diff --git a/setup/test.py b/setup/test.py
index df6693f09a..da0e63773a 100644
--- a/setup/test.py
+++ b/setup/test.py
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ def find_tests(which_tests=None):
     if ok('misc'):
         from calibre.ebooks.metadata.tag_mapper import find_tests
         a(find_tests())
+        from calibre.ebooks.metadata.author_mapper import find_tests
+        a(find_tests())
         from calibre.utils.shared_file import find_tests
         a(find_tests())
         from calibre.utils.test_lock import find_tests
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/author_mapper.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/author_mapper.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a71a86af37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/author_mapper.py
@@ -0,0 +1,154 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python2
+# vim:fileencoding=utf-8
+# License: GPLv3 Copyright: 2015, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
+
+from __future__ import (unicode_literals, division, absolute_import,
+                        print_function)
+from collections import deque
+
+
+def compile_pat(pat):
+    import regex
+    REGEX_FLAGS = regex.VERSION1 | regex.WORD | regex.FULLCASE | regex.IGNORECASE | regex.UNICODE
+    return regex.compile(pat, flags=REGEX_FLAGS)
+
+
+def matcher(rule):
+    mt = rule['match_type']
+    if mt == 'one_of':
+        authors = {icu_lower(x.strip()) for x in rule['query'].split('&')}
+        return lambda x: x in authors
+
+    if mt == 'not_one_of':
+        authors = {icu_lower(x.strip()) for x in rule['query'].split('&')}
+        return lambda x: x not in authors
+
+    if mt == 'matches':
+        pat = compile_pat(rule['query'])
+        return lambda x: pat.match(x) is not None
+
+    if mt == 'not_matches':
+        pat = compile_pat(rule['query'])
+        return lambda x: pat.match(x) is None
+
+    if mt == 'has':
+        s = icu_lower(rule['query'])
+        return lambda x: s in x
+
+    return lambda x: False
+
+
+def apply_rules(author, rules):
+    ans = []
+    authors = deque()
+    authors.append(author)
+    maxiter = 20
+    while authors and maxiter > 0:
+        author = authors.popleft()
+        lauthor = icu_lower(author)
+        maxiter -= 1
+        for rule, matches in rules:
+            ac = rule['action']
+            if matches(lauthor):
+                if ac == 'replace':
+                    if 'matches' in rule['match_type']:
+                        author = compile_pat(rule['query']).sub(rule['replace'], author)
+                    else:
+                        author = rule['replace']
+                    if '&' in author:
+                        replacement_authors = []
+                        self_added = False
+                        for rauthor in (x.strip() for x in author.split('&')):
+                            if icu_lower(rauthor) == lauthor:
+                                if not self_added:
+                                    ans.append(rauthor)
+                                    self_added = True
+                            else:
+                                replacement_authors.append(rauthor)
+                        authors.extendleft(reversed(replacement_authors))
+                    else:
+                        if icu_lower(author) == lauthor:
+                            # Case change or self replacement
+                            ans.append(author)
+                            break
+                        authors.appendleft(author)
+                    break
+                if ac == 'capitalize':
+                    ans.append(author.capitalize())
+                    break
+                if ac == 'lower':
+                    ans.append(icu_lower(author))
+                    break
+                if ac == 'upper':
+                    ans.append(icu_upper(author))
+                    break
+        else:  # no rule matched, default keep
+            ans.append(author)
+
+    ans.extend(authors)
+    return ans
+
+
+def uniq(vals, kmap=icu_lower):
+    ''' Remove all duplicates from vals, while preserving order. kmap must be a
+    callable that returns a hashable value for every item in vals '''
+    vals = vals or ()
+    lvals = (kmap(x) for x in vals)
+    seen = set()
+    seen_add = seen.add
+    return list(x for x, k in zip(vals, lvals) if k not in seen and not seen_add(k))
+
+
+def map_authors(authors, rules=()):
+    if not authors:
+        return []
+    if not rules:
+        return list(authors)
+    rules = [(r, matcher(r)) for r in rules]
+    ans = []
+    for a in authors:
+        ans.extend(apply_rules(a, rules))
+    return uniq(filter(None, ans))
+
+
+def find_tests():
+    import unittest
+
+    class TestAuthorMapper(unittest.TestCase):
+
+        def test_author_mapper(self):
+
+            def rule(action, query, replace=None, match_type='one_of'):
+                ans = {'action':action, 'query': query, 'match_type':match_type}
+                if replace is not None:
+                    ans['replace'] = replace
+                return ans
+
+            def run(rules, authors, expected):
+                if isinstance(rules, dict):
+                    rules = [rules]
+                if isinstance(authors, type('')):
+                    authors = [x.strip() for x in authors.split('&')]
+                if isinstance(expected, type('')):
+                    expected = [x.strip() for x in expected.split('&')]
+                ans = map_authors(authors, rules)
+                self.assertEqual(ans, expected)
+
+            run(rule('capitalize', 't1&t2'), 't1&x1', 'T1&x1')
+            run(rule('upper', 'ta&t2'), 'ta&x1', 'TA&x1')
+            run(rule('lower', 'ta&x1'), 'TA&X1', 'ta&x1')
+            run(rule('replace', 't1', 't2'), 't1&x1', 't2&x1')
+            run(rule('replace', '(.)1', r'\g<1>2', 'matches'), 't1&x1', 't2&x2')
+            run(rule('replace', '(.)1', r'\g<1>2&3', 'matches'), 't1&x1', 't2&3&x2')
+            run(rule('replace', 't1', 't2 & t3'), 't1&x1', 't2&t3&x1')
+            run(rule('replace', 't1', 't1'), 't1&x1', 't1&x1')
+            run([rule('replace', 't1', 't2'), rule('replace', 't2', 't1')], 't1&t2', 't1&t2')
+            run(rule('replace', 'a', 'A'), 'a&b', 'A&b')
+            run(rule('replace', 'a&b', 'A&B'), 'a&b', 'A&B')
+            run(rule('replace', 'L', 'T', 'has'), 'L', 'T')
+    return unittest.defaultTestLoader.loadTestsFromTestCase(TestAuthorMapper)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    from calibre.utils.run_tests import run_cli
+    run_cli(find_tests())