I was called aggressive for criticising passages in Kate Clanchy’s memoir. But the real problem lies deep in the overwhelmingly white world of publishingIt started with a tweet. Kate Clanchy, author of Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me posted on her Twitter account that a reviewer on Goodreads had “made up a racist quote and said it was in my book”. She urged her almost 40,000 followers to flag the review that claimed she had bigoted views on race, class and body image, and had used terms such as “chocolate-coloured skin” and “Jewish noses”. Prominent authors and columnists swooped in to offer support, decrying how Clanchy could possibly be subjected to such inhumane treatment – including the current president of the Society of Authors, Philip Pullman, who declared: “But of all the people and of all the books to have had this happen … It’s hard to stay optimistic about the human race sometimes.”However, it soon emerged that those terms were, in fact, in the book. Incredulous that antisemitic and anti-Black tropes could have made it into a book published as recently as 2019, I downloaded and read it. I recoiled as a Somali boy is described as having a “narrow skull”, while one Muslim girl is “very butch-looking … with a distinct moustache”, and another “looked brilliant because she has such a strong skull shape”, which sounds more like something a eugenicist might observe than a trusted teacher. There is a troubling exchange where Clanchy is baffled by a boy who,... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2021-08-13 13:51:20 UTC ]
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Just because Apple is on the hook for allegedly anti-competitive book sales doesn't mean that Amazon is above reproach. As promised, groups representing both authors and booksellers are calling on the US Department of Justice to investigate Amazon fo... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2015-07-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bestselling children’s fantasy series recognised, David Walsh beats Julia Gillard to biography prize, while fiction winner Brooke Davis also picks up new writer award, established in honour of publisher Matt RichellA children’s book has taken home the top prize for the first time in Australia’s... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-05-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bloomsbury has bought world English rights to a book about racism in the UK by 25-year-old activist and freelance journalist Reni Eddo-Lodge. Commissioning editor Alexa von Hirschberg acquired Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race from Rupert Heath of Rupert Heath Literary... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In preparation for Russia's Victory Day celebration, to be held May 9 to commemorate the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany, the country is cracking down on anything displaying the Nazi swastika – including the cover of Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel 'Maus.' Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Table and seat bookings for The Bookseller Industry Awards will close in one week’s time (Tuesday 5th May 2015 at 5pm). There are a very few tables and seats left for the event, which takes place at the Hilton Park Lane on May 11th. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A group of publishing professionals from Riverhead, Graywolf, the National Book Foundation, and Coffee House Press, talked to AWP attendees about the promises and pitfalls of pursuing a career in publishing in a panel sponsored by PW. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Elena Ramirez, editorial director of Seix Barral and director of international fiction for Planeta, Spain’s largest publisher, observes that the Spanish book industry has adjusted to a new normal after the country’s financial crisis. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-03-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The French culture ministry’s National Book Centre (Centre National du Livre, CNL) will overhaul its system of financial support for the book industry in order to simplify and update it. The reform, which was approved by the CNL’s board last week, reduces the number of interest-free loans and... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Novelist Robert Harris calls on the BBC to give books more coverage "at a time when they're really fighting like crazy for a bit of space". Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2015-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Bookseller Industry Awards will this year celebrate the ‘book’ of the year alongside the publishers, editors, and retailers who bring the titles to market. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hilary Mantel says criticism of the BBC's decision to broadcast her short story The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher is "froth and bile". Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2014-12-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The lack of diversity in the book publishing industry is not new or surprising to veterans of the business. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-12-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Nominations for the second annual London Book Fair's International Excellence Awards, which are offered in 13 categories, are now open. The post International Awards for a Global Book Industry appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-12-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Glasgow Women’s Library and the Wigtown Book Festival are among the organisations receiving funding for the first time from Creative Scotland. The two groups join a number of other literature and publishing organisations awarded regular funding for the period covering April 2015 to March... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-10-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A mood of optimism marked the Bookseller Childrens Conference, with sales up 10% and editors pronouncing themselves keen to experiment and push the digital envelopeThe Purcell Room on Londons South Bank was awash with positivity on Thursday, as the Bookseller Childrens Conference celebrated a... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishing Perspectives will again publish full-color, tabloid-format print editions during the Frankfurt Book Fair. Got a story to tell? Let us know. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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T he magazine industry has faced its fair share of hardships in recent years. The demise of Source Interlink has left newsstand inventory sparse and publishers reeling. The monetization of digital content remains enduringly elusive. And all... Continue reading at Publishing Executive
[ Publishing Executive | 2014-08-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Report says publishers under heavy pressure to make damaging concessions including giving online retailer rights to print on demandBritish authors have condemned as "deeply worrying" reports that Amazon is now pressing for improved terms from publishers in the UK, as its showdown with Hachette... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-06-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Reduced or zero rates of VAT should be removed from physical books to create a single rate across... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Joanne Harris says the book industry is sexist. Why else are there categories for 'women writers' and no equivalents for writers who happen to be men?This is the year of reading women, people, remember? We're all reading female writers and helping address the literary gender imbalance which is... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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