diff --git a/src/calibre/db/legacy.py b/src/calibre/db/legacy.py
index f8faed4290..0ab29d2e3d 100644
--- a/src/calibre/db/legacy.py
+++ b/src/calibre/db/legacy.py
@@ -312,6 +312,25 @@ class LibraryDatabase(object):
         mi = self.new_api.get_metadata(book_id, get_cover=key == 'cover')
         return mi.get(key, default)
 
+    def authors_sort_strings(self, index, index_is_id=False):
+        book_id = index if index_is_id else self.data.index_to_id(index)
+        with self.new_api.read_lock:
+            af = self.new_api.fields['authors'].table
+            authors = af.book_col_map.get(book_id, ())
+            adata = self.new_api._author_data(authors)
+            return [adata[aid]['sort'] for aid in authors]
+
+    def author_sort_from_book(self, index, index_is_id=False):
+        return ' & '.join(self.authors_sort_strings(index, index_is_id=index_is_id))
+
+    def authors_with_sort_strings(self, index, index_is_id=False):
+        book_id = index if index_is_id else self.data.index_to_id(index)
+        with self.new_api.read_lock:
+            af = self.new_api.fields['authors'].table
+            authors = af.book_col_map.get(book_id, ())
+            adata = self.new_api._author_data(authors)
+            return [(aid, adata[aid]['name'], adata[aid]['sort'], adata[aid]['link']) for aid in authors]
+
     # Private interface {{{
 
     def __iter__(self):
diff --git a/src/calibre/db/tests/legacy.py b/src/calibre/db/tests/legacy.py
index 5df09ec065..fa76439387 100644
--- a/src/calibre/db/tests/legacy.py
+++ b/src/calibre/db/tests/legacy.py
@@ -172,6 +172,9 @@ class LegacyTest(BaseTest):
             'tag_name':[(3,)],
             'author_name':[(3,)],
             'series_name':[(3,)],
+            'authors_sort_strings':[(0,), (1,), (2,)],
+            'author_sort_from_book':[(0,), (1,), (2,)],
+            'authors_with_sort_strings':[(0,), (1,), (2,)],
         }.iteritems():
             for a in args:
                 fmt = lambda x: x