The PW Morning Report, August 8, 2008
By Dermot McEvoy -- Publishers Weekly, 8/8/2008 7:39:00 AM
Friday, August 8, 2008
Welcome to the Eighth Day of the Eighth Month in the Eighth Year of the Century!
A dail
y round-up of the latest publishing news: Random House Pulls Islam Novel; Simon Gray Dead; Let Them Eat Time; Law Firm: Judith Regan "Deadbeat"; and George Clooney Options The Challenge; Segal Options Just Like Beauty
Random House Pulls Islam Novel, reports Reuters
The Jewel of Medina, a first novel by journalist Sherry Jones about the Prophet Mohammed’s child bride, was scheduled for publication on August 12, but it has been pulled from the Random list. Random House, according to deputy publisher Thomas Perry, said the company received "cautionary advice not only that the publication of this book might be offensive to some in the Muslim community, but also that it could incite acts of violence by a small, radical segment. In this instance we decided, after much deliberation, to postpone publication for the safety of the author, employees of Random House, booksellers and anyone else who would be involved in distribution and sale of the novel."
Asra Q. Nomani also has an interesting opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal
Simon Gray, British Playwright, Dead at 71, reports New York Times
He wrote 40 plays, including Butley, five novels, and three memoirs: The Smoking Diaries (2004), The Year of the Jouncer (2006) and The Last Cigarette (2008)
Let Them Eat Time! Dial Signs Up Marie Antoinette’s Watch, reports New York Observer
After an auction that included Penguin and Collins, Susan Kamil, publisher of Dial, paid John Biggs, editor of the blog CrunchGear.com, $300,000. The book is about a watch that took 44 years to make and was the state of the art of the day. Unfortunately, sweet Marie lost her head before it was completed. C’est la vie
Starbucks Picks: The House at Sugar Beach, reports AP
Helene Cooper’s novel about growing up in Liberia during that country’s civil war will be available at Starbucks locations staring in early September. S&S is the publisher
Law Firm: Judith Regan A "Deadbeat," reports New York Daily News
Dreier LLP and Redniss & Associates sue the former publisher for shorting them on legal fees after they were fired
George Clooney Picks Up Option to The Challenge, reports Page Six
Jonathan Mahler’s book tells the story of Salim Hamdan, Osama bin Laden’s Yemeni driver, who was just convicted at Guantanamo Bay of supporting terrorism by being bin Laden’s driver. He was, in essence, given a five month sentence. FSG is the publisher
Segal Options Just Like Beauty, reports Variety
Oren Segal signs on Lisa Lerner’s debut novel, which was published by FSG
CORRECTION: In yesterday’s Morning Report I mistakenly reported that Drink, Play, F*#k was optioned by Brad Pitt’s production company at Paramount, with Julia Roberts set to star. That is incorrect. Drink, Play, F*#k by Andrew Gottlieb was acquired for film by Warner Bros. Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir Eat, Pray, Love film rights were acquired by Brad Pitt’s production company at Paramount and will star Julia Roberts.
