Bloomsbury to release animation for Eddo-Lodge paperback campaign

Bloomsbury is rolling out an extensive marketing campaign including creative adverts, an animation and a “major” event for the paperback release of Reni Eddo-Lodge’s Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race.

To celebrate the publication of the paperback on International Women's Day (8th March), Bloomsbury has created an animation of the book’s prologue read by the author. The animation will be used mainly on social media throughout the campaign. Foyles will be sharing it on its social media channels after publication this week and a silent 25 second version will be on screens at its Charing Cross branch after publication.

The publisher has also sent the animation out to a handful of organisations to share on their social media channels in support of the book. After 9th March the clip will run as an advertisement for the book on Facebook and Instagram.

The book will also be promoted via creative advertisements around the country. The publisher has commissioned a 48 sheet billboard with Eddo-Lodge's original blog post, on which the book is based, which will be up from 12th March on Old Street. Bloomsbury has also organised two takeover spaces in London that used the book's striped black and white artwork: one by Finsbury Park Tube and Bus station and one Hill St in Peckham Rye.

The marketing and publicity campaign will also see Eddo-Lodge in conversation with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at Southbank Centre's WOW - Women of the World festival on Saturday 10th March.

Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race has sparked a national conversation about race and racism in Britain, according to the publisher. The non-fiction title, which was chosen by Emma Watson for her book club in January and February, has been reprinted 15 times since its publication in June 2017. The hardback has sold 26,000 copies for almost £366,000, according to Nielsen BookScan.

Why I'm... was both Blackwell’s Non-fiction Book of the Year and Foyles Non-fiction Book of the Year 2017, and has been shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize and was longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize. The “powerful and clever” design of the book has also been received well and was shortlisted for Best Cover at the British Production and Design Awards. It is shortlisted for Non-Fiction Narrative Book of the Year at The British Book Awards.