It was a week of comings and goings at the London Book Fair 2016. For one thing — and no one minded — the clouds and rain early in the week departed in time for the highlight days of the show.
But talk of another leaving gave many publishers pause: In June, the British public votes on whether to leave the European Union, and publishers wondered what that move could mean to the Book Fair and the book world.
“Most publishers said they personally wished the UK would stay in,” reports Andrew Albanese, Publishers Weekly senior writer. “But some very prominent people, such as Charlie Redmayne, the CEO of HarperCollins UK was equovical. And Richard Charkin from Bloomsbury, while wanting to stay in, did note that leaving wouldn’t necessarily be bad for British publishers, as it would weaken the pound, and increase exports.
“No publisher said they’d really thought over how they would approach ‘Brexit’ —but in the coming weeks, they might very well have to start,” he tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally.
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Every Friday, CCC’s “Beyond the Book” speaks with the editors and reporters of “Publishers Weekly” for an early look at the news that publishers, editors, authors, agents and librarians will be talking about when they return to work on Monday.
