For decades, I sat in meetings with all-white teams. The industry needs an independent body to advise on equalityI’m a literary agent and at the height of last year’s Black Lives Matter protests I was sent a list, with accompanying photographs, of the top editors working across the major publishing houses in the UK. When I read it I burst into tears. It showed a sea of almost totally white faces, some of whom had been approaching retirement when I started out as an editorial assistant 20 years earlier. The stagnation in the industry was stark and filled me with despair.Analysis of the industry since then, partly led by pressure from BLM and an open letter from the Black Writers Guild, has only further highlighted this imbalance. Two of the biggest global publishers, Penguin Random House and Hachette, revealed that just 2.7% of their staff – in both cases – are black; and the Guardian reported that you are eight times more likely to see an animal as lead character in a children’s book than a person of colour.Natalie Jerome is a literary agent, deputy chair of Literature Wales, and a former publisher Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2022-01-01 10:00:46 UTC ]
Kate Morton’s seventh novel, Homecoming, lands at #2 on our hardcover fiction list. Plus children’s book juggernaut Mo Willems makes his adult debut, and a pair of new books on our hardcover nonfiction list encourage readers to get physical. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-04-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Groundbreaking kids’ series A Kind of Spark is staffed by neurodivergent talent and treats its lead character like almost no other on TV. It’s cool, fun and powerfulNever before has there been a cool, edgy kids TV series that can attest to hiring neurodivergent actors, performing a script... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-04-11 15:12:44 UTC ]
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Another day, another piece of horrifying anti-trans news in the book world. Even by recent standards, though, this one seems particularly fucked-up. An Alaska-based children’s book illustrator has been dropped by his publisher after making terroristic threats against transgender people. Mitchell... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-04-06 18:26:08 UTC ]
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The founder of England's Usborne Publishing, Peter Usborne, is said to have died 'unexpectedly but peacefully,' surrounded by family. The post In England: Children’s Book Publisher Peter Usborne Remembered appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-04-03 17:12:06 UTC ]
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In the latest “Craftwork” episode, a deep-dive conversation about literary agents with Carly Watters, herself a longtime literary agent and the co-host of the popular writing podcast The Shit No One Tells You About Writing. Carly is “very online” with a keen understanding of the digital... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-04-03 08:53:09 UTC ]
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Sales at Penguin Random House rose nearly 5% in 2022, but rising costs resulted in an 11.8% decline in earnings, which dropped to €666 million. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-30 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House has installed a machine in the Devon city’s station, enabling travellers to buy a changing raft of titles, inspired by company founder Allen LaneCommuters at Exeter St Davids station in Devon will now have the option to buy a book using a vending machine, after publisher... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-03-27 11:49:47 UTC ]
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A federal judge has ruled against the Internet Archive in its high-profile case against a group of four US publishers led by Hachette Book Group. Per Reuters, Judge John G. Koeltl declared on Friday the nonprofit had infringed on the group’s copyrights by lending out digitally scanned copies of... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-03-25 16:46:29 UTC ]
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Science is the reason you aren't reading this by firelight nestled cozily under a rock somewhere however, its practice significantly predates its formalization by Galileo in the 16th century. Among its earliest adherents — even before pioneering efforts of Aristotle — was Animaxander, the Greek... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-03-12 14:30:52 UTC ]
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Ian Falconer, illustrator, theatrical set and costume designer, and children's book author of OLIVIA, has died at 63. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-03-08 17:49:08 UTC ]
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American author Laurie Halse Anderson is the winner of the 2023 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, the world’s largest children’s book prize. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-07 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Rebel Girls, the media company whose mission is to instill confidence in girls, raised $8 million in a new funding round, with Penguin Random House its lead investor. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-06 05:00:00 UTC ]
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The International Publishers Association leadership will be at Bologna Children's Book Fair in a series of high-profile events. The post IPA’s Events Lineup at Bologna Children’s Book Fair appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-03-02 17:05:56 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House interim CEO Nihar Malaviya says that international division chiefs will continue to report to him. The post Penguin Random House’s Nihar Malaviya Announces Reorganization appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-02-28 17:11:50 UTC ]
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The highlight of a new operating structure for Penguin Random House is the creation of separate Random House and Crown adult publishing groups. No replacement has been named for departing PRH US CEO Madeline McIntosh. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children: choose your fighter. In the red corner: evangelist actor, “loving husband,” and new children’s book author Kirk Cameron, who had a crowd of “hundreds” at his Christian-themed children’s book reading in Hendersonville, Tennessee, over the weekend, after conceiving of the “wholesome”... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-02-27 15:51:22 UTC ]
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The Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators announced its annual Golden Kite Awards on February 24, along with the annual Sid Fleischman Humor Award. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-25 05:00:00 UTC ]
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According to a report from Reuters, ChatGPT is listed as the author or co-author of at least 200 books on Amazon’s Kindle Store. However, the number of bot-written books is likely higher than that since Amazon’s policies don’t require authors to disclose their use of AI.Brett Schickler published... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-02-22 12:20:19 UTC ]
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ChatGPT is listed as the author or co-author of at least 200 books on Amazon’s Kindle Store, according to Reuters. However, the actual number of bot-written books is likely much higher than that since Amazon’s policies don’t explicitly require authors to disclose their use of AI. It’s the latest... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-02-21 20:30:39 UTC ]
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At Bologna Children's Book Fair, the AIE and Bologna Book Plus will look at young readers' growing place in the Italian market. The post Bologna Focus: Italy’s €283 Million Children’s Book Market appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-02-15 15:52:17 UTC ]
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