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| Freight authors aghast as former publisher sets up new imprint | Freight authors aghast as former publisher sets up new imprint |
| (about 23 hours later) | |
| Former director launches new press as company goes into formal liquidation with writers reporting royalties still unpaid | |
| Alison Flood | |
| Wed 6 Dec 2017 14.18 GMT | |
| Last modified on Thu 7 Dec 2017 15.30 GMT | |
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| Authors left in limbo after the collapse of a troubled Scottish publisher have reacted with dismay to the latest venture by its former director: a new publishing imprint. | Authors left in limbo after the collapse of a troubled Scottish publisher have reacted with dismay to the latest venture by its former director: a new publishing imprint. |
| The day after Freight Books, a home for more than 80 authors which was named Scottish publisher of the year in 2015, formally went into liquidation, the first title from Adrian Searle’s Wild Harbour Books launched in Glasgow. Searle left the company in April, citing “irreconcilable differences over strategic direction” with business partner Davinder Samrai. | The day after Freight Books, a home for more than 80 authors which was named Scottish publisher of the year in 2015, formally went into liquidation, the first title from Adrian Searle’s Wild Harbour Books launched in Glasgow. Searle left the company in April, citing “irreconcilable differences over strategic direction” with business partner Davinder Samrai. |
| Freight author Ever Dundas, whose Saltire award-winning debut novel, Goblin, has been picked up by Saraband, said: “It’s particularly distasteful that he’s launching a new book at the same time Freight Books is going into liquidation, especially when authors have had to get by the past few months without the backing of a publisher.” | Freight author Ever Dundas, whose Saltire award-winning debut novel, Goblin, has been picked up by Saraband, said: “It’s particularly distasteful that he’s launching a new book at the same time Freight Books is going into liquidation, especially when authors have had to get by the past few months without the backing of a publisher.” |
| A meeting of Freight’s creditors has been called for 20 December, with writers – some of whom are allegedly owed four-figure sums in royalties – expected to be among them. As unsecured creditors, the authors are due to be paid fifth in line. Speaking anonymously, one writer said: “We’re all now facing our books going out of print and being pulped if we can’t afford to buy back stock.” | A meeting of Freight’s creditors has been called for 20 December, with writers – some of whom are allegedly owed four-figure sums in royalties – expected to be among them. As unsecured creditors, the authors are due to be paid fifth in line. Speaking anonymously, one writer said: “We’re all now facing our books going out of print and being pulped if we can’t afford to buy back stock.” |
| Kirstin Innes, whose debut novel, Fishnet, won the Guardian’s Not the Booker Prize in 2015, said: “I’m currently scraping together money I haven’t got – as it doesn’t look as if any of us are going to receive the royalties we’re owed for the last financial year – to buy the last 50 existing copies for distribution before they’re pulped in 10 days time. It’s a brutal end for all of us. There’s a lot of understandable anger and confusion.” | Kirstin Innes, whose debut novel, Fishnet, won the Guardian’s Not the Booker Prize in 2015, said: “I’m currently scraping together money I haven’t got – as it doesn’t look as if any of us are going to receive the royalties we’re owed for the last financial year – to buy the last 50 existing copies for distribution before they’re pulped in 10 days time. It’s a brutal end for all of us. There’s a lot of understandable anger and confusion.” |
| Merryn Glover, whose debut, A House Called Askival, was released by Freight Books in 2014, claimed that dozens of the publisher’s writers had lost at least a year’s worth of royalties, “sometimes up to thousands of pounds”. “Others have had the all-important year of their debut launch ruined,” she said. “It has been a nightmare.” | Merryn Glover, whose debut, A House Called Askival, was released by Freight Books in 2014, claimed that dozens of the publisher’s writers had lost at least a year’s worth of royalties, “sometimes up to thousands of pounds”. “Others have had the all-important year of their debut launch ruined,” she said. “It has been a nightmare.” |
| Freight Books was founded in 2011 as an imprint of Freight Design. The first rumblings of trouble emerged in April, when Searle left. By September, agents were complaining that their writers had not been paid for months, and later that month Freight Books was taken to court by a printing company over unpaid work, according to the Bookseller. WRI Associates was appointed as provisional liquidator in October, and managing director Ian Wright confirmed that a winding-up order was granted on 29 November. | Freight Books was founded in 2011 as an imprint of Freight Design. The first rumblings of trouble emerged in April, when Searle left. By September, agents were complaining that their writers had not been paid for months, and later that month Freight Books was taken to court by a printing company over unpaid work, according to the Bookseller. WRI Associates was appointed as provisional liquidator in October, and managing director Ian Wright confirmed that a winding-up order was granted on 29 November. |
| The former business partners each lay the blame for the imprint’s demise at the other’s door. Searle claimed that when he left Freight Books, its finances were sound. Samrai told the Guardian he was unable to comment in detail due to legal action against Searle. “It has been established that Freight Books got into financial difficulties, long before Adrian’s abrupt exit,” he said, “a part of the business with which I had no operational or decision-making involvement.” | The former business partners each lay the blame for the imprint’s demise at the other’s door. Searle claimed that when he left Freight Books, its finances were sound. Samrai told the Guardian he was unable to comment in detail due to legal action against Searle. “It has been established that Freight Books got into financial difficulties, long before Adrian’s abrupt exit,” he said, “a part of the business with which I had no operational or decision-making involvement.” |
| Searle acknowledged his new venture had upset his former authors. “I understand the strong emotions considering what has happened,” he said. “The demise of Freight Books has been a personal tragedy. Considering the facts of my departure, I don’t think this precludes me from involvement in the publishing industry.” | Searle acknowledged his new venture had upset his former authors. “I understand the strong emotions considering what has happened,” he said. “The demise of Freight Books has been a personal tragedy. Considering the facts of my departure, I don’t think this precludes me from involvement in the publishing industry.” |
| Marion Sinclair, chief executive of Publishing Scotland, said of Freight’s demise: “It was a good list and it helped launch the careers of many authors, so this is a blow and a loss to the publishing scene in Scotland – as well as being a depressing situation for the authors to be in.” | Marion Sinclair, chief executive of Publishing Scotland, said of Freight’s demise: “It was a good list and it helped launch the careers of many authors, so this is a blow and a loss to the publishing scene in Scotland – as well as being a depressing situation for the authors to be in.” |
| This article was amended on 7 December 2017, to clarify the relationship between Freight Books and Freight Design. | This article was amended on 7 December 2017, to clarify the relationship between Freight Books and Freight Design. |
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