AUTHORS at a troubled award-winning publisher face further uncertainty with news that the editor brought in to steer the firm after the sudden departure of its co-founder is also leaving.
The publishing arm of Glasgow-based Freight Books was left in limbo after co-founder Adrian Searle quit in April, and a buyer has since been sought for that wing of the business.
Robbie Guillory was appointed interim managing editor of Freight Books in June, but he is now to leave the company for personal reasons.
It is understood he is leaving on good terms with the firm, and co-founder of Freight Design Davinder Samrai has repeatedly moved to reassure writers their contracts would be honoured.
The future of the publishing division of the firm, which lists Irvine Welsh and Janice Galloway among its authors, was initially plunged into uncertainty when Mr Searle left the company citing "differences over strategic direction".
The Herald reported in June that at that stage moves to sell Freight Books was only at an early stage but it was claimed potential buyers for the Glasgow publisher had already come forward.
The sale of the book division was advertised on the Publishing Scotland website for an “investor or a buyer”.
It is understood this process is ongoing.
The company, which publishes Gutter magazine, took over Glasgow rival Cargo Publishing two years ago.
It has published fiction, poetry, non-fiction and humour and it is the home of multiple award-winning authors including Ms Galloway, Dilys Rose and Kirstin Innes, while Trainspotting author Mr Welsh is listed as a contributor in the futuristic IDP: 2043.
Mr Samrai said in an earlier statement: "I am very keen to reiterate and reassure all our authors and their agents, as well as others with whom we work within the Scottish publishing community, that Freight Books is committed to meeting all our contractual obligations."
Mr Searle said earlier it is "with much regret I have decided to leave the business I own jointly and resign as a company director to pursue other interests".
Freight - the 2015 Saltire Society Publisher of the Year winner - first published, in 2002, an anthology of writing about Scottish football entitled The Hope That Kills Us.
The firm said work continues and that the title A Drink of One’s Own, a cocktail book, won Chairman’s Award at the Scottish Design Awards, adding that reviews have been positive, their social media streams are being boosted and three new titles were published last month.
It has also published the winner of the Dundee International Book Prize, The Cure for Lonely by Jessica Thummel.
Mr Guillory or Mr Samrai were unable to comment, however, Mr Samrai wrote to authors: "I am writing to formally recognise and thank Robbie Guillory for all he has done during our recent many hours of need.
"Robbie, myself and the wider Freight team - along with external industry advice (I won’t name names, but they know who they are) - could not be doing more to find a positive outcome for the publishing business.
"We all thank him for his commitment to the Freight Books cause and hope our paths will cross in the future."
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