Katie Allen reports from London - The Bookseller

A good appetite "Publishers are hungry and they've got their appetite back" as London Book Fair approaches, according to agent Peter Straus of RCW. An increase of e-book-only deals is also predicted, as is a more international focus - and more prominence for self-publishing.  A wealth of agents' hottest properties include new titles from Nigella, Pat Barker, Sarah Dunant, Simon Sebag Montefiore and The Who's Pete Townshend's autobiography.

In defence Apple has today joined Penguin and Macmillan in defending itself against accusations of collusion over the move to the agency model, claiming the launch of the iBookstore broke "Amazon's monopolistic grip" on the industry. The US' DoJ filed a suit against Apple and five publishers on allegations of e-book price-fixing this week.

Keeping it Casual J K Rowling's first adult novel is to be titled The Casual Vacancy and will be a "blackly comic" tale set in the English village of Pagford. Little, Brown will publish as a £20 hb or £11.99 e-book, audio download and CD on 27th September.