The Bookseller
THE BOOKSELLER
5 November 2018
WODEHOUSE TERMINATES CONTRACT WITH ROB GRAYSON
Libreria & Co. division Wodehouse Publications have canceled their seven-figure book deal with Rob Grayson following an onslaught of controversial comments made by the comedian online.
Grayson’s memoir, How to Be Funny, was scheduled to be published next September as Wodehouse’s super-lead nonfiction title.
Wodehouse confirmed that their contract with Grayson had been terminated. Libreria & Co.’s MD Jonathan Webb said: “We can confirm that we will no longer be publishing Rob Grayson’s memoir. His most recent comments were deeply concerning and go against our values as an inclusive publisher.”
A total of 36,454 people signed the viral petition for Grayson’s memoir to be canceled following his increasingly concerning comments on Twitter about who “deserves” to be in this country, and against migrants and Islam on the whole.
When asked for a comment, Grayson said: “I am sad that it’s come to this. The woke brigade are attacking freedom of speech. My publisher knew my views when they offered me my book deal, so it’s clear they’re only trying to appease the overly sensitive by canceling my book, and in turn are partaking in dangerous censorship.”
His agent, Laurie Rees from John Ryan Agency, said: “It is troubling times when publishers make rash decisions based on pressure through social media. We are going to continue to look for a home for Rob’s brilliant book, which focuses on his upbringing, being raised by a single parent from a working-class background. It is funny, heartwarming, and very real, and any comments Rob may have made should not detract from the quality of the memoir he has written.”
The incident has sparked a lively debate online about who deserves to be published, and whether freedom of speech is being impacted by publishers’ decisions to publish only books that sit with their values. Many of Grayson’s fans have been outraged at the cancellation and are calling on other publishers to pick up his hotly anticipated memoir.
Journalist and activist Zahra Chandran was embroiled in a Twitter spat with Rob Grayson, and when asked for a comment said: “Rob Grayson is a disgrace. How he got a book deal when he was always making racist and Islamophobic remarks is beyond me. I’m glad it has been canceled because we don’t need any more hate in the world, but it begs the question: why was he given a platform—and a book deal—to begin with?”