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 ]
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 ]
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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 ]
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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 ]
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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 ]
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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 ]
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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 ]
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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 ]
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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 ]
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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 ]
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Kensal Rise Library is set to open for the first time in five years this weekend, with a community open day. The library was closed by Brent Council in 2011 and denied permission for a community library in the space, becoming a flashpoint for library campaigners, with authors such as Alan... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Book Industry Study Group has named Mark Kuyper, current president and CEO of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, as executive director, effective June 15. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mark Kuyper, current president and CEO of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, will replace Len Vlahos, who will step down June 12. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series is released today (5th March) in ebook format for the first time. Penguin Random House, which owns the digital rights to the trilogy, is publishing Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass as ebooks, priced at £5.49 each. It is also... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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J.K. Rowling, Philip Pullman, Julian Barnes, and others expressed delight when a high court in the United Kingdom struck down a ban on sending books to prisoners. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-12-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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YouTuber Alfie Deyes is to write two more books for Blink Publishing, including a sequel to his bestselling debut The Pointless Book. The sequel to The Pointless Book, which has sold more than 100,000 copies through Nielsen BookScan, will be published in April 2015. This will be followed by a... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Prime minister gave News Corp boss full rundown of scheme before he announced policy to party roomTony Abbott gave Rupert Murdoch a full rundown on his planned paid parental leave scheme before announcing the policy in 2010, in a marked contrast with his decision not to consult the party room, a... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-07-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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JK Rowling, Philip Pullman, Jeanette Winterson and tens of other authors have signed a... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Philip Pullman has spoken out in defence of school libraries, saying it is "very important... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-03-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A debut novelist who spent nine years trying to get her first book published is rewarded for her persistence with a £10,000 literary prize for original fiction. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2013-11-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In October Amazon launches Kindle MatchBook, an arrangement that lets you purchase the Kindle edition of books you've already bought from them in print for $2.99 or less. The agreement currently covers about 10,000 books from a variety of publishers, and the prices are valid for any book... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2013-09-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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