21.10.16
www.thebookseller.com
Plunging pound hits FBF Brits . . . NEWS
BY LISA CAMPBELL
The plummeting British pound is affecting deals cut at this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair, with UK publishers buying from Europe haggling for deals to be made in Euros as opposed to sterling. Alessandro Gallenzi right, publisher at Alma Books, said a weakened post-referendum pound was deterring UK publishers buying from the Eurozone or countries that use US dollars as their currency, and that it was a “big problem” for translation publishers. He told The Bookseller Daily: “Just as British holidaymakers will find their trip to France or Greece more expensive, publishers shopping around in Europe for books will see their buying power curtailed. Currencies fluctuate, and I am sure that the pound will recover in due course. But in the short and
already agreed in sterling that are due to conclude within the next year, with many print bills yet to be paid. “When that print bill comes in in dollars, we have to make sure we still make some money because our margins are going to be all over the place,” she said. However, others have said the
medium term this is a problem, especially for publishers like ourselves who acquire several titles from overseas.” Caroline de la Bedoyere, director
of Search Press, said UK publishers had “major worries” over deals
weak pound is boosting export sales. Michael Bhaskar, publisher at Canelo, said: “While I don’t agree with the reasons why the pound is down, in a way it is no bad thing for British publishing in that most of us are selling more outside the country then we are bringing in. It is good for export sales.” Literary agent Diane Banks also
noted a boon in foreign rights business. “As our deals are in Euros and dollars, our authors have received windfalls,” she said. “Our sterling business is all domestic, so no effect there. [It’s] all to the good.”
. . . as ‘experts’ caution over student and staff visas
The threat of isolation from Europe’s workplace regulations, visa issues among EU-born staffers, and a decrease in the number of European graduate students could affect UK academic publishing in the wake of Brexit, experts warned at the fair yesterday. Speaking on a panel about the impact of Brexit on academic publishing, chaired by former Publishers Association c.e.o. Richard Mollet, Andy Robinson, senior vice-president and m.d. for society services at Wiley, said considering that 10% of the UK publishing workforce comes from the EU—almost twice the national average (5.6%)—the industry is “going to have to come to terms with the impact on EU
[nationals] employed in the UK”, depending on what legislation the government implements regarding freedom of movement. He added that 125,000 students from the EU are currently studying in the UK, generating some £2.7bn for the UK economy. Academic and policy consultant Richard Fisher
agreed that decisions over student visas could result in a “challenge”, adding: “When she was home secretary, Theresa May took the most robust view possible around restricting student visas. It’s slightly unfortunate that she’s now prime minister, from that point of view. Universities recognise that this is not a fight they’re going to win.”
MILLIONS FOR WILLIAMS AS BLINK INKS BIOGRAPHY DEAL
Bonnier Publishing imprint Blink has splashed a seven- figure sum acquiring the rights to a second authorised biography of pop star Robbie Williams. Blink m.d. Ben Dunn pre-empted world English rights to the title from David McCormick at McCormick Literary, in association with artist management firm ie:music. The book is a sequel to Feel, the 2004 authorised biography of Williams written by Chris Heath, and will again be penned by Heath, with Williams’ full involvement. Dunn said: “The book will chronicle the arc of Robbie’s remarkable career and will be a revealing, funny and uncensored portrait of the artist’s life.”
NEWS NEWS / IN BRIEF NEWS IN BRIEF
05
VIKING GETS ALARMED
Viking has acquired Do Not Become Alarmed by Women’s Prize for Fiction- shortlisted author Maile Meloy above. Publisher Mary Mount secured UK & Commonwealth rights to the novel, about a family holiday that goes terribly wrong, from Curtis Brown agent Karolina Sutton, on behalf of Amanda Urban at ICM. Viking will publish the title next summer, as will Riverhead in the US.
HEADLINE JUMPS SHARK
Début novel The Shark Club, described as a love story featuring a world-travelling marine biologist who is studying the animals that once threatened her life, has been signed in five territories. Headline’s Marion Donaldson bought rights to the novel, by Ann Kidd Taylor, in the UK through WME’s Rudolph Walsh and Margaret Riley King. Viking won it in the US; Penguin Verlag in Germany; Ambo Anthos in Italy; and Calmann-Levy has pre-empted in France.
IT’S WAR AT PICADOR
Picador has pre-empted UK and commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) to America War, the début novel by US-based, Egyptian-born journalist Omar El Akkad. Associate publisher Ravi Mirchandani struck the deal with Knopf’s Suzanne Smith, whose colleague Sonny Mehta acquired world rights from agent Anne McDermid. The novel introduces Sarat, a girl from Louisiana who, traumatised by the death of her parents, commits an act of devastating violence. Picador will publish in September 2017.
ICON SIGNS AN ICON
Icon Books has acquired actress Charlotte Rampling’s first memoir. Tom Webber bought world English- language rights to the memoir from French publisher Grasset & Fasquelle. The book will provide “an idiosyncratic and beguiling insight into one of the most consistently adventurous and interesting actors”, Webber said. Rampling has starred in English, French and Italian films since her 1966 bow in “Georgy Girl”.
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