'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 ]
News tagged with: #lionel shriver #original essay #good books

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The Joy of Diverse Stories: One Book at a Time

Eileen Robinson and Move Books are inspiring middle graders to find joy in reading through diverse characters and exciting stories. (Sponsored) Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-11-23 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #diverse stories #move books #diverse characters


Barack Obama’s complicated media-criticism tour

As you may have noticed, Barack Obama has a book out today. It’s a memoir, titled A Promised Land, that runs to more than seven-hundred pages and is still only a first volume—covering the period from Obama’s childhood to the raid, in 2011, that killed Osama bin Laden. Originally, Obama planned... Continue reading at Columbia Journalism Review

[ Columbia Journalism Review | 2020-11-17 13:29:32 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publish writers #vladimir putin #announced plans #memoir #bertelsmann


Structure and human connection 'critical' for home workers, FutureBook hears

Staffers are falling into “dangerous patterns” as a result of working from home during the pandemic, delegates at The Bookseller's Futurebook conference have heard.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-11-16 12:10:11 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #human connection #futurebook hears #sfuturebook conference


Rudd and Turnbull will be called to give evidence at Senate inquiry into media diversity

Sarah Hanson-Young secures inquiry after the popularity of Kevin Rudd’s petition for a royal commission into News CorpThe former prime ministers Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull will be called to give evidence at a Senate inquiry into media diversity that will examine the dominance of News Corp... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-11-11 08:24:08 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kevin rudd #malcolm turnbull #senate inquiry #give evidence #media diversity #royal commission #murdoch media #news corp


Sarah Hanson-Young to push for media diversity inquiry after Kevin Rudd's Murdoch petition

Greens senator says ‘cosy relationship’ between Coalition and News Corp should be scrutinised after half a million people back a royal commissionGreens senator Sarah Hanson-Young will move to establish a Senate inquiry into media diversity on Wednesday following the popularity of Kevin Rudd’s... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-11-10 16:30:14 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sarah hanson-young #kevin rudd #senate inquiry #media diversity #royal commission #murdoch media #news corp


‘There Are Tons of Brown Faces Missing’: Publishers Step Up Diversity Efforts

The push in book publishing for more authors and workers of color hasn’t abated, and companies are increasingly making lasting changes to the way they do business. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2020-10-29 16:18:17 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishers step #diversity efforts #book publishing


Little Free Library Launches Read in Color Diversity Initiative

Little Free Library is partnering with a Minneapolis creative agency to launch Read in Color, an initiative designed to prompt more people of all ages to read diverse books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-10-28 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #free library #initiative designed


NBCC Asks Members to Sign Criticism Equity Pledge

The National Book Critics Circle has asked members to sign a Criticism Equity Pledge, which asks them to dedicate 30% of assignments to books by BIPOC authors. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-10-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin launches project to boost diversity in GCSE reading lists

Lit in Colour, the publisher’s partnership with the Runnymede Trust, hopes to redress imbalances in English literature coursesThe book publisher Penguin Random House has teamed up with the thinktank the Runnymede Trust to boost diversity in reading lists in schools.The partnership – Lit in... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-10-24 16:11:09 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #runnymede trust #reading lists #recent report #random house #book publisher #english literature


#Merky Books makes Diversity in Advertising Award shortlist

PRH imprint #Merky Books is in the running to win £1m of Channel 4 airtime after making the six-strong shortlist for the broadcaster's Diversity in Advertising Award. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-14 20:10:57 UTC ]
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Bernardine Evaristo to UK Publishing: Hire More Diverse People

At the Frankfurt Book Fair conference, writer Bernardine Evaristo delivered a forceful keynote on the systemic bias against people of color in the UK publishing industry The post Bernardine Evaristo to UK Publishing: Hire More Diverse People appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-10-14 18:02:09 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #diverse people #bernardine evaristo #uk publishing #frankfurt book fair


Amazon donates $100,000 for diversity and robotics programming at UMd.

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) is again putting more money toward computer science education in the region, this time with a $100,000 donation to the University of Maryland's engineering school for diversity initiatives and robotics programming. Specifically, Amazon Lab126, the... Continue reading at Silicon Valley Business Journal

[ Silicon Valley Business Journal | 2020-10-14 11:53:45 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #engineering school #amazon lab126 #diversity initiatives #diversity initiative #robotics programming #research-and-development team #kindle e-readers #fire tablets #echo speakers #kindle


Amazon donates $100,000 for diversity and robotics programming at UMd.

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) is again putting more money toward computer science education in Greater Washington, this time with a $100,000 donation to the University of Maryland's engineering school for diversity initiatives and robotics programming. Specifically, Amazon Lab126, the... Continue reading at Silicon Valley Business Journal

[ Silicon Valley Business Journal | 2020-10-13 15:47:55 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #engineering school #amazon lab126 #diversity initiatives #diversity initiative #robotics programming #research-and-development team #kindle e-readers #fire tablets #echo speakers #kindle


To understand the Trump era, a Post critic read 150 books

Carlos Lozada finds that the best works are those least focused on the president. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-10-08 09:18:55 UTC ]
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Pan Mac rolls out diversity and inclusion action plan

Pan Macmillan has published a diversity and inclusion action plan, featuring measures and targets to employ and publish more people of colour. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-05 10:50:31 UTC ]
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Carty-Williams, Shukla and Malik shorylisted for first Diverse Book Awards

Candice Carty-Williams, Nikesh Shukla and Ayisha Malik are among authors shortlisted for this year's inaugural Diverse Book Awards.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-02 16:05:26 UTC ]
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Scholastic dances away with two from Diversity’s Ashley and Jordan Banjo

Scholastic UK has acquired two middle-grade books from TV personalities and Diversity dance collective members Ashley and Jordan Banjo.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-01 02:08:16 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #scholastic uk #middle-grade books #tv personalities #scholastic


This Dystopian YA Novel Feels Too Real: Critical Linking, September 30, 2020

An awesome daily roundup of the most interesting bookish links from around the web. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-09-30 10:30:00 UTC ]
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New England Booksellers Announce Major Diversity Reading Initiative

Word of the new NEIBA Reading Challenge, aimed at radically reshaping the reading habits of booksellers in the region, came just hours before the announcement that only one charge would be brought against a police officer in the killing of Breonna Taylor—news that reverberated during the... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-09-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
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HC, S&S Name Company-Wide Diversity Executives

As part of an industry-wide effort to reckon with issues of diversity in trade book publishing, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster have each named new high-ranking staffers to address issues of diversity at their companies. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-09-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #address issues #simon schuster #harpercollins #trade book