Image: BookSource
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
See also:
Edinburgh International Book Festival 2025: Ticket Sales Up 11 Percent
Publishing Scotland Names Sheila Pinder as Its New CEO
Marking a Three-Decade Anniversary
It may not be widely known today, but Publishing Scotland once was known as the Scottish Publishers Association. Today, it operates as a 51-year-old charity and membership organization, the “network, trade, and development body” for the book publishing industry in Scotland. You may be best familiar with it for its ongoing translation grants programs.
In 1995, the Albany Book Company was going into receivership. It had been the distributor for some eight publisher-members of Publishing Scotland—which established the Glasgow-based BookSource to fill the gap being opened by the loss of Albany Book Company.
‘What We Do at BookSource’
During the recent run of this month’s Edinburgh International Book Festival—which concluded on Sunday (August 24)—Publishing Scotland cheered the distribution operation’s three decades as an independent company that handles distribution needs reportedly for more than 170 publishers. On this page, the company lists areas of service it offers to publishers, including warehouse and stock management, trade order fulfillment, servicing Amazon’s orders, Web site work, financial operations, international trade, and more.
Davinder Bedi
Publishing Scotland holds 90 percent of BookSource, and in recognizing its achievement in 30 years of work, its managing director, Davinder Bedi, is quoted, saying, “Helping publishers do business is what we do at BookSource.
“This was our mission when we were founded 30 years ago, and it remains our mission today.
“Thank you, 351 publishers, for supporting us over the last 30 years, and for just doing what you do. You are, indeed, the lifeblood of our industry.”
During programming at Edinburgh, Marion Sinclair was given a send-off, as the outgoing CEO of Publishing Scotland, having been in that role since 2008.
Marion Sinclair
“It’s been a real privilege to have served in the industry and book publishing sector over the years of Publishing Scotland,” Sinclair said.
“It’s given me the opportunity to work with so many inspirational people over the years and companies who have contributed to the success of Scottish publishing and writing with a sense of cultural mission, community, and heart.
“I’ll miss the camaraderie and the daily interactions with all of you and I can’t wait to see what you do next.”
As Publishing Perspectives reported on July 7, Sinclair’s successor is Sheila Pinder.
At Frankfurter Buchmesse (October 15 to 19), Publishing Scotland will be in Hall 6.0, Stand E87.
More from Publishing Perspectives on Scotland is here, more on the work of Publishing Scotland is here, more on international translation and publication rights is here, more from us on translation is here, and more on Frankfurter Buchmesse is here.
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