BRITISH BOOKS

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24570, 19 May 1945, Page 5

BRITISH BOOKS

THE WORLD’S DEMAND

„iL <U L int * erview wlth “The Press” this )J£ ek j. S i r i^ n *us Gillan, head of the Emf. ivision of the British Council, dei 0 1?* aspects of the councU’s 4 T A k M following article, by ALAN FAIRCLOUGH, in the “Observer,” concentrates on the efforts of the council, coUaboffatlng with the publishers, to deonrtnoß/itlsil books to a world clamouring. for them. (Published by Arrangement) The work of the British Council abroad in war time represents a triumph by the Publishers, who have cooperated whole-heartedly with the council and who, somehow, despite the crushing paper ration, have maintained a flow of British books overseas. This was emphasised again and again when I discussed the work recentiy with the Director of the Council s Books and Periodicals organisation, and with the heads of its Libraries and Export departments. I heard, too, familiar plaints. From the head of the export department, who sate that the overseas demand for British dictionaries and technical books cannot be satisfied, and that not nearly enough Everyman volumes can be secured. From the Director, who surveyed the problems which the paper ration produce’s- and the decisions which have constantly to be made. Whether is it politic to buy likely books against the possibility—nay, almost the certainty—of their going out of print, or to buy only against specific orders? Where can books bought in anticipation of a popular demand be sent if the demand never materialises? Whether, in the case of specialist books, which are out of print—and they are many—the second-hand market should be tried for odd copies?

English Studies

All old tales, no doubt, and very discouraging tales, too, when from Ankara to San Salvador orders for British publications flood in under the Book Export Scheme; when, in Latin America, for example, British Council war-time book exhibitions are quietly demonstrating that first-class medical and scientific works really do come out of England. So, too, in liberated Europe, where for so long it has been a gesture of resistance to learn to speak English, and of defiance to possess an English book, it is going to be something of a duty to encourage English studies. Then one thinks immediately of the serious shortage of text-books at home, in England! Unlike a general publisher the educational publisher can make a 42} per cent, ration yield only a 42} per cent, output of books. Even so, in spite of all difficulties, work is going on and being expanded throughout the world. There is no private, direct trading with French North Africa, but arrangements were made last year with the French National Committee for the allotment of sterling. In the spring £12,500 worth of books were sent to Algiers in two consignments a month apart. The French National Committee ordered the books by "categories,” with a supporting list of orders by "titles” from the Algerian booksellers. The British Council arranged with publishers here for as many of the chosen titles as possible to be sent and for the gaps to be filled from the categories. Within 28 days of the books reaching Algiers they were all sold to French nationals.

Restocking Libraries

This work is mainly in the nature of intermediary between the publishers here and booksellers abroad where' direct trade is not yet possible. In the free capitals and cities of Europe, too, Moscow, Lisbon, Barcelona, Bilbao—and, in Asia, Ankara—Council book exhibitions are already held or £re to be held. Moscow, interested mainly in technical books, will see a medical and scientific display. There is a permanent exhibition in the Middle East and an annual one in Turkey; whilst 1000 volumes of. current literature are now on their way to South America. In Pari?, Messrs W. H. Smiths are to lend the top half of their.premises for a display of British books published since 1940. These, then, in more than a commercial sense, are Britain’s shop-windows to the world. The work of the libraries department, which is concerned with the presentation of books to libraries and institutions, and with the stocking of British Council libraries abroad, is no less important than the export sales side. It handles 250,000 books a year, worth about £70,000. Other invaluable services include the international exchange of books, reviews .and magazines; the endeavour to have British books reviewed aboard (which includes even the provision of synopses!), and the printing abroad of “Britain Today” in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.