Bumper sales of books by Marian Keyes, the late Maeve Binchy, Emma Donoghue and chef Jamie Oliver helped propel the Irish arm of booksellerWaterstone’s back to an operating profit last year.

Embattled retailer HMV Group today said it had agreed a deal to sell its book shop chain Waterstone's to a Russian billionaire for £53m (€60.1m).