They look very promising: Shorter, accessible, they’re geared to readers a little younger than the core Harry Potter crowd.

[Publishers] are going to be taking advantage of the great interest in Harry to get people to consider other great titles, particularly both just before and after ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’...

Why not use the tools and technology that all other entertainment media use to promote their wares?

No politics, no judges’ panels. They are very simply a true celebration of consumer choice.

I don’t think we’ll see consumers voting with their pocketbooks. If a book captures someone’s imagination, consumers aren’t going to decide not to buy it because it’s a memoir.

A great book-group book is more than just a great book. For (this list), we sought out 25 titles that encourage engagement, discussion and debate – though we certainly hope there’s no significant bloodshed.

It’s always important to bear in mind what a small tip of the iceberg any author is. When an author with some cachet gets behind the issue, the reasonable assumption is that the impact would...