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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Five top UK authors, including Kate Atkinson and Lucy Hughes-Hallet, are in competition for the Costa Book of the Year. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Italian publishing is struggling, but the recent book fair in Rome offered signs of vitality and reflected a strong commitment to carry on. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The last time The New York Times embarked on a wholesale redesign of its Web site, in 2006, the iPhone wasn't on the market. Tablets like the iPad were still years away. So the new design that The Times is unveiling Wednesday is generating mu ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2014-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jeremy Dooley created a new book--and an original font--to tutor tots on typeface.They say necessity is the mother of invention, but new parenthood isn't bad for coming up with new ideas either. "After my son was born, I found that his very simple books started me thinking about a lot of basic... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2014-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The press announced the January 7 publication of its third batch of short-form digital reads, Chicago Shorts. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sales of printed books fell by £98m last year - down 6.5% on 2012, figures show. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2014-01-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mark Haber of Brazos Bookstore in Houston argues that selling Spanish language books in the US is a challenging responsibility with unexpected rewards. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-01-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tom Weldon, c.e.o. Penguin Random House UK Lessons from 2013 include: the shift to online sales... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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US-based book recommendation and retail site Bookish has been acquired by ebook start-up Zola... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Christine Shubert, the trustee overseeing the Chapter 7 proceedings of Good Enterprises, has asked the bankruptcy court to give Good Books’ distributor, Simon & Schuster, the authority to continue to sell the company’s titles. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This month’s starred reviews of self-published books includes a pair of notable new novels, one about dysfunctional childhood in Western and another about a busy single mother. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-01-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Phil Robertson was temporarily removed from 'Duck Dynasty' after he made controversial comments in an interview. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-01-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Aided by one of the biggest bull rallies in years, the core Publishers Weekly Stock Index soared 51.2% in 2013, almost double that of the gain posted by the entire Dow Jones Industrial Average. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The value of the printed book market fell by £98m in 2013, Nielsen BookScan data reveals.... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hard Luck, the eighth book in Jeff Kinney’s Wimpy Kid series, was the bestselling book across all print formats in 2013, selling over 1.8 million hardcover copies Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Two titles from publisher Black Swan are in WH Smith’s Richard & Judy Book Club to kick... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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For some people, the new year arrives when the ball drops in Times Square. But for this devoted book lover, it's not 2014 till that first copyright page says so. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-01-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The survival of print books depends on producing physical books you want to own as well as read. One fine example: J.J. Abrams' and Doug Dorst’s bestseller 'S.' Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-01-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Author Michael Rosen has said sex in teenage fiction can help young people deal with... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-12-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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After a flurry of year-end filings, Judge Denise Cote late last week rejected Apple’s bid to extend its deposition of plaintiff expert witness Roger Noll, whose report had pegged Apple’s total ebook damages at just over $307 million. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-12-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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