The Bookseller.com

3rd December 2008

Philip Jones is the managing editor of theBookseller.com. He will blog with links and comment about the book business.

The Newton and Charkin show

27.09.07

Emma at Snowbooks sums it up: the publishing world will be watching with interest Richard Charkin's move to Bloomsbury.

Charkin will have responsibility for the publisher's worldwide operations, looking for acquisitions, exploring new publishing areas and the firm's international expansion. He will be "minister for growth"  Bloomsbury's chief executive Nigel Newton was reported to have said last night.

As 'executive director', It looks to me like he will hold the second strongest position at the Harry Potter publisher, second only to Newton. How well the pair work together will be crucial.

The duo both have strong personalities: Charkin is perhaps better known for speaking his mind, but it was Newton who ignited the fightback against Google's book search, at a time when Charkin was president of the Publishers Association.

Macmillan seemed like the perfect company for a book trade maverick like Charkin, who saw publishing in the round. At Macmillan he also had the advantage of being part of a relatively opaque conglomerate, still privately owned by the Holtzbrinck family.

At the publicly-quoted Bloomsbury Charkin is likely to be more exposed: performance analysed, strategy questioned. In particular it will be fascinating to see how the City reacts to stunts such as his Google heist at BEA earlier this year.

It is to be hoped that the move won't curb Charkin's left-field instincts. But it is likely that the move could usher in a more quiet time for the publishing contrarian--at least publicly.

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