It's that time again folks, World Book Night 2013 has been launched and the titles to be given away on 23 April next year have been announced.  With 20,000 volunteers gifting 20 books within their communities, that’s a whopping 400,000 books in total (a figure that reflects the rough equivalent of a single days book sales in the UK).

As you know here at book exchange HQ we love a good infographic and the lovely designers over at Neo Mammalian Studios have created this brilliant one 50/50 Shades of Grey, taking a look at all the facts, figures and statistics behind E. L. James‘ hugely successful erotic novel.

A recent article in The New York Times, The Best Reviews Money Can Buy has grabbed the publishing industry by the scruff of its neck this week as it explored the murky world of paid-for author reviews.

Since 1982 the English Department at San Jose State University has sponsored the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, a quirky and unusual literary competition that, instead of heralding well-written prose, champions terribly written sentences.

Attention all book lovers the Man Booker 2012 long-list was announced at 3.30pm today (Wednesday 25 July) causing twitter to go into bookish over-drive – bliss for someone like me but probably painful for the non-reader!

Julian Barnes has published a pamphlet titled A Life with Books in celebration of Independent Booksellers Week. The pamphlet is available for £1.99 and is exclusive to independent bookshops with all proceeds going to the charity Freedom from Torture.

This tickled us quite a bit so we simply had to share it with you all.  Not only does it demolish the romantic myths that surround the inspiration, creation and development of fictional works - you know the one; pained artist, struck by an inspired idea beavers silently away in isolated harmony as the words flow effortlessly out of their fevered mind to create a masterful work which will change the lives of all who read it!