HarperCollins Germany will acquire German guidebook publisher Gräfe und Unzer, a move that more than doubles the size of HarperCollins's business in the country. Part of the Ganske publishing group in Hamburg since 1990, Gräfe und Unzer, which is more than 300 years old, will continue to be based in Munich.
With Gräfe Und Unzer Verlag, ISP Isar Sales Partner is also moving under the umbrella of HarperCollins Germany. The addition of GU will expand the company's portfolio to include cooking, enjoyment, healthy eating, life advice, partnership and family, health, gardening, pets, nature, and travel.
"Gräfe und Unzer has an impressive publishing history, exceptional authors, books, and brands, and has become a great brand in its own right, trusted by generations of readers," said Juergen Welte, managing director, HarperCollins Germany. "We are proud to welcome Gräfe und Unzer under the umbrella of the HarperCollins publishing group and look forward to shaping the future of the publishing house together."
Brian Murray, president and CEO, HarperCollins Publishers, called Germany "one of our strongest markets in the international portfolio and one where we see tremendous growth opportunities. This acquisition will allow us to increase our market share and position us for continued growth in the market."
The transaction is subject to approval by the antitrust authorities.
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Booksellers in France are accusing Amazon of trying for a second time to circumvent laws banning online retailers from offering free book deliveries, the Bookseller reported, adding that the first attempt was in 2014, "when parliament banned free deliveries to people's homes and Amazon introduced a delivery fee of one cent. In 2021, the Darcos law fixed a sliding scale of delivery fees, starting at €3 [about $3.15], in line with those for other products, but exempted orders retrieved in bookshops."
"Amazon is seizing power to interpret laws in its favor and to trample on a bill voted into law by a sovereign parliament," said an op-ed in Le Monde that was signed by the heads of the French Booksellers Association (Syndicat de la Librairie Française), the Cultural Product Distributors Association (Syndicat des Distributeurs de Loisirs Culturels), and the leading cultural products chain Fnac-Darty.
The op-ed was a reaction to Amazon's recent announcement that it would provide free book deliveries to more than 2,500 pick-up points across France in shops that "notably sell books." The pick-up points are primarily lockers in shopping malls where large supermarkets are located, the op-ed noted, adding: "Amazon is pursuing its 'strategy of predation' and 'cowboy behavior.' It is engaged in a cultural battle [and] we expect the authorities to put an immediate halt to this cultural public disorder."
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Doug Koch |
Canadian indie Munro's Books, Victoria, B.C., paid tribute to its "beloved colleague and friend," Doug Koch, who died November 23. In an Instagram post, Munro's said: "Doug was a fixture at Munro's for 35 years--manning the front desk, giving out dog biscuits, and curating many sections in the store: History, Poetry, Philosophy, and the Environment, to name a few. Always quick with a kind word and a music recommendation, Doug embodied the spirit of bookselling at Munro's, and it's hard to imagine the store without him. We're all feeling his loss greatly." --Robert Gray