Tue 20 April 2010 at 11.30 am
Midlist Crisis - London Book Fair seminar
How to revive the middle market?
Taking Place: Wellington Rooms, Earls Court 1, London Book Fair
No publisher will publicly admit to having its midlist authors, but there are authors who were previously supported by publishers over a number of books – awaiting their sales breakthrough – who now find it difficult to place their next book. With some authors even expected to break through with their first book, has the culture of bestsellers gone too far? Should there be a renewed emphasis on the craft of writing and an author’s career, rather than what are seen by some as short-term commercial gains? An expert panel from all parts of the book trade discusses the possibilities for a revival of the middle market of quality fiction and non-fiction.
The event is chaired by Angus Phillips, Director of the Oxford International Centre for Publishing Studies.
Speakers
Nic Bottomley
Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights
Nic Bottomley set up Mr B's Emporium of Reading Delights in 2006 along with his wife and brother-in-law. He fled his previous career as a finance lawyer (just in time) to try and create a thriving independent bookshop built on superb customer service and strong ties to its community and with a truly individual character. In 2008 Mr B's was named Independent Bookshop of the Year at the British Book Awards.
Dan Franklin
Publishing Director, Jonathan Cape
Dan Franklin entered publishing in 1970 with Peter Owen. He subsequently worked for the Harvill Press, Collins, Heinemann and Secker & Warburg. He is now the Publishing Director of Jonathan Cape and the Publisher of CCV, Random House's literary division.
Jane Rogers
Novelist
Jane Rogers has written eight novels including Mr Wroe's Virgins (dramatized as an award-winning BBC television serial); Promised Lands (Writers' Guild Best Novel Award) ; Island (Arts Council Writers Award); and The Voyage Home. Radio work includes, most recently, Dear Writer (BBC4 afternoon play) and an adaptation of The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton (Classic Serial 2010). She edited OUP's Good Fiction Guide. She was shortlisted in the BBC National Short story award 2009; her stories have been broadcast and published in a range of anthologies. She is currently working on a collection of short stories. She is Professor of Writing at Sheffield Hallam University.