March 7 (UPI) — Hachette Book Group announced it has canceled the planned publication of Oscar-winning filmmaker Woody Allen’s memoir “A Propos of Nothing.”
“Hachette Book Group has decided that it will not publish Woody Allen’s memoir ‘A Propos of Nothing,’ originally scheduled for sale in April 2020, and will return all rights to the author,” the publishing company said in a statement Friday.
“The decision to cancel Mr. Allen’s book was a difficult one. At HBG we take our relationships with authors very seriously, and do not cancel books lightly.
“Over the past few days, HBG leadership had extensive conversations with our staff and others. After listening, we came to the conclusion that moving forward with publication would not be feasible for HBG.”
People.com said the company made the decision after about 75 staffers walked out to protest the publication of Allen’s book.
Earlier in the week, Allen’s estranged son — Puitzer Prize-winning journalist and #MeToo advocate — Ronan Farrow cut his ties with Hachette, which had also published his book “Catch and Kill.”
Ronan Farrow has for years publicly supported his sister Dylan Farrow, who said Allen sexually abused her as a child.
Allen has denied any wrongdoing and has not been convicted of any crimes.
The Farrows expressed on social media their gratitude to those who objected to the book’s publication.
“I’m grateful to all the Hachette employees and authors who spoke up and to the company for listening,” Ronan Farrow tweeted.
Dylan Farrow@RealDylanFarrowTo all the employees of @HachetteUS, @littlebrown, and @GrandCentralPub who took a stand, I’m in awe and so very grateful.
But horror novelist Stephen King said in his own Twitter post that he is not sure this was the right move.
“The Hachette decision to drop the Woody Allen book makes me very uneasy. It’s not him; I don’t give a damn about Mr. Allen. It’s who gets muzzled next that worries me,” King tweeted.
“If you think he’s a pedophile, don’t buy the book. Don’t go to his movies. Don’t go listen to him play jazz at the Carlyle. Vote with your wallet… by withholding it. In America, that’s how we do,” he wrote.
“Let me add that it was [expletive] tone-deaf of Hachette to want to publish Woody Allen’s book after publishing Ronan Farrow’s,” King concluded.
