African American Joshua Gagum, a former quality assurance specialist at Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina, is suing Barnes & Noble College Booksellers and an unnamed store manager for negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and tortious interference. He claims the manager negligently called the police on him when he was performing his normal duties, with proper identification, and asks for damages in “an amount as determined by a jury.” According to the lawsuit, filed in July, the incident in question occurred when Gagum was inspecting a room in the university’s bookstore on January 22, 2019, as part of a […]
Archives for July 2021
Harry Stories
Prince Harry’s book deal with Penguin Random House will provide a steady stream of rumors and stories. Over the weekend, the Daily Mail reported — based on what seems to be a single source — that, plausibly, the overall deal was for four books and, less plausibly, that it includes a second memoir to be published “when his granny dies.” Lawyers for the prince told the paper that their claims were “false and defamatory” and a statement indicated, “Prince Harry has no plans to publish a second memoir after Queen Elizabeth’s death.” There was no direct denial of an agreement […]
Lagardere Under Investigation for Alleged Abuses In Fighting Dissident Shareholder
On Friday, French newspaper Le Monde reported that France’s National Financial Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation in April into alleged illegal practices by Lagardere, saying that an investigating judge has been appointed subsequently. Following up on allegations by dissident investor Amber Capital in February, the investigation is said to focus on “misuse of corporate assets, purchase of votes, inaccurate accounts and dissemination of false or misleading information” related to the battle for control of Lagardere. Subsequent to the initiation of the investigation, in late April, Arnaud Lagardere and the principal shareholders in the company reached an agreement to restructure the […]
Forthcoming: Yang’s Notes on Democracy
Crown announced that it will publish FORWARD: Notes on the Future of Our Democracy by entrepreneur and former presidential and mayoral candidate Andrew Yang on October 5. The book “offers a vivid account of what running for president is really like and a scathing indictment of America’s ‘era of institutional failure.’” Yang reads the audio edition, which will release simultaneously by PRH Audio. Executive editor Paul Whitlatch acquired world rights from David Larabell at CAA.
Initiatives: Bloom Books Adds New Author
Bloom Books, the Sourcebooks line that offers a “joint publishing model” and started with EL James as “keystone author,” has announced their next partnership: fantasy romance author Scarlett St. Clair. They will have full rights to her entire backlist starting this fall, featuring the Hades x Persephone series, and will publish her new original novel, KING OF BATTLE AND BLOOD on November 30. A TOUCH OF DARKNESS, the first in her self-published series, is a TikTok driven success, recording print sales of approximately 58,000 copies this year, through Lightning Source (with ebook sales figures not available). Sourcebooks says, “National chains, […]
Scholastic Up for the Quarter but Down for the Year
Scholastic reported earnings for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, ending May 31, with sales of $401 million, rebounding strongly from $284 million a year ago — the first pandemic quarter — up 41% percent. In a release, the company cites “improving market conditions, strong demand for foundational literacy programs and summer reading, and top selling trade titles.” The company showed operating income of $9.7 million, back in the black compared to an operating loss a year ago of $46.2 million. Earnings were still held back by one-time pre-tax items, including settlement charges of $20 million “related to intellectual property […]