Waterstones says it can't pay living wage, as 1,300 authors support staff appeal

Managing director says book chain ‘simply not profitable enough’, as Sally Rooney, Val McDermid and other authors write to protestMore than 1,300 writers including Kerry Hudson, David Nicholls, Sally Rooney, Michael Rosen and Val McDermid have backed a campaign for Waterstones booksellers to be paid the living wage.The support follows a petition from staff at Waterstones, signed by more than 6,000 people, which calls on the book chain’s managing director, James Daunt, to pay booksellers a starting living wage of £9 an hour, or £10.55 for the Greater London area. “Working for a rate of pay that is below the living wage results in booksellers who are stressed, preoccupied and who have little spare time and energy to devote to buying books, reading them, and keeping up with news and trends in the industry – all of which activities are undertaken outside contracted hours, and which many staff consider to be (and are encouraged to view as) integral to their role,” says the petition. Related: Balancing the books: how Waterstones came back from the dead Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2019-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #sally rooney #val mcdermid #david nicholls #michael rosen #living wage #book chain #james daunt #spare time

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Penguin Random House, Authors Sue to Block Iowa Anti-LGBTQ Book Banning Law

Penguin Random House and the Iowa State Education Association, along with four bestselling authors and five plaintiffs from the state of Iowa, have sued the state to block key provisions of its sweeping new law banning books with sexual or LGBTQ+ content in schools. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers launch initiative to highlight Palestinian authors and history

The campaign by Publishers for Palestine will offer more than 30 free ebooks of poetry, fiction and nonfiction as ‘an act of solidarity’A group of publishers has launched a week-long initiative encouraging people to read books by Palestinian authors and about Palestinian history by offering free... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-11-29 17:20:38 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #read books #palestinian authors #early november #verso books #verso #ebooks


Fifth Circuit Hears Appeal of Texas Book Rating Law

At a 45-minute hearing on November 29, lawyers for a coalition of plaintiff booksellers and publishing industry groups urged the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans to immediately lift an administrative stay that has allowed Texas's controversial book rating law to take effect despite... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-29 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Here are some literary organizations you can support this #GivingTuesday.

The sales are over (mostly), the pie has been eaten (mostly), the gratitude has been felt (mostly), and we’re back to work (er, completely, boss!) It’s time for Giving Tuesday, so why not consider donating a few dollars to these worthy literary organizations? Book Industry Charitable Foundation... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-11-28 17:47:34 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #literary organizations ##givingtuesday #giving tuesday #book industry


Dara Barrois/Dixon on the Lived Poetry of the Late James Tate

For this installment in a series of interviews with contemporary poets, Peter Mishler corresponded with Dara Barrois/Dixon, co-editor of Hell, I Love Everybody: The Essential James Tate (Ecco). Barrois/Dixon (née Wier) is the author of several collections of poetry, including five titles from... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-11-28 09:49:43 UTC ]
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Appeal of Texas Book Rating Law Set for Oral Argument Tomorrow

After weeks of anticipation, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit will finally hear oral argument in the state’s appeal of judge Alan D. Albright’s August 31 decision to enjoin key provisions of HB 900. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-28 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Preserving our digital content is vital. But paying $38,000 for the privilege is not | John Naughton

Storing online data in perpetuity is not just about photos and texts but thoughts and ideas. Platforms such as WordPress are starting to act, but it must be at a realistic priceWay back in 2004 the two founders of Google, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, thought that it would be a cool idea to scan... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-11-25 16:00:53 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #printed books #larry page #university libraries #digital content


Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch meets Volodymyr Zelenskiy in signal of support for Ukraine

Media mogul was accompanied by Fox News’ Benjamin Hall, who was injured while covering the war, and Jerome Starkey from UK tabloid the SunThe Fox Corp chief executive, Lachlan Murdoch, has met with Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the Ukrainian capital in what Kyiv said was a “very important signal” of... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-11-21 01:11:04 UTC ]
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Amicus Briefs Urge Appeals Court to Uphold Block on Texas Book Rating Law

With oral argument days away, some 17 organizations and individuals have teamed up to file six separate amicus briefs urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to uphold a lower court decision blocking key portions of Texas’s controversial book rating law. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-20 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #uphold block


A.S. Byatt, British writer and author of Booker Prize-winning 'Possession,' dies at 87

British author A.S. Byatt, who was known for award-winning works including 'Possession' and 'The Children's Book,' has died. She was 87. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-11-17 17:18:21 UTC ]
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A. S. Byatt, author of Possession, has died at the age of 87.

Celebrated British author A.S. Byatt—a scholar and novelist whose 1990 novel, Possession, won the Booker Prize and brought her international renown—has died at the age of 87. A statement released this morning by her longtime UK publisher, Chatto & Windus, reports that Byatt “died peacefully... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-11-17 16:46:10 UTC ]
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A.S. Byatt, Award-Winning Author of POSSESSION, Dies at 87

Academic and intellectual British novelist A.S. Byatt, author of POSSESSION, has died at 87 in her home due to unknown causes. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-11-17 16:23:21 UTC ]
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Black Romance Authors and Editors Share Their Passion for Love Stories

Amid ongoing challenges, Black authors and editors are creating the love stories they want to read. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-17 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Justin Torres, Author of ‘Blackouts,’ Wins National Book Award for Fiction

Ned Blackhawk received the nonfiction award, with “The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History.” Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-11-16 12:36:45 UTC ]
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On Literary Empathy and the Performative Reading of Palestinian Authors

The literary community holds onto empathy as a dear goal while navigating the complexities of the human experience through the eyes of characters from diverse backgrounds. Readers worldwide have long celebrated the promise of empathy as a conduit for profound understanding, and reading from... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-11-16 09:49:02 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #palestinian authors #human experience #diverse backgrounds #readers worldwide #profound understanding #literary community


Welcome to De Los | Reads: A roundup of books designed to amplify Latinx authors

The first edition of De Los|Reads features a new fiction book from Mario Vargas Llosa, a cookbook from Sandra A. Gutierrez, several memoirs and a book for children who aren't ready for bed. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-11-16 05:37:22 UTC ]
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German publisher halts sale of top author’s books after leak reveals he received €600,000 from Putin ally

Broadcaster NDR launches investigation after Hubert Seipel admits receiving support for work on two books on Russian leaderA German publisher has announced a stop to the sale of books authored by a leading journalist and Russia expert after an investigation showed he had received at least... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-11-15 14:31:23 UTC ]
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How to watch AI Book Club Night with authors Fei-Fei Li and Joy Buolamwini

Fei-Fei Li, author of "The Worlds I See," and Joy Buolamwini, author of "Unmasking AI," join the L.A. Times Book Club. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-11-14 20:40:08 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #joy buolamwini #fei-fei li #unmasking ai #times book #book club


Booksellers, Publishers Urge Appeals Court to Uphold Block on Texas Book Rating Law

Attorneys for a group of booksellers and publishing industry associations argue that a district court in Texas correctly enjoined HB 900, and that the injunction should be allowed to stand. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-14 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #uphold block #district court #publishing industry


Judge Will Toss Part of Authors’ AI Copyright Lawsuit

A federal judge said he will dismiss part of a lawsuit filed by a group of authors including comedian Sarah Silverman that claims Meta’s Llama AI application infringes their copyrights. However, a core claim of the suit—that Meta’s use of unauthorized copies to train its AI model is... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-13 05:00:00 UTC ]
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