Bloomsbury has acquired a book by the New York Times journalists who broke the Harvey Weinstein story.
In October 2017, New York Times reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey exposed decades of sexual misconduct by Hollywood producer Weinstein, which set in motion an international conversation about the prevalence of sexual assault and harassment.
Kantor and Twohey will publish an as-yet-untitled book about their revelations and the broader patterns that began to emerge during their reporting with Bloomsbury.
The shockwaves from the story have been felt across multiple industries, including the publishing industry, which has seen both the
editor of the Paris Review and a
Penguin US art director resign over sexual assault allegations. The Hachette Book Group also
terminated its Weinstein Books imprint in the US following the accusations.
A survey into
harassment in the book trade conducted by
The Bookseller found that 54% of women and 34% of men have suffered abuse in the industry.
In the weeks following the publication of the initial article, millions of women used the hashtag #MeToo to share their experiences, highlighting the vast scope of a problem many people, particularly men, had been unaware of.
According to the publisher, the book will delve deeper inside a news story that "changed our culture".
“Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey’s rigorous and brave reporting broke a news story that changed our culture", said the publisher. "In this book, their investigations will go further and deeper, looking at particular women’s experiences, but also analysing a more universal story about power and gender", said the publisher.
Kantor and Twohey said: "As we've watched the worldwide reckoning unfold, our journalistic commitment to truly understanding this problem-- and figuring out what needs to change-- has only deepened."
Bloomsbury acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Natasha Fairweather at RCW (who sold it on behalf of Elyse Cheney in New York) and will publish with a major promotional campaign in spring 2019. Penguin Press acquired US rights in December 2017.
