The book that tore publishing apart: ‘Harm has been done, and now everyone’s afraid’

Kate Clanchy’s memoir about teaching won the Orwell prize. Then, a year later, it became the centre of a storm that would engulf the lives of the author, her critics and dozens of people in the book trade. So what happened?At the end of March, a book that had been condemned to die came back to life. There was no star-studded launch, and no great fanfare, although this book is now somewhat famous. The new publisher of the poet Kate Clanchy’s memoir Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me felt it wrong to cash in on the controversy that has engulfed it. So the new editions – with some intriguing changes to the original text – were quietly resupplied to bookshops willing to stock them.What follows is a tale that reverberates well beyond publishing. It’s about whose voice is heard, which stories are told, and by whom. But it has broader implications for working life, too, particularly in industries where so-called culture wars raging through the outside world can no longer be left at the office door. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2022-06-18 08:00:13 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "The book that tore publishing apart: ‘Harm has been done, and now everyone’s afraid’"


BEA 2015: Kids' Comics On the Rise

Sales of comics for kids and YA readers continue to grow in the book trade along with the number and variety of kids comics on display from such publishers as Andrew McMeel, Papercutz, Toon Books, Scholastic and others. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Meek's privatisation book wins Orwell Prize

James Meek's Private Island (Verso Books) has won the Orwell Prize for books, which celebrates political writing. Meek was announced as the winner of the annual prize at a ceremony at the University of Westminster yesterday (21st May). Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Pan Mac and Waterstones are stars at BIA

A “standout” Pan Macmillan and a resurgent Waterstones were two of the big winners at the Bookseller Industry Awards 2015, taking home the Publisher and Retailer of the Year prizes, respectively.  Sam Husain, the recently retired c.e.o. of Foyles, was honoured with the BA Award for Outstanding... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Book trade digests Tory win

The book trade is facing more library cuts and an uncertain future in Europe and at the department for Business, Industry and Skills, industry figures say, as they digest the results of the general election, emerging overnight. The Conservatives have racked up 330 seats for an overall majority,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Book trade turns red for Ed

The book trade has abandoned the Liberal Democrats in favour of Labour and the Green Party in the five years since the last election, according to a poll of voting intentions conducted by The Bookseller. Support for libraries and making Amazon pay a fair share of tax are the issues the trade is... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


How the book trade will be voting

The Bookseller is conducting a survey into the book trade's opinions on the May 7th general election. Share your views with our quick, five-question survey on your voting intentions and how this year's election affects the book trade. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Débuts strong on Orwell shortlist

Two début authors have made the shortlists for this year’s Orwell Prize for political writing. Dan Davies has made the £3,000 Book Prize shortlist for his book about Jimmy Savile, In Plain Sight: The Life and Lies of Jimmy Savile (Quercus). The other first-time writer on the list is Louisa Lim,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Thomson to leave BookBrunch

Liz Thomson, founding editor of BookBrunch, is to step down from her role after the London Book Fair in order to devote more time to her musical interests. Thomson said: "I remain fascinated by the book trade but want to liberate myself from day-to-day news deadline. I've always been more... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Amazon's dominance 'damages' progress

Amazon's position in the market is damaging progress in the book trade, according to the president of the Booksellers Association, Tim Walker. Speaking on a panel about publishing and technology at the Nielsen BookInsights conference yesterday (25th March), Walker said that Amazon's dominance... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


International markets' Christmas performance

In Russia, a biography of Putin was a Christmas bestseller; in Norway and Sweden, there were surprise festive hits on hair-braiding; in Australia, it was beach read season; while in Spain, it was Ken Follett who topped FNAC's Christmas bestseller list. The Bookseller's international... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Statistically Speaking, Japan’s Book Trade is in Trouble

Over the last 15 years, the number of publishers, bookstores and revenue from book sales in Japan has been in significant decline. The post Statistically Speaking, Japan’s Book Trade is in Trouble appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-12-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The Bookseller's Books of the Year

The main question we asked when compiling the second Books of the Year list, was: what are these sort of lists good for? Until last year, in its previous 155 years The Bookseller eschewed this kind of listing, partially because it was felt that, as the august Organ of the book trade, we were to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Godfray heads up Bookseller 100

Booksellers Association chief executive Tim Godfray heads up our latest Bookseller 100, the sixth annual compilation of the people who have had the biggest impact across the book trade in the past year. Godfray has been named 2014's "101st", a position which honours a member of the industry who... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


More industry figures speak out on Scotland referendum

More prominent individuals from Scotland's book trade – including BookSource m.d.... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-08-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Don't put your daughter on the page. She'll only earn a measly 11k a year

A survey of nearly 2,500 writers has shown that median income of a working author last year was just £11,000, down by 29% since 2005A new breed of publishing event, a secretive curtain-raiser, designed to tease the book trade and the critics, is to take place somewhere in London on Monday... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-07-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Alan Johnson wins Orwell Prize

Former home secretary Alan Johnson has won the Orwell Prize for Books with childhood memoir, This... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-05-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Orwell shortlist reflects "continuing power" of political history

The shortlist for this year’s Orwell Prize for books includes Alan Johnson’s This Boy... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Moore on longlist for Orwell Prize

Charles Moore's prize-winning biography of Margaret Thatcher has been longlisted for the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Christmas in the balance for Germany's book trade

German booksellers are facing a nail-biting finish to the holiday season. With end November sales... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-12-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Pan Macmillan sets Movember challenge

Pan Macmillan is to invite the book trade to join an industry-wide campaign building awareness... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this