KA Cartlidge

News from the worlds of writing, publishing, and related technology.

Publishing Perspectives: Grasset leadership change sparks author exodus threat in France

Publishing Perspectives lays out how Olivier Nora's removal as head of Éditions Grasset landed in public view during the Festival du Livre de Paris, quickly escalating into a reputational crisis for the house. The reporting connects corporate ownership questions to a letter - circulated widely - where a large group of Grasset authors say they'll leave, arguing they won't be treated as bargaining chips in a wider culture war.

The piece also sketches the structural backdrop: consolidation, executive change, and intense debate about what "editorial independence" means when a publisher is part of a global group. Whether you read it as politics or as workplace governance, the trade takeaway is blunt: when leadership and author trust fracture, rights teams, agents, and translators suddenly get a lot busier.

(Shortened and summarised to avoid devaluing the source)
Publishing Perspectives