As Chair of the 1983 Booker Prize judges, Fay Weldon had been expected to make a speech celebrating the year’s best fiction. Instead, she delivered a devastating attack on the publishing industry
I just read the speech. What she defends is perfectly align with today publishers' interests. The most resonating being her defense of "Public Lending Rights" which the International Publishers Association today advocates for. I will even add that both the Society of Authors and the Writers Guild want it to replace Controlled Digital Lending, a reason why they side with publishers in their lawsuit against the Internet Archive.
Everybody knows the Booker Prize to be "industry driven" as if that was more fair than creative writing program members using literary prizes to promote their protégés. It isn't.
I just read the speech. What she defends is perfectly align with today publishers' interests. The most resonating being her defense of "Public Lending Rights" which the International Publishers Association today advocates for. I will even add that both the Society of Authors and the Writers Guild want it to replace Controlled Digital Lending, a reason why they side with publishers in their lawsuit against the Internet Archive.
Everybody knows the Booker Prize to be "industry driven" as if that was more fair than creative writing program members using literary prizes to promote their protégés. It isn't.
This is great! Were there any responses publicly from publishers after the event? (Excluding the punch.)