Penguin Random House announced a reorganization that will expand the number of adult publishing divisions from three to four, separating back out Crown Publishing Group from Random House Publishing Group. Interim ceo Nihar Malaviya writes, “Books and the people who make them are at the heart of what we do. Our editors’ ability to aggressively pursue the works they are most passionate about, and the autonomy and independence of our divisions and imprints, is what drives our business and ensures our success.” (Crown had been merged into the RH Group in late 2018.) Sanyu Dillon moves over to serve as president […]
News
Fleming Estate “Looked for Guidance from the Author” for Bond Revisions
After the release of yesterday’s news that they would independently publish revised editions of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels, Ian Fleming Publications Ltd posted an explanation, on their website. “We consulted with a number of parties but ultimately decided that, rather than making changes in line with their advice, it was instead most appropriate to look for guidance from the author himself. The original US version of Live and Let Die, approved and apparently favored by Ian, had removed some racial terms which were problematic even in mid-1950s America, and would certainly be considered deeply offensive now by the vast […]
Andrews McMeel and Portfolio Drop Scott Adams
Both of Scott Adams’ book publishers, Andrews McMeel and Portfolio, have taken steps to end their relationship with the creator following his racist remarks. Andrews McMeel said in a public statement it is “severing our relationship with Dilbert creator Scott Adams,” noting that “will extend to all areas of our business with Adams and the Dilbert comic strip.” AMP published his Dilbert books, and their subsidiary Universal Press Syndicate had syndicated the strip to newspapers. Chairman Hugh Andrews and ceo Andy Sareyan write in their joint statement, “As a media and communications company, AMU values free speech. We are proud […]
Revised Fleming Books To Be Published in April
A week after the news of Roald Dahl’s books being edited, and not being edited, comes the revelation that new editions of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels will be published with racist language removed, The Telegraph reports. Ian Fleming Publications Ltd, which holds the rights, hired sensitivity readers to review the books prior to their paperback reissue in April. A 10-year license to Vintage UK to publish the Bond novels expired in 2022, and according to bookseller metadata the estate will publish both the digital and print editions directly in the UK, without a traditional publisher partner. William Morrow publishes the […]
Puffin UK Relents and Announces Unedited Roald Dahl “Classic Collection”
Further to the news that Puffin UK has made change to some of the language in recent revised editions of Roald Dahl’s children’s books, the publisher announced that they will put out a line of the original books without changes. The 17-title Roald Dahl Classic Collection will “sit alongside the newly released Puffin Roald Dahl books for young readers,” allowing readers to choose which version they prefer. The publisher says the new edited versions “are designed for children who may be navigating written content independently for the first time.” Earlier this week, Puffin UK defended the updated editions, maintaining that, […]
Puffin UK Defends Changes to Dahl Books
Puffin UK made a statement to The Bookseller defending the changes they implemented to Roald Dahl’s children’s books that caused an uproar online over the weekend. Changes include referring to Augustus Gloop as “enormous” rather than “fat” and cutting the word “ugly” from a description of a character in The Twits. They said, “Over the course of the last year Puffin has published updated editions of 16 of Roald Dahl’s books, in close partnership with the Roald Dahl Story Company (RDSC) as the custodian of his legacy. These included a relatively small number of textual edits, as well as routine […]