Clee to leave the Bookseller

Nicholas Clee, the Editor of The Bookseller (who also contributes a weekly column to the Guardian Review) will be stepping down from his position this fall:

Nicholas Clee, Editor of The Bookseller, is to leave the position this autumn. He plans to pursue other opportunities in the book world but will remain on the magazine team as a consultant.

Mr Clee joined The Bookseller, then part of J Whitaker & Sons, in 1984. He looked after the book news pages, later becoming book news editor. He was appointed deputy editor in 1997, and succeeded Louis Baum as Editor in April 1999. The Bookseller is now part of VNU, which bought Whitaker in July 1999.

He said, “When I became Editor, a fellow journalist told me that I had secured the best job in journalism. I agree. It has been an enormous privilege to have been entrusted with following in the footsteps of editors including Edmond Segrave, David Whitaker and Louis Baum. But, after 20 years, I am looking forward very much to facing new challenges.”

Christine Martin, managing director of the Bookseller Information Group, paid tribute to Mr Clee’s contribution to the business. “Nick is a consummate professional, both highly respected and seriously popular, a rare achievement for a journalist in any sphere. His knowledge of and empathy with the UK publishing industry have proved a huge asset to The Bookseller. We wish him every success as he pursues his career aspirations and look forward to working with him in his new role.”

We wish him the greatest success as well, as Clee has always covered the publishing world with a balanced and brusque manner that was well suited to the unpredictability of those who make books.