Among speakers announced for the May 12-15 Jerusalem International Book Forum are, clockwise from upper left, James Daunt, Judith Curr, Markus Dohle, Juergen Boos, Jane Friedman, Richard Charkin, Kris Kliemann, and Andrew Franklin
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
Eight Topical Panels Scheduled
The newly renamed Jerusalem International Book Forum has announced today (March 7) programming for its inaugural iteration, May 12 to 15, with a keynote address from Henry Holt chair Stephen Rubin and a who’s who of the world publishing industry’s executives including Markus Dohle, Stefan von Holtzbrinck, Maria Campbell, Juergen Boos, Jane Friedman, Arik Kneller, and Vera Michalski.
As Publishing Perspectives readers will remember, the Jerusalem International Book Forum (JIBF) is an ambitious recalibration of the former Jerusalem Book Fair, evolving in its 29th iteration from a convention-hall based format to a more dynamic forum. The reconstitution features a roster of elite speakers and a program focused on substantive examination of issues, trends, and potentials in world publishing today.
With an anticipated audience of 200 publishing players from the Israeli and international communities, the event has been timed to coincide with Joyce Carol Oates’ receipt of the Jerusalem Prize, as we’ve reported. Also on hand will be the 35 Zev Birger Editorial Fellows for this year, and participants in the Jerusalem International Writers Festival at the Mishkenot Sha’ananin.
Programming is being created by forum director Yoel Makov, production coordinator Sharon Katz, and content manager Hadar Makov-Hasson.
During the course of the form, a total eight panels have been developed. Information on three of them has been released today.
‘The Netflix Effect’
In this panel, specialists will discuss the current and potential impact of streaming entertainment on publishing, along with new and innovative ways to discover and share content. (Programming note: On Monday, March 11, Publishing Perspectives joins Christopher Kenneally of Copyright Clearance Center’s Beyond the Book podcast for an examination of the “streamers” and associated options now creating both opportunity and new challenges for publishers in an era in which the book isn’t always a part of the most successful storytelling ventures.)
In Jerusalem, the panel participants in this session on the “the screens” and book publishing are:
- Moderator: Israeli agent Arik Kneller (founder of Kneller Artists Agency)
- Maria B. Campbell (founding president of Maria B. Campbell Associates with clients including Netflix Films and Series)
- Jane Friedman (founding CEO of The Literary Studio; former CEO of OpenRoad Integrated Media and HarperCollins Worldwide)
- Yuval Horowitz of Keshet TV, among Israel’s leading content providers
- Dror Mishani (author of the 2017-2018 CBS television drama Wisdom of the Crowd from Algorithm Entertainment and other works adapted for screen)
‘Selling Books in the “New World”‘
The drive for discoverability, the rising role of influencers, the new place of reader research, and the place of digital outreach are some of the elements discussed by a panel of leaders in the field including:
- James Daunt (CEO, Waterstones)
- Judith Curr (president and publisher, The HarperOne Group)
- Juergen Boos (president and CEO, Frankfurter Buchmesse)
- Sara Lloyd (PanMacmillan UK digital and communications director)
- Navit Barel (head of Yedioth Books’ Hebrew literature department)
- The panel is moderated by Publishing Perspectives
‘Executive Summary’
International publishing chiefs discuss their roles and perspectives on the evolving book business, with:
- Andrew Franklin (managing director, Profile Books)
- Stefan von Holtzbrinck (CEO, Holtzbrinck Publishing Group)
- Markus Dohle (CEO, Penguin Random House)
- Vera Michalski-Hoffman (founding director of Libella publishing group)
Complete program listings are expected to be on the Jerusalem International Book Forum’s site on Monday (March 11), as the London Book Fair convenes its Quantum conference.
The forum is bine produced with a speaker’s roster of more than 30 publishing figures, including Bloomsbury’s and The Mensch’s Richard Charkin (his monthly column for Publishing Perspectives is read here); Granta’s Sigrid Rausing; Newmarket’s Esther Margolis; Aufbau’s Constanze Neumann; UK literary agent Clare Alexander; IPR License’s Kris Kliemann; Planeta’s Elena Ramirez; and Israeli literary agent Deborah Harris.
Those interested in attending the forum are asked to register here. Attendees registered for the forum can also enjoy events of their choice at the International Writers Festival at Mishkenot Sha’ananim (subject to availability).
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported that Maria B. Campbell Associates clients include Netflix and Warner Bros. Maria. B. Campbell Associates, Inc. and Maria B. Campbell Associates UK Ltd. are an exclusive inbound licensing literary representative for Netflix Films and Series. This version has been corrected.