EU referendum: trade reacts

Trade figures including literary agents and authors reacted overnight as news came in that Britain had voted in favour of leaving the European Union. J K Rowling was among the authors reacting on Twitter. In response to a now deleted tweet she said: "I don't think I've ever wanted magic more." She continued tweeting reaction throughout the early hours of the morning.

Goodbye, UK. t.co/HMRA0AnlWR

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 24, 2016

She also said Scotland would now be seeking independence again.

Scotland will seek independence now. Cameron's legacy will be breaking up two unions. Neither needed to happen. t.co/4MDj7pndcq

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) 24 June 2016

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Malorie Blackman woke up the "bad, sad" news.

Just woke up to the bad, sad news. The days of a 'United' Kingdom are now numbered.

— Malorie Blackman (@malorieblackman) 24 June 2016

Feel so desperately sad for my daughter and her generation who will have to live with full impact of this result. Sorry, love.

— Malorie Blackman (@malorieblackman) 24 June 2016

Robert Harris said he felt like he was living in a book.

Watching PM resign, Governor of Bank of England appealing for calm... Feel as if I'm living in a bad dystopian political thriller

— Robert Harris (@Robert___Harris) 24 June 2016

Literary agent Jonny Geller shared a similar outlook.

Don't need to read dystopian novels anymore.#EUref

— Jonny Geller (@JonnyGeller) 24 June 2016

Philip Pullman said the result was akin to shooting a foot off to cure a headache.

We had a headache, so we shot our foot off. Now we can't walk, and we still have the headache.

— Philip Pullman (@PhilipPullman) 24 June 2016

In a series of tweets Nikesh Shukla expressed fear at the consequences of the result and warned America not to be glib about its forthcoming presidential election.

What have we done?

— Nikesh Shukla (@nikeshshukla) 24 June 2016

America: heed this warning. There are more demons in your midst than your social media echo chamber would have you believe. Vote goddamnit.

— Nikesh Shukla (@nikeshshukla) 24 June 2016

I don't want to sound scaremongery but I feel like I'm going to feel unsafe walking around today.

— Nikesh Shukla (@nikeshshukla) 24 June 2016

Matt Haig characterised the result as a victory for hate.

Hate 1, Love 0.

— Matt Haig (@matthaig1) 24 June 2016

Oh this is so sad, isn't it? We're now in a smaller, sadder, more divided, poorer, closed off, unpopular, less safe, less kind little land.

— Matt Haig (@matthaig1) 24 June 2016

Michael Rosen attempted to joke about the result.

I will be supplying special Puke Spittoons for the UK population to use for each time a politician says, 'The British people have spoken'.

— Michael Rosen (@MichaelRosenYes) June 23, 2016

Canongate c.e.o. Jamie Byng said he was "reeling" after hearing the result.

The only sensible thing is to move forward as positively & constructively as we can. And learn from this disaster pic.twitter.com/wSqzKDyvDH

— Jamie Byng (@baddabyng) 24 June 2016

Pan Macmillan's creative director Geoff Duffield, referring to the Leave campaign's claim that £350m would be available for the NHS if Britain left the EU, said:

So Nigel Farage, when is the NHS getting all that extra cash? And how much?

— geoff duffield (@geoffduffield) 24 June 2016

London voted to stay in the EU, and was praised by Hodder & Stoughton's editorial director Briony Gowlett.

I ❤️ you people of London. Today and every day. For your open-mindedness, your smarts and refusal to take any shit.

— Briony Gowlett (@Gowlettronic) 24 June 2016

Older people were more in favour of leaving the EU than remaining, a point writer Sathnam Sanghera addressed.

Britain's over 50s have taken all the pensions, all the housing and now all the hope of our nation's young.

— Sathnam S-IN-gh (@Sathnam) 24 June 2016

Andrew Holgate, literary editor of the Sunday Times, expressed concerns about a "class war".

One of umpteen dangers now unfolding is the prospect of another class war erupting, but on very different ground than before

— Andrew Holgate (@aholgate) 24 June 2016