PW Reports Cuts at Walker Books in U.K....

This is from the latest PW Children's Bookshelf ("News from London"):

Walker Books is cutting its publishing output by 10% and losing 10 jobs, eight of them through voluntary redundancies. The cutbacks will be in the 2009 publishing program, when the output will be reduced from the current figure of around 300 titles a year. Walker's U.K. managing director Helen McAleer told PW, "We have been realigning and refocusing the business here at Walker and we are growing our fiction, high-end novelty lists and TV tie-in titles, and have created new and senior roles in these areas." Jane Winterbotham, Walker's publishing director, added, "The cuts are not affecting our frontlist publishing. We are making the cuts by slowing down our reissues."

While stressing the continuing importance of Walker's high-quality publishing, McAleer also cited the company's plans for diversification. "We want to be able to offer our authors and illustrators something different; hence we have set up Walker Productions to develop TV projects from our own properties, and are looking to work with partners on these projects." Walker will also relaunch its Web site to include space for children and adults to engage with the Walker authors and illustrators, and to develop e-commerce.

Note that Walker Books in the U.K. and Walker & Company in the U.S. are not affiliated.