“At a decisive meeting, it was given to us to see what a gulf separated us, told André Schiffrin in The Edition without editors (The Factory, 1999) in speaking of the redemption of Pantheon Books for Random House. Alberto Vitale [the new boss] reviewed the books that we would publish, a list of which I was particularly proud of. “Who is Claude Simon ?”, he asked with contempt. (…) What was the interest of publishing books for so little draw ? Had we no shame ? “This scenario distressing worries the publishers Editis, number two in the sector (Plon, Presses de la Renaissance, 10/18, Robert Laffont, Discovery, Bordas, Le Robert…), which is the subject until 30 September exclusive offer of redemption can be extended by the Vivendi group. The two parties hope to complete this transaction by the end of the year.
The manner in which Canal+ has been subverted by Vivendi acts as a counter-example. Vincent Bolloré, then at the head of the supervisory board of Vivendi and Canal+, was required to lose its savour the skits of the Clowns, to the point that, in the absence of hearing, the satirical has been removed. Also the arrival of the boss and his son made it cringe. But fearing to be satellisés on a black list, most authors and publishers speak under anonymity.
2017 has not been a good year for Editis
The younger novelists are afraid to be thanked because they do not sell enough. A publisher, hired the time in which Vivendi already held Editis, between 2000 to 2008, said, ” fatalistic “, but introduced a social plan. It is feared that the director-general of the group, Peter Conte, who came to the Figaro, a year ago, has struggled to defend its troops in the face of the dictates of Vivendi. The former president’s history of Editis Alain Kouck, who died in July, is no longer there to play the buffer.
This redemption ” is not reassuring…
