Outcry as Penguin India pulps 'alternative' history of Hindus

Novelist Arundhati Roy leads chorus of protest after publisher settles lawsuit brought by militant groupConservative activists in India have pledged to continue their campaign to purge bookshelves and schools of works they say are abusive to Hinduism, as a fierce row over a 700-page academic work on the faith intensified on Thursday.Penguin Books India agreed this week to withdraw from sale and pulp all copies of The Hindus: An Alternative History, by the US-based academic Wendy Doniger, as part of a settlement after a group of Hindu conservative nationalists filed a case against the publisher."We are going to fight each and every example of this. We will leave nothing unchallenged that is against our customs, our religion, our nation," said Prakash Sharma, spokesman for the hardline Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) organisation, one of a series of conservative religious groups in India that aggressively campaign against artists and authors who they believe malign or misrepresent Hinduism.Penguin's decision not to fight the case has worried many authors, and revealed deep cultural divisions. Arundhati Roy, who won the Booker prize in 1997 for her novel The God of Small Things, said she was shocked by Penguin's decision and uncertain whether to stay with the publisher. "So far I have had been more than happy to be published by Penguin. But now? What you have done affects us all," Roy wrote.An editorial in the Times of India condemned "the growing power of bullying... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2014-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "Outcry as Penguin India pulps 'alternative' history of Hindus"


Rush Limbaugh: rightwing talkshow host to bestselling children's author

He's no friend of those on the political left, but he knows how to woo kids. He's been named as one of four finalists for book of the year at the Children's and Teen Choice Book AwardsName: Rush Limbaugh.Age: 63.Appearance: Angry face drawn on a pink dish.Occupation: Radio talkshow host,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Pastor reportedly buys his way onto New York Times bestseller list

Mark Driscoll reportedly paid the firm ResultSource Inc. hundreds of thousands of dollars to secure a place on the NYT bestseller list for his book. It's only the latest story of companies who will work to ensure a book makes it onto a bestseller list. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Fifty Shades Trilogy Tops 100M Sold

As of this week, E.L. James's Fifty Shades trilogy has sold 100 million copies worldwide, and has spent 100 weeks on the "New York Times" bestseller list. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Fallout Continues from Penguin Books India Debacle

One week after news broke that Penguin Books India had recalled and destroyed Wendy Doniger’s "The Hindus" the negative fall out continues. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Outcry as Penguin India pulps 'alternative' history of Hindus

Novelist Arundhati Roy leads chorus of protest after publisher settles lawsuit brought by militant groupConservative activists in India have pledged to continue their campaign to purge bookshelves and schools of works they say are abusive to Hinduism, as a fierce row over a 700-page academic... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Amazon's bestselling titles of 2013 include Dan Brown, Khaled Hosseini

Amazon's 2013 list of bestselling adult titles includes Brown's 'Inferno' and Hosseini's 'And the Mountains Echoed,' while Veronica Roth's 'Allegiant' tops the children's bestseller list. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-12-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


What books sell best? Self-help, kid lit, and erotica

As USA Today celebrates the 20th anniversary of its bestseller list, the organization says romance novels, children's books, and inspirational books defined the last two decades of reading. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-11-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


What The Best Seller List Means: Then and Now

In 1973, Gore Vidal sardonically critiqued the bestseller list of the age, and now Lauren Sarner echoes the practice, mining cultural signifiers from our own current list. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-08-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Are Amazon's new book discounts a 'declaration of war'?

The online bookseller had dropped prices on some of its top-selling hardcovers, as much as 64% off retail.Bargain book shoppers must have been pleased looking at Amazon's bestseller list this weekend: The online bookseller had dropped prices on some of its top-selling hardcovers, as much as 64%... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-07-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Entertainment Mags Pay Tribute to James Gandolfini

A day after news broke of actor James Gandolfini's death, entertainment magazines are lining up content to commemorate The Sopranos star’s life and work. An Entertainment Weekly spokesperson said that the magazine would include a tribute to Gandolfini in its “All Time Greatest” double issue, on... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2013-06-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


How to buy your way onto the bestseller list

First good reviews went on sale. Now a marketing firm is charging thousands to buy copies of books in order to artificially place them on bestseller lists. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Ether for Authors: The Stay-Seated Writers’ Conference

Porter Anderson's curation publishing buzz takes in the IndieReCon virtual conference, questions B&N's future, and looks atbuying your way to the top of the bestseller list. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Stephen Colbert's children's book tops the bestseller list

Stephen Colbert's latest release – a picture book aimed at young adults and up – follows a pole as it searches for the perfect job. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-05-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Bible hogs Norway's bestseller list

A new translation of the Bible has taken the top spot in Norway's bestseller list, selling 75... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-12-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Tyrese Tweets Onto the Bestseller List

Tyrese Gibson's bestselling self-help memoir How to Get Out of Your Own Way (Grand Central) may be his first book, but thanks to more than 1.8 million Twitter followers (@Tyrese), the author is an old hand at connecting with fans through social media. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-07-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


On Rights and Book-Scouting

Translations account for about 12% of all titles published in Russia in 2010. Here, as in other corners of the world, American and British blockbusters are translated and almost guaranteed top slots on the bestseller list. Names like J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Agatha Christie,... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-04-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Children's Books Publishing in Asia

In most parts of Asia, wizardry and fantastical plots have lost much of their magic after dominating the bestseller list for so long. The subsequent vampire and werewolf fever is, by comparison, not as rabidly welcomed in certain territories. As for that wimpy kid, well, his popularity suffers... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this