Barnes & Noble is gearing up for the UK debut of its Nook line of e-book readers this autumn, the company has announced.

The Nook Simple Touch and Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight - the bookseller’s famed glow-in-the-dark e-book reader - will be available online and at yet-unnamed UK retailers beginning in mid-October.

Barnes & Noble CEO William J. Lynch said he is confident about the UK launch of the devices, as the company fights to compete with the likes of Apple and Amazon in the global e-book market.

“We are proud to be able to offer our top-rated line of NOOK reading devices and our award-winning digital bookstore to the discerning and highly educated consumers in the UK,” Lynch said.

The company will also launch a UK Nook Store in the autumn, featuring more than 2.5 million titles, including books, newspapers, and magazines. British customers will be able to access the store on their Barnes & Noble-produced e-book readers, as well as on other devices using a Nook reading app.

Details on pricing and availability are expected soon, along with, presumably, details about strategic retailer partnerships.

The announcement comes as Amazon is preparing to launch the Kindle in partnership with Waterstones, the UK’s largest brick-and-mortar bookseller. The Kindle Fire tablet may also be hitting out shelves as part of the link-up.