JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series continues to be among bestsellers for Bloomsbury

Bloomsbury said it recorded a “good performance” over the four months to June 30, with sales up 9 per cent year on year, in an update ahead of the firm’s annual general meeting.

It said JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series continued to be among its bestsellers over the period.

The company also highlighted strong sales of The Earth Transformed by Peter Frankopan, Trespasses by Louise Kennedy, A Day Of Fallen Night and The Priory Of The Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, and fantasy novels by Sarah J Maas.

Meanwhile, it highlighted that its non-consumer operation was boosted by the continued shift towards digital learning, which drove growth in its Bloomsbury Digital Resources division.

Bosses at the company said they remain “confident in Bloomsbury’s ability to continue to deliver long-term success, with significant financial resources available to invest in organic growth and further company acquisitions.

“Global diversification across channels and markets continues to serve us well and further underpins our positive outlook.”

Investec analyst Alistair Reid said: “Bloomsbury’s operational performance continues to be a compelling story of excellent delivery.”

The publishing firm will reveal its results for the six months to August on October 26.