The recent announcement that Ted Hodgkinson, the online editor for the literary magazine Granta, would be leaving his position revived the chatter surrounding the London-based quarterly, which has lost seven staff members since its top editor, John Freeman, announced in April that he would be stepping down.
But shortly after Mr. Hodgkinson posted his news on Twitter, Sigrid Rausing, the magazine’s owner, who has been reported as clashing with Mr. Freeman over cutbacks, issued a statement aimed at quelling the speculation.
In a brief article called “Moving On,†posted on the Web site of the British magazine The Bookseller, Ms. Rausing, a billionaire philanthropist who bought Granta in 2005, outlined her plans for the magazine, referring to a statementshe made several years ago decrying “excessive commerciality†in publishing.
“I haven’t changed my mind about that, but equally we had to address our losses, and build a leaner structure,†she said. A new editor in chief, she added, would eventually take on Mr. Freeman’s responsibilities while also supervising Granta’s book publishing division, a post recently vacated by Philip Gwyn Jones, who will be joining Granta’s newly created editorial board.
“The literary focus, and the acquisitions budget, will remain the same,†she noted, before praising Mr. Freeman’s role in expanding the magazine’s roster of foreign-language editions to 12.
“It’s a big shake-up,†Ms. Rausing, who currently holds the title of acting editor! , said of the recent staff departures. “Some of it was planned and some of it wasn’t, but the unexpected changes at the magazine have given me the opportunity to rethink the roles within the company.â€
