Two authors have withdrawn their book about Palestine from Crown Children’s over editorial disagreements, the Guardian reports. DISPLACEMENT AND THE PALESTINIAN AMERICAN STORY by Alana Hadid, activist and producer, and Jenan A. Matari, author of Everything Grows in Jiddo’s Garden, was scheduled to come out in September of this year as part of the Race to the Truth series. The publisher’s book description, which still appears on Edelweiss, states: “The creation of Israel didn’t just redraw borders. It created one of the largest, longest-lasting refugee populations in the world, with millions of Palestinians still carrying the trauma, the keys, and […]
YouTube Explores Licensed Audiobook Streaming
YouTube has been in talks with publishers about offering audiobooks in its Premium subscription service, which could be available next year, the Wall Street Journal reports. Publishing executives are “eager to find a revenue-generating alternative to the glut of unauthorized audio versions of their books that now appear on the platform,” according to the paper. “It isn’t clear how the company would display the content and whether it would charge for access to individual books,” the WSJ states.
Kyle MacLachlan to Host National Book Awards
Actor and author of Fictional Selves Kyle MacLachlan will host the National Book Awards on November 18. Michelle Zauner, author of Crying in H Mart and musician as Japanese Breakfast, will perform. “We are pleased to welcome host Kyle MacLachlan and musical guest Michelle Zauner—both incredible writers, artists, performers, and avid readers—to the 77th National Book Awards Ceremony stage,” National Book Foundation board chair David Steinberger said in a release. “The National Book Awards Ceremony & Benefit Dinner offers us the opportunity to gather across disciplines and industries to champion the power of literature, and we so look forward to […]
Italian Company Buys Two Big British Printers
Italy’s GV Group has acquired British book printers CPI Books and CPI Antony Rowe, in a deal that comes close to doubling GV Group’s size. Together CPI Books and CPI Antony Rowe have annual sales of £127 million, producing over 100 million books a year. GV Group also owns Lake Book Manufacturing in the Chicago area and PA Hutchison Company in Pennsylvania in the US, along with Grafica Veneta in Trebaseleghe, Italy. Chair of parent company SoFiGraf Fabio Franceschi says, “The trust of Italian publishers has enabled us to grow. Today, we are making a wider network available to all […]
Audio Helps Boost HBG in Q3
Lagardere released its earnings report for the third quarter, posting overall publishing sales of €836 million, a new record for the quarter, driven by English and Spanish-language books. That’s a gain of 3 percent as reported or 1 percent on a like-for-like basis, against sales of €811 million a year ago. The rebound of the US dollar and pound sterling following a decline earlier this year produced a €5 million positive currency effect. The topline increase is due in part to their acquisition of Kogan Page this spring. In the US, sales grew 4 percent in the quarter due to […]
Society of Authors Releases Ethical AI Charter to Backlash
The UK’s Society of Authors, along with other international creative organizations, launched a “Charter of Ethical AI Use in the Creative Industries” on Wednesday, which swiftly elicited significant backlash online. Many authors and publishing professionals claimed that the very notion of “ethical AI use” is an oxymoron and should not be supported by authors’ representatives. The SoA responded to that “strength of feeling,” with a notice that they would post further “detailing why, in a vacuum of regulation, this charter demands more transparency & accountability from organizations on how they are using AI now and in the future.” CEO Anna […]