Barefoot Books is reducing its number of UK titles, closing its Oxford bookshop and putting a stop to its ambassador programme, the publisher’s co-founder has confirmed.
Tessa Strickland, who is also editor-in-chief, said the company has decided to focus on its core business, which is “publishing multi-cultural picture books”. The Oxford studio, which consists of a bookshop and events space, was “somewhat of a time-consuming distraction”, she said.
The publisher has also let go of its UK-based ambassadors – freelance booksellers, working for themselves and selling to the public – although Strickland did not say how many people were involved with the programme.
An email CEO Nancy Traversy sent to the ambassadors in June, seen by The Bookseller, said Barefoot Books made the decision after a period of “soul-searching”.
“Following a tremendous amount of soul searching,