Publisher Bloomsbury celebrated a strong festive season after the new Harry Potter film, Chamber Of Secrets, delivered the expected surge in demand for his books.
Donna Tartt's The Little Friend and Schott's Original Miscellany also did well while the group reported strong demand for reference books.
The performance means financial results for the year to December 31 are now likely to be ahead of the £10.7 million previously forecast in the City.
Bloomsbury did not disclose trading figures for the Christmas trading period but the update drove up the company's share price.
Chief executive Nigel Newton said: "We are delighted with the progress made across all divisions."
Bloomsbury offered no update on the timing of the fifth book in the Harry Potter series, The Order Of The Phoenix.
The company is due to announce full-year results on March 20.
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