Penguin Books (via Pearson) is considered to be one of the largest publishing conglomerates in the world, but that wasnt always so. They protected D.H. Lawrences Lady Chatterlys Lover and Salman Rushdie. They observe 70 years of continued publication by reissuing 70 short titles from their back catalogue, out of print lists, and new works. But there is one small problem.

There are only two black authors.

Although Penguin has published two of the most important figures in modern black literature, James Baldwin and Chinua Achebe, neither is included on a list that finds room for popular modern names such as Jamie Oliver, Marian Keyes, Gervase Phinn and India Knight, as well as paying tribute to significant white landmarks of world literature such as Gustave Flaubert, Albert Camus, Jorge Luis Borges, Paul Theroux, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Vladimir Nabokov, Sigmund Freud and even Homer, a segment of whose Odyssey gets a look in.

The only two black authors included are Zadie Smith, the young Briton who made her name with the award-winning novel White Teeth, and Hari Kunzru, who is best known for The Impressionist and Transmission, and has a worldwide following.

'It is a glaring omission that they have left out someone like Baldwin,' said the poet Lemn Sissay. 'He is a black writer of incredible importance internationally and particularly in the United States. Maybe Penguin felt that he did not mean enough to British readers.

'And, aside from Zadie Smith, there are many great writers coming up at Hamish Hamilton, which is a Penguin imprint and where Ekow Eshun's new book, Black Gold of the Sun is coming out. Some of this should have been reflected in the birthday list.'

While I would gladly give up any writers inclusion based on race or gender for Marquez, Borges, and Nabokov, why did they neglect one of the finest twentieth century authors?

'Both Baldwin and Achebe, who I concede some people might feel were left out, in fact sell very little in this country. We were looking at our foremost writers and with 5,000 authors in print it was always going to be difficult,' [Marketing director Joanna Prior] said.

I love Dave Eggers, whose Short Short Stories is number 65 in the list of 70 titles, but something from Things Fall Apart should be in its placescrew "selling very little."

supergp

Seattle, WA

February 2003

MAY 24, 2005 06:05 PM

I, for one, didn't like Things Fall Apart.
But then, I think the best literature is genuine exploration of a topic, rather than trying to make a point from the get-go.

Feel free to call my an imperialist, racist, uncultured heathen now.

MrStitches

Brooklyn, NY

November 2003

MAY 24, 2005 06:14 PM

supergp said:
I, for one, didn't like Things Fall Apart.

I read it a while ago, but I remember a line something like "if a man defecates in your hut, do you not beat him over the head with a stick."
What's not to like?

Thistle

SUICIDEGIRL

California, USA

MAY 24, 2005 06:32 PM

Damnit. Should I be disappointed that this thread does not include pictures of actual penguins screwing, which has to be the cutest thing ever, or thankful for this insight into the literary world which I hope to join one day?

Yuriel

I'm lost

January 2004

MAY 24, 2005 06:36 PM

Thistle said:
Damnit. Should I be disappointed that this thread does not include pictures of actual penguins screwing, which has to be the cutest thing ever, or thankful for this insight into the literary world which I hope to join one day?

Never take these thread titles literally.
Moral of the day folks
/endsnarkysarcasm

No seriously. What the?

NotoriousCAT

Atlanta, GA

January 2004

MAY 24, 2005 06:37 PM

Both. At least that's how I felt. I was not the happiest about Pearson obtaining Penguin as I associate Pearson with text/academic books, and I associated Penguin with literature/pleasure reading. But that's what 16 years in the book business will do to you.

jholtsnider

I'm lost

February 2004

MAY 24, 2005 06:43 PM

I didn't like White Teeth all that much; Achebe is a much better author, in my opinion.

vickitr0n

San Antonio, TX

October 2004

MAY 25, 2005 01:49 AM

Oh come on, it's not the publisher's fault that black author's suck.

...

Okay, that was just a joke, I obviously don't actually feel that way. No, really! Please put down that rope!