The award winning Scottish author Ian Rankin has been named Oxfam's best-selling novelist for the second year in a row after he topped the annual survey into book sales at Oxfam shops across the UK.

The Fife born author, who is best known as the creator of Inspector Rebus, beat off stiff competition from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo's Stieg Larsson to top Oxfam's second-hand bestseller chart.

Also in this year's bestseller list are new entries J.K. Rowling at number three, and Kate Atkinson at number nine, bringing the total number of Scottish authors in the top ten up to three.

Oxfam has also released its donations chart today, where Ian Rankin again features prominently, just being beaten to the top spot by Dan Brown. Alexander McCall Smith also puts in an appearance in this chart, sitting just behind Patricia Cornwell at number four.

Ian Rankin, Oxfam's bestselling author, said:

"Its great to be Oxfam's most purchased author for the second year in a row, and I'm really pleased that readers are donating my books to Oxfam too.

"Just looking at the terrible scenes from Pakistan and West Africa on our TV screens at the moment it is clear how important the work of organisations like Oxfam is, and I'm really glad that my books are going some way to help this vital work.'

Judith Robertson, Head of Oxfam Scotland, said:

"It's great to see that Scottish authors are so popular among Oxfam customers throughout the UK and that people support our work by buying from our shops.

"The sale of just five books from one of our shops can provide health check-ups for six people in India or 60 bars of soap to help people living in refugee camps keep clean, so the support of people UK-wide is hugely appreciated."

Oxfam's Trading Director David McCullough said:

"The survey illustrates the number of current titles available in Oxfam shops sitting alongside collector's items and classic volumes. Everyone expects to find Shakespeare and the Brontes in Oxfam shops, but our shoppers are just as likely to pick up a book from the Twilight series or one of the Stieg Larsson trilogy.

"I'd like to say a big thank you to all the people who generously donate their books to Oxfam, and to encourage everyone to think of us when they are clearing out their bookshelves."