ACE support for 'new talent in literature'

01.07.14 | Benedicte Page - The Bookseller

Independent publishers And Other Stories and Penned in the Margins have been included for the first time on Arts Council England's newly announced list of National Portfolio-funded organisations for 2015-18. Funding has also been increased for Comma Press, publisher of Hassan Blasim, winner of the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize.

However many organisations have received minor cuts to their funding of 1%-2%, while the Arvon Foundation has taken a cut to its funding of 10% in real terms.

A total of 670 organisations across the arts succeeded in obtaining the three-year funding. Forty-six arts organisations have joined the National Portfolio, against 58 leavers. An Arts Council spokesperson declined to give details of any books organisations leaving NPO funding.

The organisation said: "At a time when the publishing industry is dominated by a few multinationals, our support for new talent in literature is crucial. Our literature portfolio will help ensure a national network for poetry, champion emerging writers and translators and give more readers and writers the chance to meet and connect through festivals and digital projects.

"Our portfolio continues with its increasingly important work to champion wide reading and creative writing for children and young people. The portfolio includes two publishers, And Other Stories and Penned in the Margins, both of which have innovative business models, and there is an increase in funding for Comma Press to support its work helping publishers to become more digitally aware."

And Other Stories will receive £120,000 over the three years, and Penned in the Margins £135,000. Comma Press' funding is being increased to £216,090 (£181,610 in 2012-15).
Also joining the NPO is the Pop Up Projects community interest company, which seeks to engage people with storytelling. 

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