MYEFO: literary industry irate as book council written off

Writers and publishers reacted with dismay yesterday to the Turnbull government’s decision to kill off the three-month-old Book Council of Australia to save $6 million over three years.

15/12/15 Writer Sam Twyford-Moore is disappointed in the government's decision to scrap the Book Council of Australia which is only a new strategic body for developing book industry policy. Aaron Francis/The Australian.

Writers and publishers reacted with dismay yesterday to the Turnbull government’s decision to kill off the three-month-old Book Council of Australia to save $6 million over three years.

Critics called for the money to be returned to the Australia Council, from which it was excised to establish and fund the new body.

Publisher Louise Adler, who was to head the council, hit out at the “very disappointing decision’’ and suggested the government was “less than wholehearted’’ about Australia’s literary culture.

The government’s mid-year economic review makes clear the $6m is part of a planned $52.5m in savings across the communi­cations and arts portfolio over the next four years.

“The money should go back to the Australia Council to support Australian writing and publishing,” writer Sam Twyford-Moore said. “To see this money just sucked up into the budget, at a time when literature is so desperately underfunded, is a bit heartbreaking.

“The council was a good idea — it could have been an important part of the innovation nation Malcolm Turnbull keeps talking about — but it was critically mismanaged and never going to work.’’

The Book Council was flagged by then prime minister Tony Abbott 12 months ago and formally announced by then arts minister George Brandis on September 11.

With members drawn from key industry bodies, its brief was to advise the government on “strategies to raise and strengthen the profile of Australian literature … nationally and internationally’’.

Arts Minister Mitch Fifield said he would consult the literary community “about alternative sector-led mechanisms for rep­re­sen­tation and promotion’’.

It comes as another blow to the industry, with Mr Turnbull making it clear he was inclined to accept the Harper review’s recommendation to abolish the parallel importation restrictions, which protect Australian writers and publishers.

Ms Adler said the prospect of the removal of territorial copyright suggested “the Turnbull government’s respect for our literary culture seems to be less than wholehearted’’.