British artist Tai Shani announced on social media that she withdrew her monograph from Phaidon due to allegations against the company’s owner that were revealed in the Epstein files. “Behind these allegations…are human beings, victims: young women, children, often from precarious backgrounds, real lives exploited and destroyed,” Shani’s statement reads. She thinks of withdrawal, she said, as “a refusal to contribute to any cover for the violence and the misogyny that underpin so many spheres of culture.” Multiple women have accused billionaire Leon Black, who founded Apollo Global Management and purchased Phaidon in 2012, of sexual assault, Hyperallergic reports. The […]
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Harlequin Historical To Shutter
Harlequin will close its Harlequin Historical romance line in 2027, Reactor reports. The company will not acquire new titles for the line, and in September 2027 will “[cease] U.S. and U.K. retail efforts as well as digital publishing.” An author suggested that the company will continue to publish any titles under contract, and that it “plans to continue exploiting foreign language rights in markets where historical titles remain strong.” Harlequin provided the following statement: “As Harlequin continues to evolve its series romance publishing program, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue publishing the Historical Romance series after September 2027 due to […]
Liate Stehlik Becomes CEO and Publisher of HarperCollins Trade
HarperCollins announced that Liate Stehlik will be the new ceo and publisher of US trade. Stehlik will lead adult and children’s trade divisions, as well as sales in the US, reporting to Brian Murray, president and ceo, HarperCollins Publishers. Stehlik will also continue to oversee Morrow Group and its children’s division. Jonathan Burnham, president and publisher, Harper Group; Judith Curr, president and publisher, HarperOne Group; and Doug Lockhart, interim president of sales, will report to Stehlik. “During her 20 years with the company, Liate has helped shape our US publishing. She has guided the publication of hundreds of bestselling authors, […]
The Tuesday Agency Shutters; Owners Launch Smaller Agency Called Goliath Jones
The Tuesday Agency, an Iowa City-based speakers agency for authors, has closed. President Trinity Ray tells PL that the agency accepted government loans during the pandemic, which helped to keep the business going and to pay staff, but changes to rules around repayment, as well as other financial factors, made it impossible for the company to continue. He says, “We were keeping up until this second Trump administration. Changes to rules around government loan repayments, the decimation of the National Endowment for the Arts and attacks on universities have made it impossible for us to continue on in the same […]
Attia Apologizes for Epstein Emails
On social media, OUTLIVE author Peter Attia shared an apology to his team for the “crude” emails he exchanged with Jeffrey Epstein, which were revealed in the latest batch of Epstein files released by the DOJ. The David protein bar company said on Monday that “Attia has stepped down from his role as chief science officer.” Attia claims that he “was not involved in any criminal activity,” his “interactions with Epstein had nothing to do with his sexual abuse or exploitation of anyone,” and he “was never on his plane, never on his island, and never present at any sex […]
Bridgerton Author Launches Romance Subscription Box
Bridgerton author Julia Quinn is curating a historical romance subscription box, called JQ Editions, bringing the “star treatment” of deluxe editions to the genre. The box is exclusively available on Kickstarter and is made up of “my very favorite books, a mix of brand new titles, recent gems, and classics of the modern genre.” The special edition hardcovers will have custom covers, endpapers, and sprayed edges. Subscribers will receive one book every other month, starting in July 2026. The 2026 titles are The Last Lady B by Eloisa James, An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole, and Lord of Scoundrels by […]