Are millennials really driving ‘cancel culture’ - or is it their overcautious critics?

Older generations argue that young people’s insistence on equality in all things – including books – threatens to stifle free speech. But is that always true?I wouldn’t normally air my dirty literary linen in public, but here goes. When I finished writing my novel Putney, about a 13-year-old girl who has a “love affair” in the 1970s with an older man and realises decades later that it was actually abuse, my previous editor at Jonathan Cape chose not to publish it. The reasons emerged this year when he was interviewed in the Spectator. “If Lolita was offered to me today,” Dan Franklin said, “I’d never be able to get it past the acquisition team – a committee of 30-year-olds, who’d say: ‘If you publish this book we will all resign.’” He pointed to #MeToo and social media as fundamental factors: “You can organise outrage at the drop of a hat.”Fortunately, Bloomsbury’s acquisition team – overwhelmingly female and mixed aged – were brave enough to take on Putney, which was described in the Observer as “a Lolita for the era of #MeToo”. Whether there was any truth in his words or not, Franklin’s position reveals how much fear now exists in publishing. Related: Putney by Sofka Zinovieff review – a Lolita for the age of #MeToo ‘It’s only about not being an arsehole,’ my daughter said. ‘That’s not so difficult’ Related: Nabokov's Lolita: the latest thing millennials have apparently ruined Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2019-07-10 10:03:01 UTC ]
News tagged with: #including books #finished writing #love affair #older man ##metoo #jonathan cape

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Millennials, Diversity Big Topics at BookNet Canada's Annual Tech Forum

At BookNet Canada’s 10th annual Tech Forum, a full-day event in downtown Toronto which took place on Friday, discussions centered around ebook pricing, Millennials’ book buying habits, and how publishers can use technology to more effectively market diverse books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-04-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Where is the war on culture?

Humfrey Hunter responds to Chris Hamilton-Emery's blog, 'The war on culture', arguing that culture is more available than ever before. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-04-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Facebook drives up to 7 times more traffic than Twitter. Get to know your social audience

Social media, once considered the side door to a publisher's site, is rapidly becoming the primary entry point for new readers. These readers move in and out of content differently than traditional web site visitors. Social visitors are new, they’re likely to stay that way, and even if they... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2016-04-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Audio Book Club Practices Better Living Through Criticism

To listen to the Audio Book Club discussion of Better Living Through Criticism, click the arrow on the player below. Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2016-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Government pushes crowdfunding to cultural organisations

The government is to pilot a crowdfunding scheme to promote use of the model by cultural organisations, and establish a new virtual "Commercial Academy for Culture" to promote commercial expertise in the cultural sectors. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Coloring Books Drive Big Adult Trade Sales Gain

The adult coloring book boom helped push trade sales up 9.5% in November compared to the same period in 2014. Sales for trade paperbacks, the format of choice for coloring books, were up 31%. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-03-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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For France’s Libération, Facebook Instant Articles drives a 30 percent increase in time spent

French publisher Libération has gone all in on Facebook Instant Articles, publishing all 150 daily articles to the platform, according to Libération's head of digital, Xavier Grangier. Since January it has found time spent on articles has increased 33 percent to over four minutes, according to... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2016-03-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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One injured, one dead in drive-by shooting in South L.A.

One man was killed and another was injured in a drive-by shooting early Saturday in South Los Angeles, according to Los Angeles police. See more of our top stories on Facebook >>  The two men were near 53rd Street and Denker Avenue when a vehicle approached and someone fired multiple... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2016-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Harry Potter's female readers now driving the boom in 'grip lit'

Millennial women who grew up reading JK Rowling’s wizard series are driving sales in other genres as they reach their 20s and 30s, according to recent researchThe women switched on to books by Harry Potter are shaping the literary world, according to new research, boosting the market in... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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J.K. Rowling's latest wizardry prompts criticism from Native Americans

Harry Potter fans in Native American communities are disappointed with the depiction of their cultures and history in the British novelist's latest stories.  Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2016-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Time Inc. Continues Pursuing Millennials with StyleHaul Partnership

Multiyear deal gives the publisher access to StyleHaul's network of influencers to the "coveted" demographic. The post Time Inc. Continues Pursuing Millennials with StyleHaul Partnership appeared first on Folio:. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2016-03-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Translation Funding Available from Spain’s Ministry of Culture

Book publishers can apply by April 4, 2016 for translation funding for works originally published in Spanish, Basque, Catalan or Galician. The post Translation Funding Available from Spain’s Ministry of Culture appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jonathan Taplin’s Drive for a ‘Digital Renaissance’: DBW Keynote

Jonathan Taplin—producer of 'Mean Streets'—will lead Digital Book World's keynotes with a warning: publishing may be 'sleeping through a revolution.' The post Jonathan Taplin’s Drive for a ‘Digital Renaissance’: DBW Keynote appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Facebook Just Added Data to Help Brands See If They're Driving Offline Sales

Facebook Atlas, the social platform's ad server that extends far beyond its own site and apps, is getting a few noteworthy updates today.  The Menlo Park, Calif.-based company is announcing Offline Actions, which lets Atlas-using marketers upload their own point-of-sale data and view it... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2016-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Digital and Data Drive Growth in Fulfillment Services

Non-traditional products and services are key for fulfillment providers, publishing clients alike, according to the 2016 Fulfillment Services Bureau Survey. The post Digital and Data Drive Growth in Fulfillment Services appeared first on Folio:. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2016-03-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Catholic school cancels recently outed gay author's visit

A Catholic school in Australia has cancelled a speaking visit from an award-winning gay author of young adult books because his new book - which includes a gay character - has been deemed "not appropriate". Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2016-03-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Time Inc. is trying to win over millennial women

Time Inc. has had a string of acquisitions and launches aimed at young women over the past year, from HelloGiggles to homegrown startups Mimi and Motto. Like the publishing giant itself, the Gen Y strategy reflects the awareness that young people aren’t all alike. So each site targets audiences... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2016-02-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ku Klux Klan rally in California erupts in violence; 3 stabbed, 1 critically

Three people were stabbed Saturday, one critically, after a small group of Ku Klux Klan members staging an anti-immigrant rally in Southern California clashed with a larger gathering of counter-protesters, police said. The violence erupted shortly after noon in Anaheim's Pearson Park, about 3... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2016-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Native Ads at a Mecca for Millennials: Wattpad’s ‘Brand Stories’

Native advertising is paying off for writers of the coveted, mobile demographic at Wattpad. Ashleigh Gardner speaks at London Book Fair's (#LBF16) Quantum Conference (#Quantum16) in April. The post Native Ads at a Mecca for Millennials: Wattpad’s ‘Brand Stories’ appeared first on Publishing... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Oddest book title prize shortlist gets behind cultural history of the anus

Reading From Behind lines up for public vote alongside works including Soviet Bus Stops and Paper Folding With ChildrenIt might sound like a pain in the behind to read, but an academic tome about the cultural history of the anus is among the contenders on the shortlist for the 2016 Diagram prize... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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