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Bad week for women in publishing as two giants step down Bad week for women in publishing as two giants step down
(3 months later)
A bad week for women and a good one for geeks, sighed an industry insider after a couple of days that saw one of British publishing's two queens abdicating, and the other resigning herself to a less regal role.A bad week for women and a good one for geeks, sighed an industry insider after a couple of days that saw one of British publishing's two queens abdicating, and the other resigning herself to a less regal role.
On Monday, the completion of the merger of Penguin and Random House was accompanied by the announcement that Gail Rebuck, chairman and chief executive of Random House UK since 1991, would step down from the day-to-day running of the UK arm of the business to take the strategic role of chairman.On Monday, the completion of the merger of Penguin and Random House was accompanied by the announcement that Gail Rebuck, chairman and chief executive of Random House UK since 1991, would step down from the day-to-day running of the UK arm of the business to take the strategic role of chairman.
The following day, the news broke that Victoria Barnsley was leaving HarperCollins UK after 13 years as chief executive.The following day, the news broke that Victoria Barnsley was leaving HarperCollins UK after 13 years as chief executive.
Barnsley's resignation occurred on the eve of her annual summer authors' party at the Orangery in Kensington Gardens (a pleasure house bequeathed by an earlier beleaguered monarch, Queen Anne) which, as she noted on the night, "has become my leaving do". She cited the irony of HarperCollins winning a publisher of the year award under her leadership just a year ago (an award Rebuck's Random House took for 2012 two months ago).Barnsley's resignation occurred on the eve of her annual summer authors' party at the Orangery in Kensington Gardens (a pleasure house bequeathed by an earlier beleaguered monarch, Queen Anne) which, as she noted on the night, "has become my leaving do". She cited the irony of HarperCollins winning a publisher of the year award under her leadership just a year ago (an award Rebuck's Random House took for 2012 two months ago).
Many a loyalist tear was shed as Barnsley joked: "As my colleagues have told me my one great weakness is I'm not really good at managing up, and I think the last few days I have really realised that."Many a loyalist tear was shed as Barnsley joked: "As my colleagues have told me my one great weakness is I'm not really good at managing up, and I think the last few days I have really realised that."
Though her speech was light on bitterness, it tellingly lacked the usual "you'll be in good hands" tribute to her replacement, Charlie Redmayne, from JK Rowling's website, Pottermore.Though her speech was light on bitterness, it tellingly lacked the usual "you'll be in good hands" tribute to her replacement, Charlie Redmayne, from JK Rowling's website, Pottermore.
In case anyone had missed the regicidal undertones of the occasion, the historian Max Hastings spelled it out with overt reference to the French revolution. Saluting Barnsley's "shining achievement", he said: "Obviously we all know that after the reign of terror we will all go on doing great things, but we must go on raising our glasses to Vicky not only for what you've done for authors but for publishing and books in this country."In case anyone had missed the regicidal undertones of the occasion, the historian Max Hastings spelled it out with overt reference to the French revolution. Saluting Barnsley's "shining achievement", he said: "Obviously we all know that after the reign of terror we will all go on doing great things, but we must go on raising our glasses to Vicky not only for what you've done for authors but for publishing and books in this country."
Hastings' patriotic reference to "this country" touched another raw nerve in the British publishing industry. Last month's splitting up of Rupert Murdoch's media empire included the reallocation of oversight of HarperCollins's operations in India and Australasia from Barnsley in the UK to the worldwide chief executive, Brian Murray, who is based in Manhattan.Hastings' patriotic reference to "this country" touched another raw nerve in the British publishing industry. Last month's splitting up of Rupert Murdoch's media empire included the reallocation of oversight of HarperCollins's operations in India and Australasia from Barnsley in the UK to the worldwide chief executive, Brian Murray, who is based in Manhattan.
Over at Penguin Random House a similar reorientation has been happening. The new British chief executive will be Penguin's Tom Weldon, with Gail Rebuck as chairman, but the overall group chief executive, Markus Dohle, will be based at the merged firm's headquarters in New York.Over at Penguin Random House a similar reorientation has been happening. The new British chief executive will be Penguin's Tom Weldon, with Gail Rebuck as chairman, but the overall group chief executive, Markus Dohle, will be based at the merged firm's headquarters in New York.
For those alarmed about the masculinisation of the British book trade, there's no shortage of other examples to point to. A few days earlier, on 30 June, Kate Swann, WH Smith's widely admired boss, stepped down; and six months before that, on 1 January, Marjorie Scardino retired after 13 years running Pearson, the owner of Penguin (it now owns 47% of the merged group). Both, like Barnsley and Rebuck, were replaced by men.For those alarmed about the masculinisation of the British book trade, there's no shortage of other examples to point to. A few days earlier, on 30 June, Kate Swann, WH Smith's widely admired boss, stepped down; and six months before that, on 1 January, Marjorie Scardino retired after 13 years running Pearson, the owner of Penguin (it now owns 47% of the merged group). Both, like Barnsley and Rebuck, were replaced by men.
The suddenness of the change is startling – from 2000 to 2012 three of the big four British publishers were overseen by women. In the Guardian's Book Power 100 list two years ago, Rebuck was ranked ninth and Barnsley fifteenth, and Rebuck took 10th place in Radio 4's Woman's Hour power list for 2013. Now, arguably, there are none.The suddenness of the change is startling – from 2000 to 2012 three of the big four British publishers were overseen by women. In the Guardian's Book Power 100 list two years ago, Rebuck was ranked ninth and Barnsley fifteenth, and Rebuck took 10th place in Radio 4's Woman's Hour power list for 2013. Now, arguably, there are none.
But for some the concern is not just defeat in a gender numbers game: it's also that as women drop back, the geeks are on the rise, with implications for who and what gets published.But for some the concern is not just defeat in a gender numbers game: it's also that as women drop back, the geeks are on the rise, with implications for who and what gets published.
While praising HarperCollins for being "in the forefront of the digital revolution", Barnsley expressed the anxieties of many in the Orangery when she warned: "By all means do play with the tech companies but please don't try to become one. We are content businesses … the one thing that is never going to change is the importance of great narratives."While praising HarperCollins for being "in the forefront of the digital revolution", Barnsley expressed the anxieties of many in the Orangery when she warned: "By all means do play with the tech companies but please don't try to become one. We are content businesses … the one thing that is never going to change is the importance of great narratives."
One industry insider, who wished to remain anonymous, suggested that the masculinisation was driven by fear.One industry insider, who wished to remain anonymous, suggested that the masculinisation was driven by fear.
"Publishing feels under duress and fearful of the big players like Google and Amazon. Maybe they feel on a war footing and maybe they feel they need men. Most of editorial in publishing is female and over the last decade women have been running things. Suddenly it's still mostly women, but it's men at the top."Publishing feels under duress and fearful of the big players like Google and Amazon. Maybe they feel on a war footing and maybe they feel they need men. Most of editorial in publishing is female and over the last decade women have been running things. Suddenly it's still mostly women, but it's men at the top.
"It's part of a shocking story of older women and the media. What's happening to the mature women who are, as Miss Jean Brodie would have said, 'in their prime'?""It's part of a shocking story of older women and the media. What's happening to the mature women who are, as Miss Jean Brodie would have said, 'in their prime'?"
Though both Barnsley, who is 59, and Rebuck, 61, could be as tough as anyone when required, they have been author-centred. "What they've done is to enable editors. It's not that they necessarily are those editors. Authors feel the most enormous respect for them and faith in them," said the source.Though both Barnsley, who is 59, and Rebuck, 61, could be as tough as anyone when required, they have been author-centred. "What they've done is to enable editors. It's not that they necessarily are those editors. Authors feel the most enormous respect for them and faith in them," said the source.
In contrast, Charlie Redmayne and Tom Weldon both came up largely through a passion for brand and franchise, with Weldon running Penguin's commercial division – responsible for authors such as Jamie Oliver and Jeremy Clarkson – and Redmayne moving from the digital side of the industry. "Their DNA is different," the source said.In contrast, Charlie Redmayne and Tom Weldon both came up largely through a passion for brand and franchise, with Weldon running Penguin's commercial division – responsible for authors such as Jamie Oliver and Jeremy Clarkson – and Redmayne moving from the digital side of the industry. "Their DNA is different," the source said.
Rebuck, a prominent supporter of the Labour party who was made a Dame in 2009, has spent the week managing the news, reassuring Random House's key authors that she was "over the moon" about the change, even though the inhouse announcement of her move was greeted with shock and dismay by many staff.Rebuck, a prominent supporter of the Labour party who was made a Dame in 2009, has spent the week managing the news, reassuring Random House's key authors that she was "over the moon" about the change, even though the inhouse announcement of her move was greeted with shock and dismay by many staff.
Barnsley, who was awarded an OBE for services to literature in the same year, could offer no such solace to her authors. In her speech she emphasised her devotion to Fourth Estate, the literary imprint she founded in 1984 and took with her to HarperCollins. It claims among its authors the most successful literary novelist of this decade, Hilary Mantel, author of the Booker-winning Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies.Barnsley, who was awarded an OBE for services to literature in the same year, could offer no such solace to her authors. In her speech she emphasised her devotion to Fourth Estate, the literary imprint she founded in 1984 and took with her to HarperCollins. It claims among its authors the most successful literary novelist of this decade, Hilary Mantel, author of the Booker-winning Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies.
Mantel said: "When I went to Fourth Estate 15 years ago it was because they were the most interesting and stylish publisher in London. Everything on their list seemed to be hand picked and have a committed team behind it.Mantel said: "When I went to Fourth Estate 15 years ago it was because they were the most interesting and stylish publisher in London. Everything on their list seemed to be hand picked and have a committed team behind it.
"I met Vicky Barnsley some time later, and soon learned to value her personal warmth and her fearless business brain. She approaches publishing with a blend of knowhow and imaginative flair and I admire her as a woman of undaunted drive and energy.""I met Vicky Barnsley some time later, and soon learned to value her personal warmth and her fearless business brain. She approaches publishing with a blend of knowhow and imaginative flair and I admire her as a woman of undaunted drive and energy."
AS Byatt was shortlisted for the Booker prize with The Children's Book the year that Wolf Hall won, and she was sitting on the Random House table with Rebuck at the awards ceremony. "Gail likes authors and is supportive of them," said Byatt. "The degree to which she was disappointed [by the defeat] was rather greater than the degree to which I was disappointed myself. "AS Byatt was shortlisted for the Booker prize with The Children's Book the year that Wolf Hall won, and she was sitting on the Random House table with Rebuck at the awards ceremony. "Gail likes authors and is supportive of them," said Byatt. "The degree to which she was disappointed [by the defeat] was rather greater than the degree to which I was disappointed myself. "
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