Amazon is offering customers a chance to read new books a month before their official release date as part of a programme called Kindle First.

Amazon is offering book fans the chance to access new releases a month before their official release date

Kindle First launched in the UK today (October 1) and will charge 99p extra for early access to a title. The service will be free for members of Amazon Prime, the membership programme that offers fast-track delivery and access to Amazon’s film streaming service.

Each month editors at Amazon Publishing, the company’s publishing arm, will select titles from across popular categories to include in Kindle First and add a note of recommendation and a behind-the-scenes look at the stories and authors.

Customers can sign up to a monthly email to alert them about the new selections and any books they buy before the official release date will become a permanent part of their Kindle library.

Amazon Publishing EU director Dominic Myers said: “Kindle First adds even more value to our Prime membership.

“Not only is this another great service for our customers, it’s also a brilliant showcase for the amazing work being done by Amazon Publishing authors, who will have their books discovered and enjoyed by an even wider audience.”

All books included in the programme are published by Amazon Publishing and the first titles offered in the scheme include From the Cradle, a thriller by Mark Edwards and Louise Voss, and The Glassblower by Petra Durst-Benning.

Kindle First launched in the US in November.