The author of Babel and The Poppy War, Rebecca F Kuang, has said she finds the idea that authors should only write about characters of their own race "deeply frustrating and pretty illogical".
Roald Dahl's books are being edited to make them less offensive. Joke is, nothing has really changed. No matter how many tweaks are made to try and push classics like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory into more politically correct territory, Dahl's books are still harmful. Read more
Publishing houses have set the cat among the pigeons. They have introduced "sensitivity readers". Some authors are claiming this amounts to censorship. But what is the truth of this relatively new practice? Read more
The idea of editing Shakespeare to eliminate doubles entrendres and naughty words to fit in with 19th-century social mores now seems preposterous, although presumably his publishers-Messrs. Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown-thought it was a pretty good idea at the time. Read more
In the fallout following the news that Roald Dahl's books have been sanitised, there has been a puzzling discussion around the meaning of censorship. More than one commentator has stated that Puffin Books and the Roald Dahl Story Company (now owned by Netflix) are not censors because this was a business decision.
Handing down beloved books to your children is one of the best things about being a parent. And so like countless others raised on Willy Wonka's golden ticket and the BFG's jars of dreams, of course I was thrilled to relive the Roald Dahl books with my son all over again. Read more
Under book publishing's trending best practices, historical authenticity can be secondary to appeasing people's sensitivities. I'm qualified to say this based on my recent experience as a literary agent on behalf of a client.
Author Anthony Horowitz has said it's wrong "writers are running scared" due to a fear of offending, elaborating on comments he made earlier this year at Hay Festival.
This website offers a wide range of tips on photography and provides an easily accessible guide for the amateur providing guidance and suggestions for photographing everything from babies to pets, headshots to nature. There's also helpful information on equipment.
‘Even if you are writing stark realism, I think there is magic in this age group, because they are at an age at which possibility is at its most colossal. They are still on the brink of becoming the person that they will be, and there is magic inherent there. I wanted to say to children, "I think you have been underestimated.
"What's going on with the book market?" an agent asked me this week. The big books are not showing up, the débuts are passing by too fleetingly, while genre titles, the brands, and backlist books are shifting to the centre ground and taking root. In short, for this year's trends, look to last year's hits. Rinse and repeat.
In my previous blog, I outlined five ways in which publishing can, and likely will, use AI to streamline and make its operations more efficient. I'd like to turn your attention to how AI can help sell more books.
Labour achieved a landslide win in yesterday's general election, with Sir Keir Starmer due to enter Number 10 Downing Street for his first term in office.
A new survey commissioned by the Publishers Association (PA) has shown that children's reading for pleasure remains a priority for adults across the country, despite a decline in reading.
'There is no measure or limit to this fever for writing; every one must be an author; some out of vanity to acquire celebrity and raise up a name, others for the sake of lucre and gain.'