Indie booksellers split on stocking David Cameron memoir

Independent booksellers are deliberating over how to deal with David Cameron's upcoming memoir, with some not stocking the book, and others only ordering a very small number ahead of publication day. Chains such as W H Smith, Waterstones and Blackwell’s are stocking the hardback, as well as signed editions for £25.  Based on pre-orders alone, the book For the Record is currently placed by Amazon as its number one UK politics title, with a bestsellers rank of 604.

HarperCollins division William Collins will publish the former prime minister’s autobiography For the Record on Thursday 19th September. A major publicity campaign has been planned to coincide with the launch, including a BBC documentary and an interview with John Humphrys - his final as host of the "Today" show. 

For the Record is due to feature the Arab Spring; the rise of ISIS, the invasion of Ukraine, the conflicts in Libya, Iraq and Syria, the Olympic Games in 2012, the Scottish referendum and EU referendum. William Collins said the book will provide, for the first time, Cameron’s perspective on the EU referendum and his views on the future of Britain’s place in the world in the light of Brexit.

The book has sparked debate with some indies saying it is not a bookshop's place to be political or to censor their customer's reading habits while others said they will not be stocking the memoir as they do not believe there is a huge market for the book. Others have raised concerned over the timing, with Brexit undecided and parliament currently suspended for five weeks.

Emma Corfield-Walters from Book-ish in Crickhowell told The Bookseller she will not have the book on her shelves. “If someone comes in and orders it, it’s a customer order, but I’m not having it on my shelf. He’s the architect of all this uncertainty,” she said. “We don’t tend to sell a lot of the big celebrity biographies and I don’t need it. Our constituency has gone from Conservative to Lib Dem as well. If people want it then fine.”

Others such as Mr B’s Emporium in Bath and Dulwich Books in London have ordered a small number of copies upfront. Cathy Slater of Dulwich Books said the shop “will not take a political stance” but acknowledged many customers are more left-leaning. 

Bookbugs and Dragon Tales in Norwich, which only sells a small selection of books for adults, said they would not stock Cameron’s book in the same way that they wouldn’t stock a Donald Trump book. Owner Leanne Fridd said: “We’re not boycotting it but we’ve not ordered any copies. If people want it, then we will order it in.”

Ron Johns, owner of a chain of Cornish bookshops, said bookshops should not be political. He said: “We will stock it, why not. We shouldn’t be censoring books. A shopkeeper’s job is not to censor. Up to a point we will sell Mein Kampf if someone wants it. We won’t sell books on drugs or black magic, but politics is fair game.”

William Collins originally bought the autobiography in a deal reportedly worth £800,000, negotiated with the late literary agent Ed Victor in 2016. The book will draw on over 50 hours-worth of audio tapes recorded with Times columnist Daniel Finkelstein. Publication had been slated for 2018 but was pushed back.

HarperCollins declined to comment further.