Women on the rise in 10th annual Bookseller 100

If there is an overarching trend in the 10th annual The Bookseller 100—our list of the most influential people in the book trade—it is that 2018 is the year of the woman. There are 48 women on this year’s century, an uplift of 15% on 2017, and by far the most we have ever had on the list.

Before you roll your eyes too far back in your head or send that furious tweet, we’re not patting ourselves on the back here for being gender justice warriors. First, there is no quota system in play; we judge on merit, try to reflect the reality on the ground and let the chips (and gender ratio) fall where they may. Secondly, there are still a majority of men—just 46% of the list are women, as there are not 100 people but 104, owing to three double entries and our Bookseller 101st—in an industry with a workforce that is around 70% women. Still, the 100’s shifting gender balance is cheering in a year where diversity has been of huge concern and the gender pay gap of the industry’s top companies has been laid so starkly bare. Again, the selections are merit-based and it would be pleasing to think the growing number of women is down to thoughtful hiring and human resources practices over the past 10 years.

The list has certainly come a long way, as there were just 28 women in that first 100 list back in 2009. It is perhaps telling that we have 15 “Evergreens”—entries who have been on every 100 since the beginning—and only one of them is a woman. Congratulations, Four Culture c.e.o. Dotti Irving, for your staying power.

Those well thought-out hiring practices and HR measures have not yet greatly improved the racial and ethnic diversity in the industry’s top jobs. Seven (6.7%) of our list hail from a black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) background, a slight rise on 2017, but still well short of the UK’s population as a whole, of which about 13% are BAME.

Young at heart

There is plenty of new blood, with 18 new entries, some of whom are relative newcomers to the trade, while others are experienced hands who are doing some of their best work in the latter stages of their careers.

The youngest entry is undoubtedly Waterstones children’s buyer Florentyna Martin. She only joined Waterstones in 2010 (as a bookseller at the Petersfield branch), yet there is a serious case to be made that in eight short years she has become the most influential tastemaker in the children’s game. Conversely, Jon Croft has had a glittering cookery publishing career stretching back 40 years (though he is tremendously well-preserved). Yet his Bloomsbury imprint Absolute Press is in its prime, producing the non-fiction star of the year in Tom Kerridge.

There are eight authors and illustrators, a record, but several of those are noted for the good they have done for the wider trade as well as their books, particularly the sainted Jojo Moyes for saving Quick Reads. Hachette just beats rival Penguin Random House with seven entries to six, the former aided by new entrants Oliver Rhodes and Sharmaine Lovegrove. Pan Macmillan has four entries and HarperCollins five, including HC c.e.o. Charlie Redmayne who is named 2018’s Bookseller 101st, the de facto person of the year, for his group’s roistering Eleanor Oliphant-infused year.

See this year's full Bookseller 100 list here.