Publishers ask every MS for help in crisis that could wipe out the industry in Wales
Martin Shipton
Representatives of the book publishing industry in Wales have appealed for urgent help to every Senedd Member, saying they are facing what could be a terminal financial crisis.
In a letter to all 60 MSs, Natalie Williams, who chairs Cyhoeddi Cymru/ Publishing Wales, a trade organisation established in 2022 to represent Wales-based publishers, said she wanted to draw attention to the critical situation facing the publishing industry in Wales.
Funding cuts
Director of University of Wales Press since 2017, Ms Williams stated: “The industry primarily consists of small and micro businesses who produce high quality books from Wales, across all genres for diverse readerships in both languages, and employs full and part-time staff and skilled freelancers located in every part of Wales.
“Some of us publish in both Welsh and English, while others publish in English or Welsh only, but the publishers of Wales now face the same financial cliff-edge after more than a decade when standstill funding has been outpaced by inflation and increased costs. This steady decline has deteriorated to a critical tipping-point following a 10% cut for the 2024/25 financial year. The grant funding is provided by the Welsh Government via the Books Council of Wales.
“The funding cuts since 2013/14 are provided below, but when the impact of inflation is taken into account the value of the grants has reduced by 40%. Moreover, when compared to the publishing grants at the start of the austerity agenda in 2010/11, the grants have almost halved.
“Cyhoeddi Cymru is currently completing a survey of the Welsh publishing industry which we look forward to publishing shortly. This will provide Senedd Members with an overview of the size and relative strength of publishing in Wales, and will enable us to identify how we can further develop and grow.
“In the meantime, many of Wales’ book publishers are already deciding, as a result of the very sharp rise in the costs of raw materials and increased overheads, within the context of an intensely competitive, low margin industry, to cut both their staffing complement and book output. Further job losses will inevitably follow even on standstill funding at the new levels. Were there to be a further funding cut, publishers already operating on a shoestring will be facing an existential threat.”
Support
Ms Williams went on to state that the Welsh Government was currently providing financial support for a Welsh stand at the London and Frankfurt Book Fairs, with some support to individual children’s publishers to attend at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair.
She added: “These are the three major international trade fairs for Welsh publishers, who consistently strive to export books via distribution and rights deals across Europe, North America, Australasia, India, and elsewhere. Support for these trade fairs is hugely appreciated, but the effectiveness of this support is deeply undermined by cutbacks to the industry’s core business model.
“Publishers have worked incredibly hard in challenging circumstances to establish a strong international reputation for Welsh books in both languages. This is now being jeopardised by decades of government cuts and standstill budgets.
“Many publishers fear they may now have to cease trading. Not only would that be a personal disaster for the individuals involved, along with their employees and families, but it would also leave many Welsh-based writers, editors and illustrators with no home-grown publishing industry to work with. In addition, the ancillary industries who rely on Welsh publishers, such as printers, typesetters, designers, distributors and a host of freelancers would be forced to look beyond Wales to earn a living.
“In order to avert the collapse of the Welsh publishing industry, Cyhoeddi Cymru / Publishing Wales urges Senedd Members to support our requests that:
* No further budget cuts are implemented from 2025/26 onwards;
* Publishing grants should be restored to their 2010/11 levels, to include the impact of inflation; and
* A meaningful partnership is forged between the Senedd, Welsh Government and the publishing industry in Wales.
Perilous
Ms Williams stated: “The position is now perilous. The fate of one of Wales’ oldest industries rests with you and we respectfully ask you to help prevent this catastrophic collapse by investing in one of our true national treasures.”
The letter is also signed by the rest of the Cyhoeddi Cymru/ Publishing Wales’ board.
On October 17 Helgard Krause, chief executive of the Books Council of Wales, told a Senedd Culture Committee inquiry: “We’re at risk of losing publishers completely.”
She called for a 10-year strategic intervention to make Wales a reading nation and urged the Welsh Government to adopt international examples of best practices.
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Whilst I sympathise with the need to keep the Welsh language alive, I’m not sure to what level the tax payer should be supporting private businesses that market forces would naturally select out. There seems to be about 25 publishers involved here: maybe that’s just too many.
Agree totally. Reading is a dying habit even though it is the key to a good education.
Agree. I worked in the printing industry many years ago and we just had to move with the times and new technology.
Annwyl Ms.Williams. This particular equine bolted some time ago. Since when has any representation or petition to government from the ‘cultural sector’ had any success or impact? I cite the example of the recent demise of Planet and other cultural periodicals. Publishing is a ‘business’ and shouldn’t rely on ‘grants’ to operate or survive. I don’t and won’t. That said, there are ways in which government financial support can be deployed to support book culture and paying for stands at Frankfurt/London is probably a good one. Clearly a thriving book culture is vital for national identity, literacy, education, legacy and… Read more »
I am a user of libraries as well as a buyer of books. My reading ranges from history, current affairs and other subjects considered “dry” among certain segments of our society to pulp fiction at the other end of the spectrum. Like most commodities books are there to meet a perceived interest or need. If a book is written to satisfy a personal urge, to scratch an itch, then the writer and his/her publisher need to take into account whether the thing will sell by the skip full or gather dust on a discounted shelf. The latter is often the… Read more »
Library decade ago at uni, never been a Library fan anyway.
Physical book- last few months but that is warhammer codexes so came from a hobby store.
Proper book shop maybe last year for kids books.
However, there is nothing stopping book shops selling online or evolving. Gaming shops seem to be surviving (depsite online sellers and video games) because they all sell online and host events, some even have cateens. I think some bookshops and publishers will survive but welcome to the free market
I served my time as a printer/compositor and worked for several years with a local newspaper. From the late 70s onwards the industry suffered from new technology and we had to move with the times. I was made redundant three times but no one supported us. Newspapers were quick to report on mass redundancies in other trades but said absolutely nothing about what was happening within their own industry. They kept quiet about that! We had to take jobs in other industry. Publishers need to consider other options too and accept the fact that their industry is dying out. Asking… Read more »
I do wish that people who disagree with someone’s view left a reply as to why they give a thumbs down. Anyone with a backbone would do so.
They would need a brain to sit atop that spine…
Good observation MM although some of the stuff scribbled on here suggests the brains of some commenters are located at other end of said spines !
The responses here amount to “I’m suportive of the Welsh language/culture but the right thing to do is to let capitalism chew it up and spit it out”.
Spare me.
As far as I can see the responders have explained their positions quite clearly, and not one of them has said what you claim they have.
Try specsavers.
They simply said that taxpayer’s money is desperately needed across Wales public services, and bearing that in mind, is supporting the Welsh book industry whilst the Welsh NHS continues to disintegrate really the best use of taxpayer money? Welsh books would still get published, it wouldn’t destroy the entire industry, but it would force it to become far more efficient, just as many industries go through exactly the same issues.
You really struggle with cogent arguments don’t you? Maybe anger management classes would help.
Try explaining to hospital patients why they have to wait years for cancer treatment, whilst multiple book publishers enjoy taxpayer handouts and should continue to receive them.
Presumably most cancer patients are intelligent enough to work out that the delays in treatment have absolutely no relationship to the amounts of grant received by the struggling publishing industry in Cymru, and that the delays in their treatment is down to decisions made by politicians who have decided that the NHS should be underfunded.
Hopefully most cancer patients will be a lot fiscally literate than you, It’s not complicated: every £1000 that goes to a publisher is a £1000 that doesn’t go anywhere else.
I had no idea the Welsh government funded the Welsh book industry. With funding for everything in Wales declining, like the NHS, schools, universities, local government, etc, I don’t think an argument can be made to support an entire industry that is operating in the free market. If book publishers cannot afford to exist without significant taxpayer support, why should they be helped, when businesses in the private sector live & die by supply & demand, and I’d hazard a guess there are simply too many book publishers for the Welsh economy to support. It’s a tough world out there!
Firstly there is no such thing as a free market. Also, according to your argument, why should the NHS, schools, universities and even local government receive state funding when it all could be achieved using private business?
The amounts of money involved are miniscule but make a huge difference.
Welcome to the real world publishers. The majority of us have to stand on our own two feet without the aid of taxpayers’ hard earned cash. What’s so special about you?