Anthony Forbes Watson

Leading publishing figures stressed the importance of becoming more outward-looking at the final plenary session. Pan Macmillan m.d. Anthony Forbes Watson said the publisher was trying to break down its old methods of working and focus the whole company on “reader engagement”. He said: “We are probably only 10% of the way there and what we will look like in five years’ time we don’t know.”

Holtzbrinck is to restructure along divisional rather than geographic lines, in a development which will see Pan Macmillan m.d. Anthony Forbes-Watson reporting to Macmillan US chief executive John Sargent, while Macmillan UK c.e.o. Annette Thomas takes on the Group's higher education business in the US. From 2nd July, the company is to operate through three divisions. Global Trade, managed by Sargent, will encompass all the consumer book publishing operations of the Group, including all the US, German, UK and Australian houses. Thomas will have management of a Global Science and Education division, consisting of Nature Publishing

With his slight build, round rims and British accent, Harry Potter, the international star of the children's literati, has already inspired comparisons to beloved book characters including The Little Prince and Mathilda. Magical and quirky, the Potter series is reputed to be among the bestselling publishing cross-over hits ever with 55 million prints and counting in circulation in the U.S. alone. But what sets Potter apart from the pack is not so much the creativity of J.K. Rowling, but rather, the bite that the traditional print book series takes out of the multi-media world: toys, gadgets and a Hollywood movie replete with special effects