“A masterclass in reporting” – announcing the launch of Trust me, I’m listed, available for pre-order now!

Post #36

Jun 3, 2020

Claire Bodanis

On behalf of her fellow authors and the Falcon Windsor team, Claire is delighted to announce the launch of Trust me, I’m listed: Why the annual report matters and how to do it well, published by the Chartered Governance Institute (ICSA) on 17 June

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My author husband assures me that a book going from idea to publication in less than a year is an astonishing feat in publishing – but I must say, for someone used to publishing annual reports in a lot less time than that, I’ve felt that this book has been a long time coming!

And I want to thank all of you, our readers, for your interest and unflagging support throughout that time. Many of you have contributed suggestions and ideas, and some have even taken the time, during reporting season, to read and comment on chapters, or even the whole book – so particular thanks to Gill Hodge, Maria Kepa, Harriet Howey, Nicola Foster, Annie Heaton, Karen Almeida, Simon Harper, and Lorraine Clover.

As fellow travellers, then, on this book’s journey, I’m sure you’ll all be as pleased as we are that Sir Donald Brydon kindly agreed to write the foreword. I won’t spoil it by quoting it in full here, but he finishes his very thoughtful comment (including a special mention of ‘best practice’!) with a super endorsement: “It is a time for outstanding communication. Trust me, I’m listed will help all those about to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboards.”

You’ll also no doubt be pleased to hear that we’ve had some fantastic blurbs too. Dr Gerry Murphy, Chairman of Tate & Lyle and Burberry, gave us the lovely ‘masterclass’ quote I used in this blog’s title: “Treating the annual report just as a chore, a mandatory review of the past, is wasteful. It can and should also be the Company’s manifesto for the future. This book is a masterclass for everyone involved, including the Chair.”

But lest you think he may be just a tiny bit biased, given that Tate & Lyle is Falcon Windsor’s longest-standing client, Gerry’s endorsement was echoed by Martin Vander Weyer, Business Editor, The Spectator, who has written: “Far too many companies today use the demands of compliance as an excuse to publish unreadable annual reports, in which the true picture of risk and performance that investors and stakeholders need to see is buried in a swamp of cliché and jargon. Claire Bodanis has written an entertaining handbook on corporate reporting which offers golden rules of structure, clarity and brevity for writers of all kinds.”

And finally, in words to gladden the heart of any writer, John Kay, author of the Kay Review came up with this pithy comment: “I wish annual reports were as well written as this book”!

I’m hugely grateful for their kind words, and I’d also like myself to add ‘well designed’ to John’s endorsement – because the FW design team of Mark, Pete and Justine did an amazing job of ensuring that the book practises what it preaches, namely that good design, as well as good writing, is fundamental to the reader’s experience.

Throughout the book’s gestation, we have of course worked closely with our publisher, the Chartered Governance Institute (ICSA), and the team there has been brilliant. Sadly, the plan for a huge book launch party mid-June has been scuppered by the lockdown, but instead they’re hosting a series of monthly webinars in the run-up to the 2021 reporting season – ‘Practical perspectives on reporting’ – at 12.30pm on the first Thursday of each month. It starts on 2 July with the launch webinar, in which I will be joined by Sir Donald to discuss themes from the book. They’ve also devised a great marketing plan which will be starting this week, so do look out for that – although the least said about trying to record video tips at home under lockdown, the better… suffice to say my husband is a saint!

But for those of you who believe, as I do, that no book should be launched without a party, rest assured that the annual FW party will be taking place in November, with a special toast to the book and to all of you. And if it can’t be November, it’ll be just as soon as we’re all allowed to get together again. Consider it postponed, not cancelled.

In the meantime, without parties on your summer agenda, how about some reading instead?!

Order your copy of the book here.