Published: 19 Apr 2023
Photo: top row from left to right: Chris Herschdorfer; Véronique Haïtse; Susanne van Leeuwen; Daniella Wexler; bottom row from left to right: Katalin Vas; Joey McGarvey; Johannes Engelke; Julia Eisele; Siren Marøy Myklebust
To coincide with this year’s London Book Fair, Publishing Scotland has announced its new International Publishing Fellows for 2023.
Marion Sinclair, CEO of Publishing Scotland, revealed the 9 publishers who have been chosen for the 7th International Fellowship which marks 63 publishers who have visited the country to meet Scottish publishers and experience the culture and landscape:
The group will spend a week in Scotland at the end of August meeting Scotland-based publishers, agents and writers in a varied programme of events across the country including the Edinburgh International Book Festival, dinner at Robert Louis Stevenson’s former home, a writer showcase in Glasgow, and a trip to the Highlands to meet publishers and writers there.
The purpose of the visit is to help develop relationships between the international publishing community and the Scottish sector, facilitate rights selling and bring Scottish books to an international audience. Previous fellows have acted as advocates for the Scottish publishing scene and the Publishing Scotland drinks receptions at the Frankfurt and London Book Fairs is now a hive of international activity as Fellows reconnect with the publishers.
Scotland-based literary agent Jenny Brown of Jenny Brown Associates, who has been involved with the Fellowship since it was established in 2014, said: “The Fellowship has become a highlight in the publishing calendar: it has boosted Scotland’s international profile, enabling us to meet publishers and giving us a deeper understanding of their markets. They in turn encounter the vibrant and diverse literary scene of Scotland. And as a result of building those relationships, agents and publishers have sold significantly more rights, increasing the reach of writing from Scotland internationally.”
Marion Sinclair, Chief Executive of Publishing Scotland, said: “We are hugely privileged to have this Fellowship Programme as a means of attracting people to come and experience the industry here. Thanks to our funders, following what will be the seventh iteration of the Fellowship, we will have invited 63 senior international publishers to Scotland and given our publishers, agents, and writers the chance to get to know them in a more relaxed setting. It’s all part of a wider internationalisation strand within our work and is paying dividends in terms of rights deals made, and in the very important relationships that have been forged between the Fellows and the sector.”
The programme from the network, trade and development body for the book publishing sector in Scotland is supported by funding from Creative Scotland.
Alan Bett, Head of Literature and Publishing, Creative Scotland, said: “International exchange is vital for new ideas, connections, and business between nations to flourish. These fellowships create a unique opportunity for Scottish writers and publishers to platform their work internationally and readers from across the globe to connect with and enjoy Scottish literature through international publishing rights sales and translation into a host of languages, further extending our shared creative voice. We look forward to welcoming the 2023 Fellows to Scotland’s thriving literature scene.”
Publishing Scotland is the network for trade, training and development. We're a membership body and a charity. The International Fellowship Programme is part of our internationalisation work, along with the Translation Fund, rights catalogues Scottish Books International, and Bookfair representation, which are all designed to make doing business overseas easier and more cost-effective for publishers.
Visit the website: www.publishingscotland.org
Follow on Twitter: @publishscotland
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland and join in at www.ourcreativevoice.scot
For more info, please contact Publishing Scotland – enquiries@publishingscotland.org
