Dear IDPF Members,

I have been asked by major publishing Trade Associations in the UK including The Publishers Association (PA), to allow myself to be considered for membership of the Board of IDPF.

As Chair of the PA’s e-book User Group I am in a position to represent some key stakeholders from Britain’s digital publishing industry. I am the Digital Media Director of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc and a member of the PA’s digital directors’ group. The PA's mission is to strengthen the trading environment for UK publishers, by providing a strong voice for the industry in government, within society and with other stakeholders in the UK, in Europe and internationally; providing a forum for the exchange of non-competitive information between publishers; and providing support and guidance to the industry through technological and other changes.

I have worked in digital publishing for a decade and overseen the launch of Bloomsbury’s first online ventures including Bloomsbury’s e-bookstore launched as early as 2006, Bloomsbury’s corporate websites, the first Harry Potter website, the Encarta World English Dictionary for Microsoft, Bloomsbury Library Online, the digitisation program for all parts if the Bloomsbury group, including USA and Germany. In addition to these online products I have also overseen and developed Bloomsbury’s bibliographic database systems which crucially underpin all digital content deliveries.

It is clear that our rapidly evolving digital industry needs a global vision rather than a series of national interpretations and I believe I could act as a catalyst for communication of ideas, standards, and innovations in particular between North America and Europe.

I was brought up in Montreal where I earned an honours degree in English and History at Concordia University and then at Goldsmiths College in London. I first worked at Sheil Land Associates Literary Agency and since 1996 for Bloomsbury.


Best wishes
Stephanie Duncan
tel: +44 (0) 20 7440 2472
www.bloomsbury.com