HARRY POTTER STILL WORKS ITS MAGIC AT BLOOMSBURY

MURDER mysteries and a book about race boosted Bloomsbury sales.

The Harry Potter publisher said revenues rose 4pc to £75.3m in the six months to August 31, usually a quiet period before the start of the academic year and Christmas.

But it said sales at its adult division surged 22pc as Reni Eddo-Lodge’s Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race, murder-mystery The Seven Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton and titles by late American celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain flew off the shelves. The publisher was also helped by the continuing appeal of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series ( pictured).

Nigel Newton, chief executive, welcome the ‘strong results’, despite profits being broadly flat at £1.6m following Bloomsbury’s takeover of independent publisher IB Tauris.

Top titles for the Christmas market include the new, illustrated edition of Rowling’s The Tales Of Beedle The Bard and British chef Tom Kerridge’s Fresh Start.

Analysts said the outlook for the company was positive.