By Olivia Snaije The French children’s book fair—the Salon du Livre et de la Presse—celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, with Italy as the guest of honor. Held in the Paris suburb of Montreuil, it’s the biggest fair of its kind in Europe that caters to the general public; and is immensely popular with parents and children, as well as …
The Bookseller Who Balked at Black Friday
By Edward Nawotka CAMBRIDGE: Last Thursday—Thanksgiving Day in the United States—Lorem Ipsum Books, an independent bookstore in Cambridge, Massachusetts, announced what they called a “new Black Friday Shopping tradition”: The Anti-Sale. “In this special, one-day only event, the bookstore with 19,000+ gently used books will be offering none of them for sale at a discount,” said Matt Mankins, the store’s …
A Tale of Two Cookbooks: The Fancy and the Foul-mouthed
By Dennis Abrams and Edward Nawotka There are, essentially, just two different kinds of cookbooks. The first is what can indelicately be called “food p*rnography.” It depicts food that one wants to make but knows is virtually impossible to replicate in a home kitchen, food that exists only in restaurants and one’s fantasies. The second kind of cookbook is the one you …
Spain’s E-book Business Stuck in Beta
By Emily Williams MADRID: Last week, the inaugural Feria del Libro Digital—Spain’s first e-book fair—took a few toddling steps into the future. Described by its organizers as “Version 0.0,” the fair’s two days of panels, exhibits and workshops elicited decidedly mixed reviews. While many were pleased that it provided a showcase for the digital companies that had been shut out …
Even in Peace, Lebanon’s Literary World Remains at War
By Yasmina Jraissati BEIRUT: This year, with Beirut serving as the World Book Capital for 2009, the city’s literary world remains linguistically and cultural divided: the city will be hosting two distinct book fairs, the Lebanese Francophone Book Fair (Salon francophone du livre de Beyrouth) which took place in October and November, and the International Beirut Book Fair (Maarad al …
German Trendsetters at Klett-Cotta on the Benefits of Being Big
By Amanda DeMarco STUTTGART: Michael Zöllner isn’t sentimental about his days as an independent publisher. He and his partner Tom Kraushaar led Tropen Verlag autonomously until January 2008, when it merged with the larger Stuttgart-based Klett-Cotta Verlag. Tropen, which published 10 to 12 titles per year, became an imprint of Klett-Cotta and the two became CEOs of Klett-Cotta’s list and …
After 25 Years, Wasafiri Still Pushing Britain’s Literary Boundaries
By Belinda Otas LONDON: The Southbank is one of Europe’s largest arts centers and is celebrated worldwide for the diversity of its artistic programs. Similarly, a wide diversity of races, ethnicities and nationalities gathered in late October to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Wasafiri, the acclaimed London-based magazine of contemporary international writing. Wasafiri is a Kiswahili word and translates as …
Greenleaf’s “Publishing Incubator” Puts You in Control, For a Price
By Edward Nawotka Self-publishing, whether online or in print, has become an attractive option for many. But it’s not for everyone. Many authors find companies like Xlibis and Lulu.com wanting. But for those that are looking for a more robust and professional approach, companies like Greenleaf Book Group have emerged to bridge the gap between bare-bones do-it-yourself publishing and working …
Rob Weisbach on Expanding the Agent’s Role
By Edward Nawotka Rob Weisbach was just 30 years old when he was named president and publisher of Rob Weisbach Books at William Morrow, landing such celebrity writers as television personality Jon Stewart and comedienne Ellen DeGeneres. He later worked as editor-at-large at Simon & Schuster, and as CEO of Miramax Books—a job he left in April of 2008. In …
Australian Government Keeps Protections for Publishers
By Andrew Wilkins CANBERRA: Today, an intense year-long debate about the future of Australia’s publishing industry effectively came to an end with the announcement that the Australian government had rejected a proposal from its own think-tank to turn Australian into an open market for books. ”The Government has decided not to change the Australian regulatory regime for books … In …