Waterstones appoints new Welsh buyer

Waterstones has appointed a new Welsh buyer, Tessa Roberts-Fear, to oversee buying for its Welsh branches in order to "provide a better focus for Welsh publishing".

Roberts-Fear, who is based in Wales, will oversee buying for Waterstones' Welsh stores to help increase visibility in bookshops for titles from Welsh publishers.

According to the company, the role was created to “provide a better focus for Welsh publishing [and] show our commitment as a company to help raise awareness of Welsh publishing—and we are keen to find new and interesting ways of doing this”. Waterstones has branches in Cardiff, Newport, Carmarthen, Swansea, Llandudno, Wrexham, Aberystwyth, Abergavenny, as well as a number along the border with England.

Roberts-Fear told The Bookseller she intended to “develop the Welsh range and continue to create dynamic sections within stores by tailoring our offer on a shop-by-shop basis, as well as working with publishers on a local and national level to help us to deliver this.”

While Welsh publishers welcomed the appointment as a “strong sign of commitment”, one cautioned that it could lead to the “ghettoisation” of Welsh publishers. 

Gomer Press head of publishing Meirion Davies said: “It’s a strong sign of commitment, to have a dedicated purchaser who will have a greater awareness of the titles and content available. This should definitely raise the profile of Welsh writing on the high street.”

Yet Matthew Howard, publishing director of Graffeg, warned: “It will be good to get the profile, but hopefully it won’t lead to the ‘ghettoisation’ on the part of Waterstones of publishers based in Wales.”

Helgard Krause, director of Welsh Books Council, who will work closely with Roberts-Fear, said the appointment was “very encouraging”. “Tessa has a real sense of passion and her appointment means the offer of Welsh books in Waterstones stores in Wales will increase. I’m very impressed with the move and I’m grateful that Waterstones has listened to our concerns,” Krause said.