'Wilful misreading': Lionel Shriver replies to critics in diversity row

Novelist responds to the reaction against her comments on diversity in publishing, accusing her critics of ‘malicious misinterpretation’Lionel Shriver has responded to the vituperative row that followed her recent comments about Penguin Random House’s diversity scheme, saying that it was not diversity but quotas that she was objecting to and calling out what she described as the “malicious misinterpretation” of her original essay.In a piece for the Spectator this month, Shriver objected to the publisher’s goal for its staff and authors to represent UK society by 2025. “Drunk on virtue, Penguin Random House no longer regards the company’s raison d’etre as the acquisition and dissemination of good books,” she wrote. “Rather, the organisation aims to mirror the percentages of minorities in the UK population with statistical precision.” Related: Diversity in publishing is under attack. I hear the sound of knuckles dragging | Hanif Kureishi Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2018-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Rollout of Scholastic Book Fairs' New Diversity Offering Comes Under Fire

Scholastic said that it created its new "Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice" offering as a way to protect librarians and school officials dealing with restrictive new state laws and policies, but critics say that the program invites censorship. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Scholastic Offers Option to Exclude Diverse Books from Book Fairs

Scholastic has separated out LGBTQ books and BIPOC books into an optional add-on box in a policy some are calling a "bigot button." Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-10-16 14:39:10 UTC ]
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The Growth of Printers Row

The publishing arm of Readerlink Distribution Services has been nimble enough to have posted solid sales over several years and in the process increase employees to 90, from 60 just before the pandemic. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-04 04:00:00 UTC ]
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CCBC Releases Statistics Regarding Diversity in Children's Literature Published in 2022

The Cooperative Children's Book Center has released its annual statistics on diversity in children's literature, and the results are heartening: 40% of books published in 2022 have a BIPOC author, illustrator, or compiler. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Bloomsbury reports sales surge as people buy books as ‘affordable diversion’

Harry Potter publisher says in challenging economic times books are seen as cheap form of entertainmentBloomsbury Publishing, the home of Harry Potter, has revealed a rise in annual sales as it said people were turning to books as a cheap form of entertainment as finances were squeezed.Sales of... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-05-31 13:38:54 UTC ]
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Independent bookselling expanded again in 2022, with new and diverse stores opening nationwide

The independent bookselling community continues to grow, with membership in the American Booksellers Association reaching its highest levels in more than 20 years Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2023-05-22 13:34:43 UTC ]
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Independent bookselling expanded again in 2022, with new and diverse stores opening nationwide

The independent bookselling community continues to grow, with membership in the American Booksellers Association reaching its highest levels in more than 20 years Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2023-05-22 13:32:22 UTC ]
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Hachette Book Group: BIPOC Diversity at 36.4 Percent

The newest of four yearly reports from Hachette Book Group sees staff BIPOC diversity increasing by 2.5 percent in 2022. The post Hachette Book Group: BIPOC Diversity at 36.4 Percent appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-04-11 14:35:23 UTC ]
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The National Book Critics Circle Awards Return to Manhattan

This year's National Book Critics Circle Awards, honoring books published in 2022, returned to its in-person format for the first time since 2019 to present awards to Joy Harjo, Hua Hsu, Ling Ma, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Ukrainian Author Andrey Kurkov Among National Book Critics Circle Award Winners

A collection of fantastical short stories and a book of poems about escaping capitalist society were also among the 2022 winners. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-03-24 00:51:07 UTC ]
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Eric Brown, science fiction author and Guardian critic, dies aged 62

Writers, publishers and agents pay tribute to a warm, generous figure, author of more than 50 books ranging from SFF to crime to children’s literatureEric Brown, a prolific, award-winning author who published more than 50 novels, children’s books and short story collections, and who was the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-03-23 13:58:10 UTC ]
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Sheikh Zayed Shortlists: Literature, Young Author, Criticism

The first three categories’ shortlists have been released in the 17th edition of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, based in Abu Dhabi. The post Sheikh Zayed Shortlists: Literature, Young Author, Criticism appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-03-10 16:05:15 UTC ]
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Critics reject changes to Roald Dahl books as censorship

Critics are accusing the British publisher of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s books of censorship after it removed colorful language from works such as “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Matilda” to make them more acceptable to modern readers Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2023-02-20 00:47:34 UTC ]
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Book Review: ‘The Critic’s Daughter,’ by Priscilla Gilman

In her memoir “The Critic’s Daughter,” Priscilla Gilman recounts her life with intensely intellectual — and very different — parents. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-02-13 10:00:09 UTC ]
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An Elegy to a Pluralistic, Polyglot India Wins Readers and Critics in the West

Geetanjali Shree’s prizewinning novel “Tomb of Sand” pushed the boundaries of experimental writing in Hindi and spotlighted the wealth of Indian literature in languages other than English. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-02-11 10:00:17 UTC ]
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2023 National Book Critics Circle Awards Finalists Announced

Finalists in six categories for the annual awards honoring the best books of the previous publishing year have been announced. 'New York Times' critic Jennifer Wilson, poet Joy Harjo, and City Lights Booksellers & Publishers have won special awards. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-01-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The NYT’s Conservative Columnist Wrote a Fantasy Novel. Slate’s Book Critic Has Some Notes.

Ross Douthat posted the first chapter, asking “What should I do with it?” We have ideas. Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2023-01-06 10:40:00 UTC ]
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Beaton’s ‘Ducks’ Tops PW’s 2022 Graphic Novel Critics Poll

Kate Beaton’s widely acclaimed debut graphic memoir 'Ducks: Two years in the Oil Sands '(Drawn & Quarterly) has won PW’s 2022 Graphic Novel Critics Poll by a significant margin, receiving nine votes from PW’s panel of 16 critics. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-21 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Literary Luminaries Debate Diversity, Publishing's Moral Obligations at PEN Town Hall

During a panel, "Do Publisher’s Have a Moral Obligation to Diversify American Literature?", authors Min Jin Lee, Chris Beha, Roxane Gay and publishing veteran Erroll McDonald weighed in on a central issue in the book business. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-16 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Agate Publishing's 20-Year Commitment to Diversity

Publisher Doug Seibold’s personal and professional goals haven’t changed since he incorporated his company in Illinois in the fall of 2002: he Seibold wants to publish books that he is passionate about and that fill a niche, and he wants to make the industry more inclusive. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-16 05:00:00 UTC ]
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