The ascent of Mann

In her moving speech at the Publishers Association annual general meeting, incoming president – and the chief executive officer of Bonnier Books – Perminder Mann talks of her personal journey to the top. “I was raised in the warmth of a tight-knit Indian community, one of eight siblings. Imagine the chaos, the laughter, the endless conversations…”

It was the library that provided a conduit into books: “A short walk away, the local library became a portal to other worlds.” It is, in some ways, a familiar tale. We all come to books differently, but there is always a moment when they take hold of us and refuse to let go. For a sector that is now so often focused on the business of books, it is notable how often libraries play the key role, and it is not surprising that Mann’s message to the government, made during her talk, is to ensure that every child has the chance to enjoy a similar epiphany through access to books—both by investing in education, but also stopping the cuts to our library services.

“I call on politicians to back our libraries. We should have one in every school. We should have one in every town. We must reverse budget cuts that have paralysed public libraries across the nation.” In calling for a focus on libraries in schools, Mann acknowledges the National Literacy Trust and Penguin Books for their Libraries for Primaries campaign, where the ambition is to ensure every primary school in the UK has a library or dedicated reading space by 2028. In fact, she goes a step further.

We all come to books differently, but there is always a moment when they take hold of us and refuse to let go

In a year when there is likely to be general election, she wants to hold politicians to account, too. Rightly so.

She also addresses her own industry. On diversity and inclusivity, she says: “We are already opening our doors, but we can open them a little wider… publishing is for everyone.” Mann is the first person of colour to hold this role at the Publishers Association, coincidentally stepping up at the same moment as Fleur Sinclair takes on the equivalent role at the Booksellers Association. Representation is important, as Sinclair told The Bookseller last week: “I’d like to think that just by taking on this position and being visible in this role, it shows other ethnic minorities that this is a viable career and a viable job.”

The book business is a quiet one, more focused on telling the stories of authors than its own. But the downside is that it allows others to set the agenda, and often in negative terms. Numbers released by the PA this week show total revenue for UK publishing was £7.1bn, a 3% increase from 2022 and the highest level ever for the industry, with growth in fiction, non-fiction and print, as well as strong rises in digital, audio and export sales. At The British Book Awards next week, we will once again showcase that this is a sector that is both successful and progressive—one prepared to own its joy, as much as it does the work it has still to do. 

Mann is a good example of this. What she has to say is significant. That she is on the highest stage saying it, is important. The personal is political. But it is not job done—it is job begun.