UK’s visa ban raises spectre of apartheid | Letters

Author Beverley Naidoo condemns the UK’s decision to deny an Iranian artist a visa to attend the Edinburgh festivalThe UK government’s denial of a visa to Ehsan Abdollahi (Iranian artist barred from Edinburgh festival after ‘Kafkaesque’ visa refusal, 21 July) suggests a game of snakes without ladders in a hall of mirrors. Being divorced, he was told that “no one is dependent on you” ie a bad mark for not having a pull factor to go back to Iran. Last year, however, the artist Marjan Vafaian was refused a visa despite her husband intending to stay in Tehran when she’d be travelling. Her bad mark was apparently for being too young. Making pots of money as an artist in the UK would be a pull factor to keep her here while, in Abdollahi’s case, his work as an illustrator and teacher in Tehran was insufficient explanation for the funds in his bank. This is the third year that the brave little indie children’s book publisher Tiny Owl has had artists’ visas turned down. I have a personal interest as Marjan Vafaian is illustrating my text of Cinderella on the Nile and I have been hoping that we can do some events together after our book is published next year. Apartheid South Africa banned people and books in order to stop dialogue and communication of ideas. These visa denials ban UK audiences, particularly young people, from engaging with these Iranian artists. Why?Beverley NaidooBournemouth Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2017-07-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #indie children #personal interest

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An Open Letter to Stephen King: Book Censorship News, January 27, 2023

No, kids CAN'T get the books being banned at libraries and bookstores, Mr. King. That, plus this week's book censorship news. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-01-27 11:40:00 UTC ]
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Book Bans are Driving Kids Away from Libraries and Reading

As recent laws restrict school librarians from bringing in new books, they're seeing a drop off of students using the library at all. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-01-23 17:38:56 UTC ]
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Prince Harry’s Spare is fastest-selling nonfiction book since UK records began

First week of the controversial memoir’s sales breaks official UK records reports Nielsen, Guinness World Records and WaterstonesPrince Harry’s Spare has sold almost half a million copies in the UK in its first week on sale, making it the fastest-selling nonfiction book since records... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-01-17 16:13:57 UTC ]
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A Banned Book Club Reading Guide for NEW KID by Jerry Craft

Banned books are some of the best to discuss in book clubs. This reading guide to frequently banned book New Kid will help you get started! Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-01-17 11:37:00 UTC ]
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Despite leaks, Prince Harry’s memoir is the UK’s fastest selling nonfiction title ever.

You don’t really have to do much at this point to absorb passages from Prince Harry’s public therapy tell-all trauma dump, Spare. So much of what’s in the book has already appeared in interviews, profiles and, thanks to a very aggressive British press, as actual text on the internet. Despite the... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-01-12 15:22:07 UTC ]
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Prince Harry’s autobiography Spare is UK’s fastest-selling nonfiction book

The memoir, which includes claims Prince William attacked him, records figures of 400,000 on its first day Prince Harry’s autobiography has become the UK’s fastest-selling nonfiction book ever, recording figures of 400,000 on its first day on sale.The controversial memoir Spare has made... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-01-10 19:17:17 UTC ]
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How 'Gender Queer: A Memoir' became America's most banned book

Maia Kobabe's graphic memoir "Gender Queer" became the most banned book in American schools, drawing the Northern California artist and writer into the nation's cultural wars. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-12-21 11:00:19 UTC ]
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Booksellers, Friends Raise Money for Ukraine

Mitchell Kaplan, owner of Books & Books bookstore chain in Miami, has launched HUBB — Helping Ukrainian Books and Booksellers. Together with a group of literary friends and booksellers, HUBB is sending its first grant of $10,000 this week. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-21 05:00:00 UTC ]
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How Your Book Club Can Fight Against Books Bans and Censorship

Censorship attempts and book bans are at an all time high, but even a handful of people in a book club can make a difference. Here's how. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-12-15 11:35:00 UTC ]
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500+ Authors Sign Letter Supporting HarperCollins Union’s Strike

More than 500 authors have signed a letter standing with the HarperCollins union as they reach of month of being on strike. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-12-12 18:27:00 UTC ]
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Struggling authors know writing is a rich person’s hobby | Letters

Stephen Carver, Guinevere Glasfurd, Brian Needham and Jo McMillan respond to Joanne Harris’s article about horribly low pay in the publishing worldRegarding Joanne Harris’s article (Horribly low pay is pushing out my fellow authors – and yes, that really does matter, 7 December), I guess I’m a... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-12-11 17:07:25 UTC ]
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Hachette UK Buys Welbeck Publishing Group

U.K.-based Welbeck Publishing was formed in 2019 by publishing veterans Mark Smith, whose credits include cofounding and serving as CEO of Quercus Books, and Marcus Leaver, one-time CEO of Sterling Publishing and Quarto Group. Sales in 2022 are expected to top £25million. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-05 05:00:00 UTC ]
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More than 150 Literary Agents Sign Letter to Support HarperCollins Workers’ Strike

More than 150 literary agents signed a letter promising to stop submitting new books to HarperCollins to support striking workers. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-11-30 17:34:23 UTC ]
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Children’s authors of colour published in UK rose to 11.7% of market in 2021

BookTrust research shows, however, that the overall picture ‘remains far from representative’ with some writers and illustrators reporting tokenismNew research has found that 11.7% of children’s book creators published in the UK in 2021 were people of colour, up from 5.6% in 2017.Despite the big... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-11-23 06:01:50 UTC ]
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Two-thirds of UK’s biggest advertisers to cut television spend

Traditional TV shunned in favour of digital media and last-minute promotional campaignsMore than two-thirds of the UK’s biggest advertisers intend to cut back spending on traditional TV next year, as the recession fuels a shift to digital media and last-minute bursts of promotion.A survey of 59... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-11-21 00:01:39 UTC ]
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Freedom to Read Advocates Warn of Proposed ‘Book Rating’ Bill in Texas, Rising Book Bans in Missouri

While still in the early stages of the legislative process, the proposed bill in Texas would require publishers to develop a new rating system for books, and would give Texas state officials the power to bar schools from doing business with publishers who do not comply with the state’s directives. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-11-17 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Prison Memoir Banned from Florida Prisons

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[ Book Riot | 2022-11-04 10:39:00 UTC ]
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'1619 Project' Creator Nikole Hannah-Jones Slams Backlash, Book-Banning Efforts

The project, which examines the history and effects of slavery, has faced bans and attempted bans since its publication in 2019. Continue reading at The Huffington Post

[ The Huffington Post | 2022-10-28 07:39:53 UTC ]
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Open letter to top publisher condemns $2m Amy Coney Barrett book deal

More than 250 literary figures rail against acquisition by Penguin Random House of book by conservative US supreme court justiceMore than 250 figures from the US literary world have signed an open letter protesting the acquisition by Penguin Random House of a book by the conservative supreme... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-10-27 06:00:22 UTC ]
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Panel Explores Surge in Book Bans, Policies Targeting the LGBTQ Community

With a wave of book bans and educational gag orders still surging across the country, an online panel this week explored how the bans are targeting and impacting the LGBTQ community—and how concerned communities can push back. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-10-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
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