BOOKS & BOOKMEN
REDMAYNE REMAINDERED
■ WHEN HarperCollins revealed the downfall of its UK supremo, it did so only as an aside (“following the resignation of Charlie Redmayne”) in a press release on 7 October from the Murdoch-owned publisher’s American HQ announcing the appointment of Kate Elton as interim replacement.
There was no word from Redmayne, and no explanation for ousting him after 12 years at the top. At the time of writing, no reason had been officially offered or confirmed.
Should we infer personal misdemeanours, as the suddenness of his departure – marched out of the building by security via the service lift – might suggest? Or a row with New York – perhaps with global CEO Brian Murray, News Corp overlord Robert Thomson or heir to the empire Lachlan Murdoch – about strategy or an individual book? (This is the same publisher, after all, that blocked former governor of Hong Kong Chris Patten’s memoirs in 1998 because his thoughts on China were inimical to Rupert Murdoch’s operations in Asia.) Or was Redmayne deposed because – the splendidly dull sole cause floated in the Bookseller’s initial report – his new warehouse is dysfunctional?