Public Lending Rights

[David A. Riley]

Although this is primarily a UK matter, it does affect writers in other countries too, specifically those who have had editions of their books published in Britain. This petition was posted recently on the British Fantasy Society Forum, with the request that it be circulated elsewhere. The rest is self explanatory. Particularly if you are a published writer - or hope to be in the near future, please read on.

"Dear All,

Following the announcement that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport plans to reduce Public Lending Right (PLR) funding, I have initiated a 10 Downing Street e-petition to protest at the cuts.

Public Lending Right is the right for authors, illustrators, photographers, translators and editors to receive payment under PLR legislation for the loans of their books by public libraries. More than 23,000 people are entitled to receive payment under this scheme, and for many the annual PLR payment is an important part of their income. PLR is particularly valuable to those people who receive little or no royalty on book sales - their books are more often borrowed from libraries than bought in shops.

Please spare a minute to sign the petition. Click the following link (or paste it into your browser window) and add your name.


petitions.pm.gov.uk/plr-funding/

Please do not delete this email. Instead, forward it to as wide a group of people as you can. It is in everyone's best interests to support the work of Britain's creative talent.

Thank you for your time.

Yours sincerely,
John Malam"


David

[dem bones]

Thanks for bringing this to our attention, David. Worth a minute of any Vault reader's time to add their name I'd have thought, and uplifting to see that the petition is going so well (806 as I type: recognised a number of names offering their support)!

[David A. Riley]

I would just add that unfortunately you must either be a British citizen or resident to sign the petition. Otherwise, it's for information only.

David

[Craig Herbertson]

There seemed to be a box for expats too so I signed up. My brother runs half of the library's in London I think and he's dead against this kind of crap.

[Calenture]

I learned yesterday that Charles Black's Black Book of Horror has a place in at least one library, so its contributors might bear that in mind and feel motivated to sign the PLR petition.

I admit that the library is the Jacksonville Public Library, in Jacksonville, Illinois, but nevertheless...

[David A. Riley]

I'm sure Charles will be pleased to discover it's gone to a library so far away.

It's surprising sometimes what you can find in libraries. Locally I've seen more than one copy from what we call the small press. In Accrington Library they have a copy of a Ramsey Campbell novel brought out by PS Publishing. A signed copy, too.

David

[Dr Terror]

calenture said:

Charles Black's Black Book of Horror

Is that like Christopher Lee's New Chamber of Horrors, Rog?

I admit that the library is the Jacksonville Public Library, in Jacksonville, Illinois, but nevertheless...

How long before one of us finds a copy in a charity shop, though?

[Dr Terror]

davidriley said:

I'm sure Charles will be pleased to discover it's gone to a library so far away.

It's good, isn't it? I wonder how many times it's been borrowed, and which British lending library will be the first to get a copy.

[dem bones]

so, i signed that petition on Wednesday morning, wrapped my shroud around me and set off for the shops. it was a very mild morning, there could only have been one patch of black ice in east london. me being me, i found it. i knew i'd hurt myself but thought i'd be ok if i just continued up to whitechapel. of course, when i got home and saw the state of my elbow .... anyway, my arm's fractured and they've just let me out of hospital. i got loads of medication, so i'm not gonna be much of a contributor for a few days which is a drag as i just finished gerald suster's 'the elect' and les daniels' alcohol-fuelled vampire classic 'yellow fog', both very worthy of your time. oh, and just to make things interesting, it seems i've got pneumonia. that basil copper launch next sat should be a laugh! ;D

i still have a few outstanding matters to deal with so if you're waiting on something it will be this week.

[carolinec]

Ouch, sorry to hear that, Dem. Hope you're better soon. Plenty of time - and a good excuse - to lounge around reading now perhaps?

[weirdmonger]

Sorry, to hear of your accident, Demonik.
Get well soon.
des

[redbrain]

Sorry to hear that, Janitor of Lunacy. I'm astonished that there was even one patch of ice (black, white or tartan) in east London. It's been so unseasonably warm!

[dem bones]

thanks, my friends. i really missed not being able to keep tabs on the board and had to do a couple of escapes (including an evening down the pub), but they were wise to me after the first night and posted a henchman. when they were putting me under, i had a fit of the giggles and i imagined steve's face looming over me; 'let me through, I'm a paperback fanatic' ..... (true!)

[carolinec]

admin said:

when they were putting me under, i had a fit of the giggles and i imagined steve's face looming over me; 'let me through, I'm a paperback fanatic' ..... (true!)

Sounds terrifying!

[sean]

Hope you recover soon, Dem. And if you've got any funny painkillers left after you're mended, send 'em here!