Revolt at publisher Hachette re Rowling "transphobia"

How embarrassing for the 4/5 that their failed attempts at a pathetic moral crusade is only being reported on in the Daily Mail.....

I bet they expected Hachette to capitulate and agree to Do Better, and for them all to get personal full page interviews in the press where they can expand on how men have periods too. After a photo shoot and a free lunch.

Glad we dodged this bullet.

They must have

I would email them but in all likelihood the staff answering their emails are probably young, woke and prone to doxxing women they disagree with.

That's why I emailed the Group Comms Director directly.

Delighted to see these spoilt brats experiencing the real world. They should all fucking resign- I’m sure JKR makes huge money for the publisher and I’m sure they wouldn’t want to be paid with tainted money

I would email them but in all likelihood the staff answering their emails are probably young, woke and prone to doxxing women they disagree with.

The people on my social media who were the most outspoken against JKR and sharing quotes from TRAs tellingly work in publishing. It's a very white middle class industry, lots of women but not in the top jobs. Entry has until recently often been via unpaid or very low paid internships so yes unless you have parents/family to bankroll your career choice it's not open to you.

I am so impressed at that fair and balanced statement and the refusal to no platform her. I don't doubt that it's because she is a best selling author but it sets a precedent that is heartening to see. I really hope other companies and people take note.

Four and three quarter employees...

snorkers, Good idea. Sent a short message.

"and that these staff are now being spoken to individually by their managers."

Oh lordy I'd hate to be having to do that chat. Hope s/he has tissues, a blankie and soothing whale music.

Fabulous work by Hatchette.

The woke-workers also gave their employer a clear demonstration that they hadn't actually read the Ickabog. Whoops.

Oh fuck me....he is a lot more literate than his mother

I switched spell and grammar check off as i felt it was judging me

and that these staff are now being spoken to individually by their managers.
Hopefully some home truths about life in the real world are being doled out. And some P45's waved around, just in case they still don't get it.

Ds1is just graduating

He could do with a job...he Can read and everything

(To be fair he stopoed reading the Harry potter books the second the word ‘deatheater’ came up...very sensitive As a young one, less so now)

Hey tellme

I was sad to lose my bewildered moniker as i felt that as well as it obviously being a tribute...it also summed up my virtually permanent thoughts on mumsnet

And i had langloving for a while...

But who doesn’t love a bit of alliteration 😀

@Snorkers done!

If you appreciate it let them know. Quick line to enquiries at hachette dot Co. UK is all it takes.

Their staff are fucking idiots. Imagine putting your job on the line for a bunch of males threatening to sexually assault and murder a woman. How did these people even get through the interview process?!

Rufus is that you, once Bewildered? Love the adaptation

It's interesting though as pointed it by a pp, suddenly these kids who are used to getting their own way with #nodebate, are in the working world where actually it's generally put up or shut up.

I'm sure they'll claim it's literal violence soon enough. Maybe Jameela Jamil could employ them to count her hair brushes or something.

Dear Hachette, you rock and I'm unemployed. Just sayin.

I love the detail 'between four and five employees'.

Quote from this morning's Bookseller:

Staff at Hachette UK working on J K Rowling's new book The Ickabog have threatened to down tools over the author's recent comments affecting the transgender community.

It is understood that between four and five employees, whose roles span the breadth of the full publishing team, communicated their reluctance to work on the project in a meeting held yesterday morning, and that these staff are now being spoken to individually by their managers.

Hachette UK has released a statement drawing a line when it is and isn't valid to refuse to work on a book project.

"We are proud to publish JK Rowling’s children’s fairytale The Ickabog," reads Hachette UK's statement.

"Freedom of speech is the cornerstone of publishing. We fundamentally believe that everyone has the right to express their own thoughts and beliefs. That’s why we never comment on our authors’ personal views and we respect our employees’ right to hold a different view.

"We will never make our employees work on a book whose content they find upsetting for personal reasons, but we draw a distinction between that and refusing to work on a book because they disagree with an author’s views outside their writing, which runs contrary to our belief in free speech.”

Speaking further with The Bookseller, a spokesperson has clarified it will not be taking a blanket approach to how it deals with employees' objections.

"We are approaching all the conversations with empathy and compassion and on a case-by-case basis," they said.

Standalone fairytale The Ickabog was announced last month. It is being released for free online, with an illustrated edition to follow from Hachette Children's Group imprint Little, Brown for Young Readers in November 2020.

One day when someone actually reads its and uses their brain for a second the shame will be on the ones who very clearly didnt...

I'm actually so embarrassed for some of these people because they very clearly haven't taken the time to read the words on the page.

Good on hachette

Well done Hachette.
I wonder how many of the employees will leave in protest?
Or maybe their moral stand might be tempered by having to pay the rent. Cancelling has consequences.
Welcome to the world of work and free speech.

Good for Hadhette and Warner Bros.

Cancelling and getting people fired and bullying and lying and destroying people's lives because they hold beliefs these self-righteous little shits find objectionable.

Thank goodness they turn on each other at the drop of a wrong thought.

What a disgusting generation. More companies need to stand up to their nonsense.