From David Walliams to The Salt Path, Kate Clanchy - and the moments when publishing suddenly acts fast When a phrase like “after careful consideration” is deployed, readers are meant to hear thoughtfulness, balance, and moral gravity. What they are usually hearing instead is the soft click of a filing cabinet closing. Here we have the gap between what publishing says it is doing - and what, with remarkable consistency, it actually does. It is not about guilt or innocence. I

Why is the Society of Authors criticised for neutrality while authors feel increasingly unsafe? Because publishers have abandoned cultural leadership. This blog explores how consultancy thinking, risk avoidance, and corporate amnesia have left the SoA carrying the weight of an industry too timid to defend its own creators.

Why does France defend authors while Britain backs “innovation”? The answer lies in two centuries of cultural philosophy: France treats creators as custodians of national identity; Britain views them as participants in a market. As AI reshapes publishing, these old instincts have re-emerged - with profound consequences for anyone who makes books.

From the unforgettable scream of "No wire hangers!" to the surreal spectacle of "Piggate," these books dropped bombs on the images of some of the most powerful public figures. This is a look at the moments when books didn’t just make headlines — they remade history.

Excerpt:When Spitting Image turned Britain’s favourite bear into a foul-mouthed drug addict, StudioCanal’s lawyers reached for the marmalade jar. This isn’t just about taste — it’s a legal showdown between parody and property, politeness and profit. Meta description:StudioCanal’s lawsuit against Spitting Image over a cocaine-addled Paddington Bear puppet tests the limits of parody, copyright, and brand protection in UK law.

Non-Disclosure Agreements in UK publishing protect trade secrets, manuscripts, and confidential deals — but they can also silence victims, bury scandals, and distort public narratives. Here’s how NDAs shape, protect, and sometimes poison the industry.

The Net Book Agreement kept UK book prices fixed for almost 100 years, allowing local bookshops to thrive and publishers to take risks. But in 1997, it was declared illegal. Was it outdated protectionism - or a cultural safety net we didn’t realise we needed?

"Make America Great Again."Simple. Punchy. Repetitive, like a nursery rhyme or a drumbeat. But pause for a moment - just a moment - and ask:When exactly was America great?And, more importantly:

Donald Trump is at it again. Again.This time, he’s furious that Amazon might (note: might) have dared to show American shoppers how much his tariffs are adding to their bills.How very dare they!

How AI trained on pirated books is fuelling a cultural heist – what UK authors and publishers must do to fight back.

In 1495, Gutenberg’s printing press rewrote the rules of power, religion, and knowledge - fueling revolutions and reshaping Europe.

This no-nonsense guide isn’t here to sell you a dream. It’s here to help you navigate the reality of freelancing.

So, what can Meditations teach us about surviving the circus of modern publishing? Let’s take a leaf from his scrolls?

The 1993 Commercial Agents (Council Problems withDirective) Regulations (CARs) were introduced to bring UK law into compliance with the EEC.

Once your creative work is out there in the world, how do you ensure that your intellectual property (IP) is properly protected?

As creators of books, we invest not only our time and creativity but also a part of ourselves into our works, for us it is never ‘just a job