Mann, Conway, Page and Solomon appointed to Creative Industries Council  

Chief executive of Bonnier Books UK Perminder Mann, c.e.o. of the Publishers Association Dan Conway, Stephen Page, executive chair of Faber & Faber, and Nicola Solomon, chief executive of the Society of Authors and chair of the Creators’ Rights Alliance, have been appointed to the Creative Industries Council (CIC).

The appointments came as part of a 2023 “refresh” of the council, which is a joint forum between the creative industries and government co-chaired by Lucy Frazer, the recently appointed Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Peter Bazalgette, chair of the Royal College of Art, and Francesca Hegyi, executive director of Edinburgh International Festival.

Set up to be a voice for the UK’s creative industries, the council focuses on addressing the challenges and opportunities facing the sector. It aims to help ensure progress on key growth areas including access to finance, skills, export markets, innovation, and intellectual property.

The new membership includes leading figures from across the creative and digital industries including TV, video games, fashion, music, arts, publishing and film. Other new members include Darren Henley of Arts Council England, Iain Munro of Creative Scotland and Caroline Norbury of Creative UK. The full list can be found here.

Mann said it was “an absolute honour" to join the council to represent the vibrant book industry. She described the CIC as a vital conduit between the government and creative sector.

“I look forward to collaborating with my peers to drive awareness of the value of the creative sector and, in particular, the importance of driving social equality as part of the levelling-up agenda. Building and sustaining an inclusive creative sector that resonates with people from across the UK will help us to drive growth for decades to come,” she said.

Conway said he was thrilled to join the council and “champion the hard work of publishing and other creative industries”. "It is this type of collaboration that will help the sector show progress on issues such as sustainability, skills, and inclusivity," he said. "I look forward to working with other members to grow awareness of the sector’s value and to strengthen existing ties across government to help it flourish even further."

Page added: “I’m delighted to be reappointed to the CIC and also to see such a strong presence from publishing on the council. The CIC has a particular role in working with the government to develop an environment where our creative and cultural sector can thrive and continue to grow rapidly and where the book trade can sit together in common purpose with film, games, television and the other creative industries. It’s important and valuable work and I am very pleased to continue to be part of it.”

Solomon, who is on the CIC in her capacity as chair of the Creators’ Rights Alliance, told The Bookseller: "We are thrilled that the CIC has taken on an organisation that speaks solely for creators and their interests, not just for industry. We are excited about the sector vision and are keen to work with our colleagues across government and industry to make the needs of creators (often freelancers and SMEs) heard, including protection of their rights, a better tax regime, creative education and empowerment and protection of IP, as well as lifelong access to skills and business training. We look forward to working together to create the conditions for a diverse sustainable and economically thriving creative industry."