Bloomsbury reports 'excellent' UK trading

Book publisher Bloomsbury said trading has been 'excellent' in the UK in the first quarter.Bestsellers so far have included the 2010 edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. Operation Mincemeat, a Second World War spy story by the Times columnist Ben MacIntyre, was a number one bestseller in January and February, Bloomsbury said.The company said its US division's first quarter performance was 'solid'.Sales were 'difficult' in Germany, but the company has benefited from a reduction in operating costs.'Overall, business is holding up well for the group,' said the company. 'The outcome for the year is still dependent on the level of consumer and business to business demand between now and the end of the financial year.'