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Penguin Random House Announces New Leadership: Today in Books

Priyanka Chopra to Executive Produce Assume Nothing Limited Series at Amazon

Priyanka Chopra’s Purple Pebble Pictures is producing a limited series based on Tanya Selvaratnam’s memoir Assume Nothing for Amazon Studios. Chopra will also potentially star in the project. The series will be adapted and executive produced by Mimi Won Techentin, who also will serve as showrunner.

Penguin Random House Announces New Leadership

After a turbulent few months for the publishing company, Penguin Random House has announced new leadership. The interim chief executive of Penguin Random House, Nihar Malaviya, will retain the “interim” title for now, but he will be taking charge for the foreseeable future. Malaviya announced a new adult publishing division, Crown Publishing Group, which was created in an effort to foster the company’s “autonomy and independence.” David Drake, the former publisher of Crown, who oversaw the publication of Barack Obama’s memoir A Promised Land, has been promoted to lead the group. Meanwhile, Sanyu Dillon will become president of Random House Publishing Group. So far, all announced changes have all been internal promotions rather than bringing in new leadership from the outside.

As LGBTQ Book Challenges Rise, Some Louisiana Librarians Are Scared to Go to Work

Some librarians in Louisiana claim they feel scared going into work as they are now facing harassment from conservative activists who want to ban or limit access to LGBTQ books in public libraries. Middle school librarian Amanda Jones says that ever since she spoke out against censorship, she has been targeted and attacked online. For instance, some have falsely claimed that Jones shares “sexually erotic and pornographic materials” with children as young as six and “advocat[es] teaching anal sex to 11 year olds.” In a defamation lawsuit filed by Jones in August, she claims that she was cast “as a deviant and a danger to children.” Jones says it’s “very scary” to be a librarian in Louisiana at this moment: “I fear for my safety…I purchased a taser. I purchased pepper spray. I got additional security cameras around my home.”

For a guide to fighting book bans and challenges like these, check out our anti-censorship tool kit.

March 2023 Horoscopes and Book Recommendations

Welcome the new month with March 2023 horoscopes and new book recommendations for each sign.