The art of editing – Guardian books podcast

As the digital revolution sweeps through publishing, is editing in decline? We find out how the 21st-century editor works, with Diana Athill, Matt Weiland, Karolina Sutton and many more

The upheavals of the information age have transformed traditional publishing, a revolution that has arrived along with a rumble of complaint from critics over editorial standards. But is the art of editing in decline? And if editors are under pressure in the 21st century, if the quiet business of improving a manuscript is simply out of tune with our always-on world, then how does that affect the books on our shelves? What, indeed, do editors actually do all day?

Diana Athill, Matt Weiland and Francesca Main explore how editing combines talent spotting, cheerleading, project management and a close engagement with the text, while the critics Alex Clark and DJ Taylor examine the strains on contemporary publishers. Literary agent Karolina Sutton describes a profession transformed, while Kathryn Sutherland offers a historical perspective and translation specialists Stefan and Tara Tobler consider the wider world.

Reading list
Stet by Diana Athill (Granta)
The Prose Factory by DJ Taylor (Chatto and Windus)