Reviews and comments on the EWC Survey “Economic Impact of COVID-19 on Writers and Translators in the European Book Sector”

++ updated 10 August 2020 ++ Brussels 12 June 2020: The findings of the EWC Survey had been published on 2 June 2020. Together with a statement and a call to decision-makers for an overall political commitment to culture and literature, the EWC also developed 37 recommendations to support authors and translators during and after the crisis. An overview of selected press, media and blog reports, reviews and interviews in Europe and the US.

24 July 2020, NDR Kultur Radio Podcast (Germany)
  Books are soulfood:  What has the virus done to the European book market and what literature on Corona is already available? The NDR Radio talk to PEN President Regula Venske and EWC President Nina George, among others. To the podcast (in German)

14 July 2020, Morgunbladid Newspaper (Iceland)
 Widespread problems in the book industry:
An extensive survey of the position of writers and translators in Europe shows that the problem is large and growing Fear that women and newcomers will have a very difficult time in the coming months. Columnist Magnús Gumundsson about the key findings of the EWC Survey and the impact especially on writers in Iceland. Print press only, in Icelandic.

08 July 2020, WDR5 Scala (Germany)
  Writers’ block because of Corona? – The situation for writers’ and translators in the European Book Sector
How will the economic impact effect the writing careers of new voices? Interview with EWC President Nina George on WDR Scala (Radio). To the interview (in German, audio file)

07 July 2020, Klassekampen (Norway)
The Norwegian Newspaper Klassekampen reported on the EWC Survey on the Economic Impact of Covid19 on Writers and Translators in the European Book Sector and published interviews with the EWC Members Den Norske Forfatterforening / Norwegian Authors’ Union and the Norwegian Non-Fiction Writers and Translators Association – Norsk Faglitteraer Forfatterog Oversetterforening (NFFO) on the sever situation for authors in Norway. ” Arne Vestbø (NFFO) believes that the Norwegian book market has several advantages. He fears, that what will be in danger first when the economy is under pressure is the amount of titles – and the diversity. The Norwegian Author Center reports a 60 per cent reduction in fees paid in May this year, compared with May 2019. “For writers, the money lies in assignments, not in book sales. These are the tasks that drive you and keep you afloat”, CEO of the Center, Herzog, explains. Heidi Marie Kriznik, leader of the Norwegian Authors’ Union, believes that there is an uncritical digitization of assignments and literature on the Internet. To the article (in Norwegian)

01 July 2020, PRAE.hu (Hungary)
For Hungarian-Speaking readers: a summary of the EWC Survey on the Economic Impact of Covid19 on Writers and Translators in the European Book Sector including the perspective in Hungary in the hungarian cultural online-magazine PRAE.HU
Az Európai Írók Tanácsa (European Writers’ Council) 24 ország részvételével végzett felmérést 2020. március 30. és április 24. között, „A COVID-19 gazdasági hatása az írókra és a fordítókra az európai könyvszektorban” címmel. A felmérés célja az volt, hogy feltárja az írók és fordítók a pandémia hatására kialakult jövedelemkiesését, annak következményét az egyes személyekre és az egész könyviparra nézve. A kutatás eredménye mellett a EWC az írók és fordítók lehetséges támogatásával kapcsolatban is tett javaslatokat. To the article by Rácz Júlia (in Hungarian)

30 June 2020, Publishing Perspectives (USA)
 Authors in the Coronavirus Crisis: The European Writers’ Council Report
The Economic Impact of COVID-19 on Writers and Translators in the European Book Sector 2020 (PDF) is probably the most comprehensive and detailed study to date in the European arena of how responding writers and translators say they’re being affected, says Editor-in-Chief Porter Anderson. To the article by Porter Anderson (in American English)

29 June 2020, ACE Escritores (Spain)
¿Tiene aún el libro futuro? | Una reflexión de Nina George

A partir de las consecuencias económicas que  la crisis de la Covid-19 está teniendo sobre el sector del libro en Europa según el Informe-Encuesta del Consejo Europeo de Escritores (EWC), su Presidenta, Nina George, escribe para Acescritores.com un riguroso artículo  en el que muestra una realidad  nada alejada de la realidad de nuestro país. La traducción del alemán es obra de Carlos Fortea. To the essay by Nina George (in Spanish)

20 June 2020, Börsenblatt Online
 EWC President Nina George calls for solidarity with writers and translators: We need a Commitment to ALL the people behind every book. ” … on 29 May, the Authors’ Rights Network sent a crisis stocktaking and action paper to the Federal Chancellery on official request to provide solutions to the stimulus package. On 2 June we published the evaluation of the EWC report from 24 countries on the economic impact of the Covid 19 crisis on the European book world, which contains 37 recommendations. Germany could draw inspiration from Italy with its reading promotion law, from France with its support of up to 1,500 euros / month for authors, or from Spain with its reading fund for school events. I would also like to see the permanent “Reading! fund” for fees based on the Swiss model; and in order to put hybrid formats such as “Come in, please!” at dringeblieben.de on a firm footing, the Literature Online! fund could be considered. I would also like to call for an industry summit to be convened. Our papers can be the basis for working together for ALL the people behind every book.” To the open letter to the book world (in German)

17 June 2020, ACE Blog (Spain)
 Encuesta del EWC sobre el impacto economico del Covid 19 en escritores y traductores en Europa: Pérdidas e impacto económico en escritores y traductores en el sector del libro. To the Summary (in Spanish)

• 64% espera pérdidas debido a publicaciones pospuestas de sus títulos planeados
• 40% espera pérdidas debido a contratos pospuestos y anticipos de regalías reducidos
• El 97% de los escritores y traductores experimentan una alta pérdida de ingresos, principalmentedebido a conferencias canceladas, talleres y lecturas.
• El 60% estima los efectos como muy severos en la situación de ingresos de los autores.

11 June 2020, Newsletter Schweizer Buchhandel (Switzerland)
 “Die Umfrage lenkt den Blick auch auf Probleme im Zusammenhang mit Verlagerungen in den digitalen Raum: Die Piraterie von E-Books sei bedeutsam angestiegen, zudem sei ein Preis-Dumping bei E-Books und die stärkere Nutzung von niedrigpreisigen Leih- und Abo-Modellen zu beobachten, schreibt der EWC. Sie geht davon aus, dass 2020 und 2021 bis zu 150’000 weniger Titel auf dem europäischen Buchmarkt erscheinen werden. Laut Umfrage gibt es in kaum einem europäischen Land massgeschneiderte Unterstützung für die Buchbranche.” / “The survey also draws attention to problems related to the shift to the digital space: piracy of e-books has increased significantly, and there is also evidence of price dumping for e-books and greater use of low-price e-lending and subscription models, writes the EWC. It assumes that in 2020 and 2021, up to 150,000 fewer titles will appear on the European book market. According to the survey, there is hardly a single European country which offers tailor-made support for the book value chain”. To the newssite (in German)

10 June 2020, ActuaLitté (France)
 Covid: 60% of European authors fear “very serious” consequences
Particulièrement touché par la crise sanitaire et économique, mais aussi par la période de confinement, le secteur du livre européen se prépare à des temps difficiles, alors que, dans chaque pays, les aides au secteur se déploient plus ou moins. La Fédération des associations européennes d’écrivains (European Writers’ Council, EWC) a interrogé auteurs et traducteurs pour proposer un aperçu de la situation générale, à travers l’Europe. // Particularly affected by the health and economic crisis, but also by the period of containment, the European book sector is preparing for difficult times, while in each country aid to the sector is more or less being deployed. The Federation of European Writers’ Council (EWC) interviewed authors and translators to provide an overview of the general situation across Europe. To the article (in French)

10 June 2020, Network AIE, Associazione Italiana Editori (Italy)
 Call of the European Writers Council –European Writers and Translators on all decision makers for an overall political commitment to culture and a system update of the book world. EWC Survey The Economic Impact of Covid-19 on Writers and Translators in the European Book Sector is concluded with 37 recommendations on measures to support authors, the diversity of literature and the book value chain during and after the Covid-19 crisis. To the Crisis Report (in English

8 June 2020, Radio Deutschlandfunk Kultur (Germany)
Authors in Need: A survey among Europe’s writers on the Economic Impact of the Corona Pandemic
Interview with EWC President Nina George. To the interview (in German, Audio file)

8 June 2020, Börsenblatt des Deutschen Buchhandels (Germany)
Die Diversität der Literatur in Europa in Gefahr / The diversity of European literature is under threat
In a survey of 24 European countries, the European Writers Council surveyed the economic impact of the corona pandemic on authors and translators on the European book market. It asked about the financial losses and other new developments on the book market such as the increasing e-book piracy. To the article (in German)

8 June, WDR TV News (Germany)
 Warning of financial gaps for authors
Writers’ associations have called for more effective aid measures in the Corona crisis. To the newssite (in German)

7 June 2020, Süddeutsche Zeitung (Germany)
Authors in distress: Authors’ associations demand more aid measures
As the umbrella organisation of European authors’ and translators’ associations, the European Writer’s Council (EWC) warns of a second wave of the consequences of the Corona crisis for writers. To the article (in German)

6 June 2020, BuchMarkt (Germany)
 Where is the support to authors?
The Covid19 crisis will have serious consequences for the book market, according to the survey presented on 3 June by the European Writers’ Council from 24 countries. Authors and translators will be confronted with a second and third wave of losses in 2020 and 2021, albeit a much quieter one. The downsizing of publishing programmes resulting from the decline in sales will lead to a reduction in the number of new publications by up to 150,000 titles across Europe in the coming year. Added to this are cuts in advances and royalties, the cancellation of assignments and more difficult market access for young authors, for niche topics and also for translations from less well-known languages and cultures. Thus, in addition to economic hardship, we fear a direct threat to bibliodiversity. To the article (in German)

6 June 2020, NFFO Blog (Norway)
Tough times for European writers and translators
Knallharde tider for europeiske forfattere og oversettere: En ny, stor undersøkelse viser at 97 prosent av europeiske forfattere og oversettere er hardt rammet av koronakrisen. // A new, large survey shows that 97 percent of European writers and translators are severely affected by the corona crisis. Interview with former EWC President Trond Andreassen. To the interview (In Norwegian)

 

To the Survey