Bonnier Books UK is launching Footnote Press, a "mission-oriented start-up" publisher, in a "pioneering partnership" with founders Vidisha Biswas and Sujoy Roy. The new press will be an "independently run, disruptive publisher of literary fiction and narrative nonfiction, focusing on migration, identity and marginalized knowledge and experience."
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Biswas will lead Footnote Press as managing director. Recruitment for an editorial director will begin immediately. The press is launching in early 2022 and plans to begin with 10 to 15 titles a year. It is "committed to spotlighting other, previously excluded ways of thinking, being and organizing through its ambitious publishing program," the company noted.
Most recently co-owner and business development director at the radical publishing collective Zed Books, Biswas led the company's digital transformation strategy, which included strong sales growth before it was acquired by Bloomsbury in 2020.
"Footnote Press will combine the best of both worlds--the agility and focus of a smaller independent, with the expertise and reach of an established, world-leading publisher," Biswas said. "This pioneering partnership gives Footnote the strongest possible launch pad, which means we can carry forward our mission to disrupt multiple status quos and drive narrative change ever more effectively."
As marketing director, Roy, who is a video games and e-sports industry veteran and innovator, will be using his digital skills to drive customer conversion and retention and exploring new ways of "aiding discoverability through gamification."
Bonnier Books UK CEO Perminder Mann said: "I was blown away by Vidisha and Sujoy's vision for Footnote Press, their dynamic approach and deep expertise. Footnote aligns perfectly with our long-term strategy for growth and will help us to further broaden and diversify our publishing portfolio."
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A fund of almost €15 million (about $17.4 million) has been opened in the Netherlands as part of the Dutch government's package of support for the physical bookstores. The European & International Booksellers Federation's NewsFlash, which noted that all bookshops in the country can apply for extra credit until November 30, reported that the initiative, "championed by the Dutch Booksellers Association, allows bookshops to extend their credit limit by a maximum of 40% for the period of up to one year, without any interest."
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Jessica Mosher has been named president, publisher and CEO of University of Toronto Press, effective November 1. She succeeds John Yates, who is retiring after 17 years at the helm of UTP. Mosher brings three decades of experience in educational publishing to her new position, most recently as executive v-p and managing director at Nelson.
"I am thrilled to be taking the helm of such a well-respected press," she said, "and to have the opportunity to work with colleagues who do extraordinary work publishing and promoting exemplary scholarship. The reputation of the press is already so strong, and I believe UTP is uniquely positioned to further enhance the experience and reputation of Canadian scholarship and the University of Toronto on a global scale."
Speaking on behalf of the UTP board, Scott Mabury, the university's v-p, operations and real estate partnerships, said he was "very pleased to announce the appointment" of Mosher to her new position, and thanked Yates "for his excellent leadership and dedication to the press."
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Australian bookseller moment: "A beautiful day at the Produce Market today... remember the full market with arts and crafts included will be back on November 3," Farrells Bookshop. Mornington, Vic., posted on Facebook. --Robert Gray