In its first notable move since announcing a restructuring and the departure of its managing directors, the Dutch market leader PCM General Books—new name for Meulenhoff—has acquired one of the Netherlands' most admired small imprints, Vassallucci, intendingto upgrade it into a "medium-large" publishing house. Vassallucci will stay in its present offices under the guidance of its successful editorial team of Oscar van Gelderen and Lex Spaans, keeping its present profile as a publisher of upscale literary authors.
PCM General Books—part of the PCM newspaper group—is the new holding company for eight Dutch publishers and an Internet bookseller whose imprints include J.M. Meulenhoff, A.W. Bruna, De Boekerij, Prometheus/Bert Bakker and Het Spectrum, which together hold 33% of the country's trade book sales. The group has a new CEO, Mai Spijkers, formerly publisher at Prometheus/Bert Bakker. The reorganization led to the departure not only of veteran publisher Laurens van Krevelen (News, Jan. 8) but of J.M. Meulenhoff and Arena CEO and publisher Chantal d'Aulnis; until a replacement is found for her, Spijkers will serve as interim director of that trade house.
