Book trade responds to Queen's death with major publishers delaying announcements

The book trade is continuing to respond to the Queen’s death with major publishers delaying announcements and events postponed. 

The announcement that the Queen’s state funeral will take place on Monday 19th September, and will be a bank holiday, could also disrupt the BA conference, which begins on 18th September. Waterstones m.d. James Daunt was set to deliver the keynote speech on the 19th. It is not yet known whether the funeral and mourning period could affect wholesaler Gardners’ trade show on Sunday 18th September.  

A number of planned events have already been cancelled, including the Polari Prize shortlist showcase, originally due to take place on 15th September at the British Library. Vintage has its showcase scheduled for 19th, but confirmation is awaited on whether it will go ahead. 

A spokesperson for Pan Macmillan told The Bookseller the publisher is "holding on major new announcements for a period out of respect and monitoring media to judge sentiment, making sure that any communication we do is appropriate, and reviewing the events landscape with our partners to assess the viability of events.” 

Bonnier Books UK said it had not changed any publication dates but would be “pausing any proactive campaigns related to royal titles during the mourning period". 

Publishers were also making plans for staff ahead of the announcement of the funeral bank holiday, with a Hachette staffer telling The Bookseller last week: "Hachette has told us that if there is no national bank holiday on a weekday, then as a business we will be giving Friday 16th as a holiday to mark this event and that they will update as things become clearer." It is unclear as yet whether bookshops will close for the bank holiday.

A number of books about the Queen are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.  

Pitkin, an imprint of B T Batsford, was first out of the blocks, announcing Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 1926–2022: A Celebration of Her Life and Reign by royal biographer and broadcaster Brian Hoey, which will publish on 6th October.