywood and the book-buying public.
The most donated authors to Oxfam shops are (with last year’s position in brackets):
1. Dan Brown (1)
2. Ian Rankin (3)
3. Patricia Cornwell (9)
4. Alexander McCall Smith (New entry)
5. John Grisham (2)
6. Danielle Steel (4)
7. JK Rowling (7)
8. Jeremy Clarkson (New entry)
9. Maeve Binchy (New entry)
10. Bill Bryson (New entry)
The Oxfam shop bestseller list is (with last year’s position in brackets):
1. Ian Rankin (1)
2. Stieg Larsson (New entry)
3. JK Rowling (New entry)
4. Stephenie Meyer (4)
5. John Grisham (New entry)
6. Patricia Cornwell (New entry)
7. James Patterson (9)
8. Terry Pratchett (5)
9. Kate Atkinson (New entry)
10. Dan Brown (2)
Oxfam’s bestselling author Ian Rankin said: ‘Its great to be Oxfam’s most purchased author for the second year in a row - and I’m really pleased that readers are donating my books to Oxfam too. Just looking at the terrible scenes from Pakistan and West Africa on our TV screens at the moment it is clear how important the work of organisations like Oxfam is, and I’m really glad that my books are going some way to help this vital work.’
Oxfam’s Trading Director David McCullough said: ‘The survey illustrates the number of current titles available in Oxfam shops sitting alongside collector’s items and classic volumes. Everyone expects to find Shakespeare and the Brontes in Oxfam shops, but our shoppers are just as likely to pick up a book from the Twilight series or one of the Stieg Larsson trilogy. I’d like to say a big thank you to all the people who generously donate their books to Oxfam, and to encourage everyone to think of us when they are clearing out their bookshelves.’
Oxfam’s survey comes at the end of a summer of book related activity, which culminated in Oxfam’s second annual Bookfest, which ran from 3-17 July. Bookfest is the UK’s largest nationwide book festival, and Oxfam bestseller Ian Rankin was among the host of top authors involved in the event this year. See: www.oxfam.org.uk/books.
Oxfam is Europe’s biggest high street retailer of second-hand books, and the third-biggest bookseller in the UK. The charity has 134 specialist bookshops and sells books in nearly all of its 686 charity shops. Oxfam sells £1.6 million of books per month - enough to pay for 64,000 goats or 800,000 bags of seeds, or provide safe water for 1.7 million people. The average selling price of one book is £1.60. The sale of 4 books could provide 6 health check ups in India, while the sale of 21 books is enough to equip a classroom in Vietnam.
Notes to editors:
- Oxfam’s shop network is supported by over 21,000 volunteers, with over 3,000 specialist book volunteers staffing Oxfam’s Bookshops.
- The first bookshop was opened in St Giles, Oxford, in 1987.
- The most Oxfam has raised from a single book is
Rose Marsh rmarsh@oxfam.org.uk
