This weeks Literary Ledger 31 to 7 November 2025

Welcome to your weekly roundup of all things books! We’re keeping it short and sweet, just five stories to keep you in the loop without overwhelming you. Think of this as your quick fix for staying connected to the book world.

I) Integrity in Ink: Authors Boycott British Library Event Over Pay Dispute

Writers, including Joe Hill, Stephen King’s son, have withdrawn from an event at the British Library this weekend in support of striking workers over pay. It’s always surprising, and genuinely heartening, to see well-off writers stand with those affected, showing a real sense of integrity and character.

The event, titled “Tales of the Weird,” is part of the library’s popular series of ghost and horror story collections. Several authors have chosen to boycott after the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), which represents a substantial portion of the British Library’s workforce, announced strike action over what it calls “poverty wages.”

Good for them.

II) Four Years Later: Pan Macmillan Apologises to Kate Clanchy

Kate Clanchy is a British teacher, poet, and writer, known for publishing everything from poetry to memoirs to anthologies. One of her best-known works is the memoir Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me, which draws on her years of teaching. She was even awarded an MBE for services to literature in 2018.

In the summer of 2021, controversy erupted online over Some Kids…, with readers accusing the book of containing racial and ableist stereotypes and of reinforcing a “white saviour” narrative. On Goodreads, one review in particular highlighted the book’s questionable language and its almost exoticised fascination with the children it described. Clanchy responded by encouraging her followers to report the review, claiming it had fabricated a racist quote.

The book was published by Picador, an imprint of Pan Macmillan, and in August 2021 Picador issued three public apologies, stating that the book would be rewritten. It later came out that some senior publishing staff hadn’t actually read the book in question, a fact that only deepened the controversy.

Clanchy has said that her career suffered heavily because of the backlash. She left her long-time publisher in January 2022 and spoke openly about the severe personal toll the situation took on her.

So why are we talking about this again now? On 4 November 2025, Pan Macmillan’s CEO Joanna Prior issued a public apology to Kate Clanchy, four years after their split.

“This was clearly a regrettable series of events in Pan Macmillan’s past. I’m sorry for the hurt that was caused to Kate Clanchy and many others.”

III) Tough Times Ahead for Hachette Learning

Sad and worrying news for the publishing industry: Hachette Learning staff were informed on 5 November 2025 that an unspecified number of roles are “at risk of redundancy,” with a consultation process now underway.

CEO Seshni Jacobs said that the past few years have been “extremely challenging” for UK education publishers, with the sector experiencing fundamental shifts. She highlighted the lack of funding in the UK education market and emphasised the company’s need to move from being UK-centric to becoming a “more globally focused, digitally enabled educational solutions provider.”

At this stage, the exact number of roles at risk is unknown, and the specific departments or positions affected have not been disclosed. There’s also no clarity on the outcome of the consultation, how many redundancies might be enacted, or any timeline beyond November 2025.

Unfortunately, the UK education publishing market has been under strain for some time: reduced funding, slower growth, and increasing digital disruption have all taken their toll.

IV) Change and Growth at S&S Children’s Books

On the other hand, in slightly more positive news, S&S Children’s Books has made three promotions across its sales, marketing, and publicity teams:

• Nicole Russo has been promoted to Executive Publicity Director.

• Tara Shanahan is now Senior Publicity Director.

• Lisa Quach has been promoted to Associate Marketing Director, overseeing a portfolio of imprints including Aladdin, Little Simon, Simon Spotlight, Simon Pulse, McElderry Books, and Scarlett Press.

A lot of change is happening at S&S, exciting times for the team!

V) Government Responds to Curriculum Review: What It Means for Schools and Publishers

In July 2024, the Becky Francis-led Curriculum and Assessment Review was commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) in England to examine how the school curriculum, assessments, and qualifications system should evolve.

On 5 November 2025, the government published its formal response to the Review’s final report. To get you up to date, the key reforms include:

• A new Key Stage 3 reading test for Year 8 pupils and a strengthened writing assessment at Year 6.

• A revised English Literature syllabus featuring more diverse and representative texts that better reflect modern society.

• The scrapping of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) performance measure, which had been criticised for discouraging students from taking subjects such as languages.

• Greater emphasis on enrichment activities, including arts, culture, sport, and civic engagement, along with the integration of media literacy, digital literacy, and critical thinking across the curriculum.

• The publication of a revised national curriculum by spring 2027, with implementation starting in September 2028.

Industry leaders have welcomed the response. Dan Conway, CEO of the Publishers Association, praised the focus on reading and writing standards and the promotion of diverse texts. Tom Weldon, CEO of PRH UK, highlighted their own “Lit in Colour” programme and stressed the need for resources and training to help teachers implement a more diverse literature curriculum effectively.