Waterstones says it can't pay living wage, as 1,300 authors support staff appeal

Managing director says book chain ‘simply not profitable enough’, as Sally Rooney, Val McDermid and other authors write to protestMore than 1,300 writers including Kerry Hudson, David Nicholls, Sally Rooney, Michael Rosen and Val McDermid have backed a campaign for Waterstones booksellers to be paid the living wage.The support follows a petition from staff at Waterstones, signed by more than 6,000 people, which calls on the book chain’s managing director, James Daunt, to pay booksellers a starting living wage of £9 an hour, or £10.55 for the Greater London area. “Working for a rate of pay that is below the living wage results in booksellers who are stressed, preoccupied and who have little spare time and energy to devote to buying books, reading them, and keeping up with news and trends in the industry – all of which activities are undertaken outside contracted hours, and which many staff consider to be (and are encouraged to view as) integral to their role,” says the petition. Related: Balancing the books: how Waterstones came back from the dead Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2019-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors should be paid for events - BIC

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Tue, 17/05/2011 - 08:20 Authors should be paid for hosting events, the Society of Authors new general secretary has said. Nicola Solomon told delegates at the Book Industry Conference yesterday (16th May) that if authors give up a day of their free... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Corvus acquires seven from self-published author

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Tue, 17/05/2011 - 08:15 Corvus has acquired seven books from self-published author Nick Alexander, whose title The Missing Boyfriend was in the top 10 in the Kindle paid-for charts for six weeks. Senior editor Laura Palmer bought world English... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mitterrand calls for increase in booksellers' qualitative pay

Written By: Barbara Casassus Publication Date: Tue, 17/05/2011 - 08:18 French culture minister Frédéric Mitterrand yesterday (16th May) called for publishers to increase booksellers' pay for their qualitiative work and for new measures to help shore up the sector, the French trade weekly... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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High street bookshops need greater support - Streeter

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Mon, 16/05/2011 - 09:56 The economics for booksellers "simply don't work" as they struggle with high costs and low margins, the president of the Booksellers Association has claimed. Jane Streeter was delivering the introduction at the BA Conference at... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bidders given two weeks to make Waterstone's move

Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Mon, 16/05/2011 - 09:10 Bidders for Waterstone's have a reported two weeks to express a formal interest in the chain, as parent HMV Group said it was in "advanced discussions" over a sale. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HMV in 'advanced' talks over Waterstone's sale

Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Fri, 13/05/2011 - 18:25 HMV has confirmed that it is in "advanced discussions regarding a potential sale of Waterstone's". The announcement, made late on Friday, follows a day of increased speculation with reports that Russian investor Alexander... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ten make Authors' Club travel longlist

Publication Date: Fri, 13/05/2011 - 11:54 Titles on Russian history, the populace of Germany and a spiritual travelogue have been longlisted for the 2011 Authors' Club Dolman Travel Book of the Year. Molotov's Magic Lantern by Rachel Polonski (Faber), Germania by Simon Winder (Picador) and All... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Deadline looms for Waterstone's bids

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Fri, 13/05/2011 - 13:27 Waterstone’s could be bought by the same restructuring firm which took control of British Bookshops and Stationers as the bidders' deadline ends at 5pm today, The Bookseller understands. Restructuring specialist GA Europe... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers should use authors to help fight piracy

Written By: Philip Jones Publication Date: Thu, 12/05/2011 - 09:31 Publishers should not overspend in the fight against piracy, and should use their authors to present a "human face" in the battle for hearts and minds, a panel discussion at the World e-Reading Congress declared. The industry... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Waterstone's plans ebook push for post-HMV era

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Nurturer of Authors Is Closing the Book

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[ The New York Times | 2011-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Waterstone's launches second Picture This comp

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Analysts warn HMV over discounted Waterstone's

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Thu, 28/04/2011 - 08:30 Selling Waterstone's for less than £70m could force the HMV Group into a company voluntary arrangement, analysts have warned. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Trustee of Willy the Wizard makes appeal over costs

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mamut could buy Waterstone's for £35m

Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Tue, 26/04/2011 - 08:47 Russian billionaire Alexander Mamut could reportedly buy Waterstone's for £35m. The oligarch could close a deal for the British high street retailer as soon as this week, the Sunday Times reports. There are also reports... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children's laureate takes on Waterstone's branding

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Thu, 21/04/2011 - 08:20 The new children's laureate, to be announced in June, will be branded the Waterstone's children's laureate for the first time. The chain has been the major sponsor of the laureateship since 2006, and is understood to have... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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