Advocate Monika Arora, who authored the book Delhi Ripts 2020: The Untold Story, has written a letter to Bloomsbury India asking them how they can abandon a writer without any communication. In the email, written on behalf of the three authors of the book, she wrote that the Indian office of the publishing house called her and informed that they had been pressurized by the UK office to withdraw their name as the publisher of the book. Arora mentioned in the letter that she was shocked by their decision and requested them not to withdraw their name as the publisher because of the people who have not even read the book yet.
Monika Arora has also revealed that Bloomsbury India is yet to send any formal communication to the authors about withdrawal of the book, they only informed the same over phone, and no written communication has been received from them.
@BloomsburyIndia
— Monika Arora (@advmonikaarora) August 23, 2020
Don’t dump yr authors
We deserve at least an email from u that u have abandoned us & yr book#DelhiRiotsTheUntoldStory
U have removed it from all platforms. People can’t read.
Will international activists decide what Indians will read?
Even #brownlivesmatter pic.twitter.com/yLYKj1K9iu
Bloomsburg did not listen to the request and removed the book from Amazon. Before they could remove it, because of the response it got from the readers who pre-ordered it so that they get their hands on a copy next month; the book was already a bestseller in categories Political Freedom and Security.
Arora mentioned a few essential points that can be legally problematic for the publishing house:
- There was a contract in place that had been signed between the authors and the publishing house.
- Bloomsbury communicated with the authors for three months, suggested changes, checked manuscripts and approved the final draft after every change they discussed was made.
- The publishing house mailed the authors the final draft followed by 100 printed hard copies. These copies are generally meant for distribution among reviewers, influencers, family and friends of the author(s).
- The launch, on which they objected, was very much in their knowledge and they never objected on the guestlist before the outrage.
Being an advocate, Monika Arora mentioned that the breach of the contract attracts Civil and Criminal liability. The publishing house can be held responsible for damaging the authors’ reputation and causing mental agony. Arora mentioned that while the copyrights, material, and previous drafts of the book are with the publishing house, they do not have the right to abandon the book. It was also mentioned in the letter that the publishing house has failed in communicating with the authors to provide any clarification.
The author requested the publication house to formally inform that the book has been withdrawn, the contract has been terminated, and they are no longer the publisher of the book.
Bloomsbury withdraws book under pressure from leftists
The book was virtually launched on 22nd August 2020. The left-leaning social media users who generally preach freedom of speech got irked by the fact that a second book is being released that has the potential to kill their propaganda to prove ilk of Tahir Hussain or organizers of anti-CAA protests had nothing to do with Delhi Riots in 2020. They bullied the publishing house with the help of anti-Hindu authors like William Dalrymple. After publishing house announced they would not publish the book, many authors terminated the contracts with them.
The full text of the letter is given below.
| Bloomsbury Please Reply Dear Mr. Paul Kumar This has reference to the launch of our book Delhi Riots 2020- The Untold Story which was scheduled at 4 pm on 22 August 2020 at 3.30 pm and subsequent events thereof on the same day . You called us on phone and informed us that you are withdrawing as a publisher from the aforesaid book due to pressure from Bloomsbury UK which in turn was pressurized by the social media campaign on twitter etc. wherein people from around the world apparently tagged Bloomsbury UK and told you to disassociate from the aforesaid book. We were shocked and we requested you to not withdraw as a publisher from this book under pressure from those who have not even seen the book or read the book and may be who are people who are driven by an agenda and do not want this book to see the light of the day and the truth of Delhi Riots to come out before the people of India. You showed your helplessness and told us that you are under tremendous pressure and hence are issuing a statement in public domain that you are withdrawing from the book. You told us that you have nothing to do with the book launch function. No other reason was given by you for such a drastic step. Shocked at the turn of events we gathered our composure and we went online and launched the book. The launch program and the book became a hit immediately. People throughout the country and abroad had started placing orders for the book on Amazon and putting these screenshots on twitter. We started getting calls that Amazon says that people can only pre-order the book to be launched by Sep 14 2020. Many told us that they wanted to read the book immediately as they wanted to know the truth of the Delhi Riots. Thereafter people started tweeting and tagging us that the book has been removed from Amazon and that the link of the book has been removed and it is currently unavailable. People also started tweeting and putting the screen shots that it had become the number 1 bestseller on Amazon in the category Political Freedom and Security category. Thousands of people wanted to read the book but the book was unavailable. People were clueless, where to get the book from. And we were clueless where our publisher had gone. In the meantime Bloomsbury also released 2 statements in social media. The first statement was on 21 August 2020 at 8.41 pm to the effect that you were publishing the aforesaid book but not organizing any launch events. The second statement by you in the social media states that you were withdrawing as a publisher from the aforesaid book. You Bloomsbury have signed a contract with the authors. You Bloomsbury have over the past 3 months communicated with us through e- mails, SMS, WhatsApp all of which are in our possession. You Bloomsbury finalized the draft of the aforesaid book. Authors and you the publisher mutually suggested many changes and all were incorporated in the final draft which the authors finalized and as publisher you approved. You Bloomsbury emailed the final draft to us. You Bloomsbury went ahead with the publication, published the books and gave us 100 hard copies. We have sent these copies throughout India to our well- wishers, renowned authors, media persons, social media influencers and other such intellectuals for review of this book. Launch was planned by us as it was our program a GIA program. GIA is The Group of Intellectuals and Academicians, a group of professional women comprising lawyers, professors, journalists, artists and others. The e- card of the Book Launch was put in public domain You had full knowledge of this book launch and the guest list. You never objected orally or in writing regarding the guest list or the launch event. But what happened? You Bloomsbury are such a renowned publisher who has published books like Harry Potter. This is breach of contract, unethical and unprofessional conduct. This will invite Civil and Criminal Liability and you will be liable to pay damages to the authors for damaging their reputation, disowning them publicly, causing mental agony to not only the authors but to millions of people who believed in you, who wanted to order the book, read the book and who wasted their time and energy on Amazon, searching and pre-ordering the book which you have withdrawn without information to the authors and thereby made unavailable. AND all the above was done without a simple email to the authors officially informing that you are withdrawing as a publisher and from the contract. All copyrights are with you, all material is with you, all previous drafts are with you. We designed the cover which was done and redone by your team and our team over the past one month and the final designed cover sent to you by the authors and you approved it. All out intellectual property is with you. And you Bloomsbury who is an internationally acclaimed publisher who do not care for your authors who have reposed their faith in you. You do not even care to write 2 lines and even care enough to give reasons why you have abandoned and orphaned the book without even an official communication to authors who have trusted you and your professional standing as a publisher. Withdrawing minutes before its launching, removing the link from Amazon so that people cannot place orders, not communicating to the authors about the status of their hard work approved ad published by you as 100 copies supplied and not communicating to the authors eve 24 hours after you dumped them is nothing less than a conspiracy to kill the book. May we add here that you can kill the supply of the book but not the idea and not the truth. Bloomsbury may we tell you that Brown Lives matter and Brown women matter too. We have the fundamental right of Freedom of Speech and Expression and of publication of our ideas which have been duly approved by you as a publisher. On our behalf please inform Bloomsbury UK not to succumb under international pressure of agenda drive lobbies, if Internationally Black lives matter than in India Black lives matter and Brown lives matter too. May I add Brown women matter too. We authors are putting this e- mail to you out of pain and agony. Can we take this liberty to request you to at least inform us officially through e-mail that have you withdrawn/gone back on the contract, terminated the contract with us, are no longer our publisher. Is this too much to ask for? We are requesting you to please reply to us by 4 pm today. |
