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 ]
Schoolgirl Isabel Harris has had her book published after winning The Book People’s inaugural Bedtime Story Competition. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-05-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The title of the first novel in Philip Pullman's new series The Book of Dust, a companion series to his famed His Dark Materials trilogy, has been revealed as La Belle Sauvage. The book, set for publication this autumn, will feature a new hero, 11-year-old Malcolm Polstead, and his daemon... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-05-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Publishers have ramped up their support for Independent Bookshop Week (IBW) this year, with a raft of exclusive editions, including an essay by Philip Pullman. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-05-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Scholastic has claimed two titles out of the five shortlisted for Oscar’s Book Prize, which honours the best book published for children under five years old. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-04-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Sara Baume’s second novel is a powerful meditation on art, loneliness and finding one’s place in the world. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Less than 24 hours after the announcement that Philip Pullman is to release a new epic fantasy series entitled The Book of Dust, the first volume has shot to number one in Amazon's bestseller charts. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-02-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Twenty-two years after the release of the first book in His Dark Materials trilogy, Philip Pullman is set to release a new three-part series to stand “beside it” called The Book of Dust, with the charter of Lyra “at the centre of the story”. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Ebook rights to works of Joan Didion, Joyce Carol Oates, and Philip Pullman go to Open Road, while Germany's De Gruyter ups its ante in Open Access. The post International Notes: Open Road Acquires Iconic UK and US Titles; Germany’s De Gruyter Reorganizes Open Access appeared first on Publishing... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
A few months ago, after I picked up and devoured a beautifully written memoir by Elisa Hategan and was left with a serious Continue reading at HuffPost
[ HuffPost | 2017-01-03 15:48:11 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Rupi Kaur, a Canadian poet, writer, and spoken-word artist, may only be 24 years old, with only one book published to date. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Audible is giving away a short story by Philip Pullman to help London commuters deal with the Southern and TfL strikes. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-12-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
A new collection of essays by Philip Pullman was one of the highlights at a showcase presented earlier today (14th November) by David Fickling Books (DFB). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-11-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Film-maker Taika Waititi and Prime Minister John Key are among a dozen Kiwis who have shared their insights into mental health in a book published by Onslow College students. Continue reading at Stuff
[ Stuff | 2016-08-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Neil Gaiman, Philip Pullman, Chris Riddell and Malorie Blackman are amongst more than 500 people who have signed an open letter calling for more children’s book coverage in newspapers. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-08-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
A children’s book published by Firefly Press, the Welsh independent publisher launched in 2013, has won this year’s Branford Boase Award. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
On Sunday, I moderated a discussion featuring my colleague Jamelle Bouie and the New Yorker’s Jelani Cobb at the Oakland Book Festival. The panel, “Race, Politics, and the Obama Presidency,” was initially intended as a look back at how the current president has discussed race during his two... Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2016-05-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Want to know when your favourite author has a new book published? When the awards are being dished out? What film adaptations are up-coming or get the low-down on festivals near you? Then check out our literary calendar for 2016Have we missed anything? Email us at [email protected]... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-01-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Fungus the Bogeyman and Stick Man are latest book characters to go on the boxAdaptations of children’s and young adult literature are big news right now, both in film and, increasingly, on television. Mockingjay – Part 2, the climax of Lionsgate’s big screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ The... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-11-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Even as luminaries rally to its support, the corporation’s urge to compete – over schedules, primetime, news – leave it too short of alliesIt’s easy, and often necessary, to defend the BBC. Armando Iannucci delivered a virtuoso such turn at the Guardian Edinburgh international TV conference last... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-08-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Philip Pullman has warned that the European Commission should consider falling author income as part of its investigation into Amazon's ebook business. The author warned The Bookseller that the investigation, announced yesterday (11th June), was failing to take the role of the author into... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this