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THE LEAD STORY LONDON BOOK FAIR ROUND-UP


24.03.17 www.thebookseller.com


London Book Fair, with publishers and agents noting an “upbeat” mood, and some saying that the publishing industry can play an important role in helping people to navigate through or escape from the turbulent political climate. In the first London Book Fair (14th–16th March) since the Brexit vote and US election, many said politics was a hot topic during discussions, with politically themed books seeping through into submissions. Some publishers noted that the fall in the value of the pound meant more overseas visitors and brisk deal-making. But others reported quieter trade than usual, with no single big book being chased by multiple houses—a possible consequence of the fair running a month earlier than usual. Trapeze publisher Anna Valentine said: “I don’t feel there are as many buzzy books as previous years, with agents telling me they’ve been holding back to polish manuscripts.” She said the earlier date had “caught a lot of us by surprise.” Some noted a nervousness around


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trading, with DK c.e.o. Ian Hudson and Charlie Redmayne, c.e.o. of HarperCollins UK, speaking of problems around staff recruitment and retention as a result of the UK government’s reluctance to guarantee EU nationals rights to remain in the country. Redmayne said: “The combination of a lack of security and a weak pound means a lot of those people [from EU countries] are going back home.” Hudson said the government was “playing with people’s lives”. Rights trading remained brisk. The Bookseller reported more than 60 deals across its three fair dailies (see pp10– 11) and online. Publishers looked to foreign fiction, such as Swedish psychological thriller In the Mire, a début which led to a Europe- wide frenzy for


08/03/2017 17:05


he perplexing global environment did not put off attendees at this year’s


Fairgoers reported an upbeat mood at Olympia this year, with recent political events dominating discussions and submissions


rights, won by Hodder & Stoughton in the UK. Memoirs also did well, with Cape securing Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker’s book in a six-figure deal, and Faber signing a memoir from Goldie, not long after Little, Brown bought Suede lead singer Brett Anderson’s memoir Coal Black Mornings. Bonnier imprint Blink revealed it would publish the memoir of Jamie Bulger’s mother, Denise Fergus, next year. Little, Brown and Orion c.e.o. David Shelley said the mood was “very positive” with “a good number of rights deals happening, and although there is anxiety about the political situation, there is also a desire for books that help explain the world we currently live in and the trends we are seeing across the globe.” His thoughts were echoed by Canongate c.e.o. Jamie Byng, who said: “The mood feels upbeat, with publishers positive about the world of books—even if the world seems troubled and the future uncertain.”


New media arrives at LBF with ‘huge sums’


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StudioCanal and actor Benedict Cumberbatch’s production company SunnyMarch pre-empted film rights to Matt Haig’s forthcoming How to Stop Time (Canongate). The “Sherlock” actor will star and executive-produce the film along with Canongate c.e.o. Jamie Byng. The deal was struck by SunnyMarch m.d. Adam Ackland and Nick Marston of Curtis Brown on behalf of Haig and Conville & Walsh. The book is a “love story spanning centuries” about a man who looks to be in his forties, but has lived for hundreds of years.


ublishers and agents noted a “dramatic explosion” in book-to-film/TV and audio


deals in the lead up to this year’s London Book Fair. Hannah Griffiths, head of literary


acquisitions at production company All3Media, said the “exponential growth” in hours of airtime, owing to the rise of streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, marked an “optimistic moment” for the trade. “It’s like if five major dedicated book chains opened up in Britain tomorrow, each needing to fill the shelves . . . and with loads of money to spend on stock,” she added. Former MI5 agent Tom Marcus was one beneficiary, with a number of pre- LBF film and TV deals: Kudos (which recently produced the BBC’s adaptation of Louise Doughty’s Apple Tree Yard) bought rights to develop his Soldier, Spy into a “major” new drama series, while Chrysalis snapped up options to Fisher


thebookseller.com WEDNESDAY 15 03.2017 At the London Book Fair WORDS The Bookseller news team


K C.E.O. IAN Hudson said UK Prime Minister Theresa May was “inhu-


for the book trade, and that DK was “struggling to recruit people for jobs in London”.


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man” for “playing with people’s lives” in her Brexit negotiations, adding that he was struggling with recruitment as a conse- quence, while HarperCollins UK c.e.o. Charlie Redmayne said uncertaint around freedom of movement could hit businesses that use temporary workers— such as HC’s distribution centre. In a strongly worded speech


at yesterday’s London Book Fair (14th March), Hudson called for “an immediate commitment” guaranteeing the rights of EU citizens living in the UK, so that the 81 EU nationals among DK’s 500 London-based staff could be confident that Brexit would not impede their career at the firm. “The reluctance of Theresa


May to do this isn’t a smart nego- tiation ploy, it’s just inhuman,” he said. “Why are we playing with people’s lives?” Hudson told The Bookseller that a talent drain should be a “big concern”


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Hudson slams ‘inhuman’ May’s EU dallying D


Redmayne, who atended Hudson’s speech, echoed his plea. He said the uncertaint around freedom of move- ment had resulted in staff departures from HarperCol- lins’ distribution centre inl Scotland, where a “signifi- cant proportion” of staff hail from Eastern Europe.


Hudson


“The combination of a lack of securit and a weak pound means a lot of those people are going back home. That is impacting on produc- tivit in those businesses [that employ temporary labourers], and impacting on costs and the viabilit of those businesses.” Hudson criticised the govern- ment for using the issue as a “negotiation card”, arguing: “It would be very easy for Theresa May to say, ‘We are going to support people staying and retaining their rights in the UK, and you must do the same.’ Are EU countries really going to say, ‘No we’re not?’ I don’t think


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so. This negotiation might take six, nine, 12 months to play out. In the meantime, [Redmayne] has a problem in his warehouse and I’m struggling to recruit people for jobs in London. It’s months too long.”


Other publishers at the fair voiced concern on the issue of free movement. Faber c.e.o. Stephen Page said: “Publishers are open-minded people, and an inclusive and diverse workforce is important. I think it is very important that the government considers this in its negotiations. We need to be vigilant, bold, and stand up for what is right.” Atlantic Books m.d. Will


Atkinson called Brexit “an affront to our industry” as the free movement of people begets “free movement of ideas and communication”. He added: “A bright spot is that it might be a good time to be writing and publishing, as people seek truth and try to make sense of our diffi- cult times. [Publishing] is the important industry for the UK at the moment—we are the North Sea oil of the 21st Century.”


Sturgeon’s referendum call divides Scots contingent at Olympia


Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s suggestion that she may seek an independ- ence referendum in the next two years has divided Scotish publishers at the fair. Claire Cain, c.e.o. of Edinburgh-based Fledgling Press, said she was “torn” about the issue. She added: “Scotland is being completely ignored by Theresa May, though I have doubts about whether it is financially secure enough to go independent.” Adrian Searle, publisher at Glasgow’s Freight Books, told The Bookseller he was


INSIDE LBF Day 2_p03.indd 3


“very pro-independence”, stating: “If Scot- land became independent, it would be a huge injection of confidence in the cultural life of the country. Scotland would be on the lips of many countries across the world, which would help to sell rights. The first referendum was a positive thing for publish- ing, because it offered a resurgence of politi- cal books about Scotland.” Yet Joanne Macleod, finance director of Edinburgh-based Birlinn, said she was “tired” of political negotiations: “We already


have questions over VAT and selling into the EU, and the process and the costs involved. These questions have not been answered.” Publishing Scotland c.e.o. Marion Sinclair


told The Bookseller: “There are difficulties of joining the Single Market with Brexit; a [vote for Scotish independence] would have chal- lenges, as the biggest trade partner for most Scotish publishers is the rest of the UK. The most troubling thing for the trade is the long period of uncertaint of the negotiations, which will go on for months and years.”


Mills & Boon launches ‘sexiest ever’ series p04 · Faber’s farming title is big moos p06 · Graphic novelist on genre’s gender issue p15 · Michael Morpurgo discusses his publishing legacy p18 · Literary agents reveal novel pitching tips p23 · Horace Bent at LBF p38


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