While still denying that Borders UK is even up for sale and insisting that Clearwater Corporate Finance has been hired only to help “seek out funding opportunities,” it looks like the ailing chain may have a buyer, or at least a company ready to take it off their hands. The Independent reports that the private equity arm of restructuring company Hilco, Valco Capital Partners, “plans to acquire the entire shareholding of Borders UK and take the company forward.” Reportedly they are “offering to take on the Borders superstores, Books Etc and Borders Express shops in a deal that could save hundreds of jobs, although it is likely that some stores may close.” (Borders Group guaranteed certain leases of Borders UK when the sold the unit, and has already written down some of those potential liabilities.)
The Bookseller sells that Borders UK “refused to comment.”
Independent
In other international bookselling news, Taiwan’s biggest book store operator Eslite Books and cellphone company Far EasTone Telecommunications have joined together to develop a Kindle-like reader and online store with wireless downloads, for launch in Q2 2010. They have “invited other companies around Taiwan to start working together on e-books.”
PC World
On the Harper Studio blog, “bookseller X” provides a thorough advisory to authors heading for in-store signings on “how to make a local event work…and keep your local booksellers happy.”
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