The Bookseller.com

9th January 2009

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Dedalus funding cut confirmed

01.02.08 Tom Tivnan

Arts Council England (ACE) has confirmed it is to cut off Dedalus Publishers’ funding, but has restored regular funding to Arcadia Books. Funding for Centerprise Literature has also been cut off.

Dedalus m.d. Eric Lane said he was “determined and committed” to fighting back against the cuts and will press ahead with a class action lawsuit against ACE. He is forming an organisation called Arts Against ACE to take on the funding body for failing to follow its own disinvestment procedures.

Lane said ACE had not evaluated any of the publisher’s books in the last three years. He added: “This has become a moral issue. They have used inappropriate evidence and their decision to disinvest is based on purely on personal animosity.

"ACE think they can push us around because we are a little guy and stood up to them. But we will continue to take them on. In the short term I am confident of a good outcome. I am betting David beats Goliath."

Arcadia m.d. Gary Pulsifer said: "Of course I am relieved and grateful but this has been a overly convoluted  process. And I do think ACE East have made a drastic mistake in cutting off Dedalus’s funding." 

tom tivnan Dedalus ACE