What is going on in the world of international publishing? Let’s see, the European Union is having a crack at changing copyright. Amazon is in trouble over taxes. Hong Kong booksellers are being abducted. Australian exclusivity agreements are being challenged. And scholarly communication networks are impacting scientific publishing. As my grandmother would have said, ay ay ay.
With many American publishers planning to attend the London Book Fair, I absolutely recommend that they come early to participate in the 31st International Publishers Congress, hosted by the U.K. Publishers Association, the London Book Fair, and the International Publishers Association (of which I am president). There is a spectacular four-day program, and a stellar roster of speakers and participants from around the world, including Africa, China and other Asian countries, Australia, the Indian subcontinent, Latin America, the Middle East, and, of course, Europe.
The congress opens Saturday, April 9, with a cocktail party at London’s wonderful new Foyles bookshop on Charing Cross Road, sponsored by the Booksellers Association. Then, all day on Sunday, April 10, at the Olympia, there will be presentations and discussions about the key issues of our industry, including a talk by Charlie Hebdo’s lawyer; keynotes by Hachette CEO Arnaud Nourry and author Philip Pullman; an interview with Alaa Al Aswany, who is under threat in Egypt for his views; a talk by probably the most influential person in the world of copyright protection, Francis Gurry, director general of WIPO (the World Intellectual Property Organization); and sessions on a range of topics, from big vs. small publishing to fair use and more. And there is, of course, a grand dinner in an unusual London location to keep you guessing.
On Monday, April 11, delegates have access to the London Book Fair’s Quantum conference. And on Tuesday, April 12, delegates have a choice of attending the What Works conference on educational publishing, the Research and Scholarly Publishers Forum, or day one of the London Book Fair itself (all included in the delegate price).
As American publishers continue to increase their efforts in the global publishing market, it has become ever more important for them to join their colleagues in order to better understand what is actually going on. In that regard, this IPA Congress is a unique opportunity. I hope to see you there.
Richard Charkin is an executive director at Bloomsbury and is president of the International Publishers Association.
