After the acquisition of filmmaker Woody Allen's memoir by Grand Central Publishing led to protests at the imprint as well as at parent company Hachette Book Group, the book has a new home. Arcade Publishing, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, announced that it has acquired world rights to the title, Apropos of Nothing, and has released it in the U.S. today.
GCP's acquisition of caused an uproar in certain corners, with readers and some authors expressing anger that the publisher would opt to release a title by Allen, who has been accused of sexual assault by his adoptive daughter, Dylan Farrow (charges he has denied)
Ronan Farrow, whose bestselling expose of Harvey Weinstein's sexual predation, Catch and Kill, was published by Hachette Books (which is under the same corporate publishing umbrella as Grand Central), publicly denounced Hachette on Twitter. "I was disappointed to learn that Hachette, my publisher, acquired Woody Allen's memoir after other major publishers refused to do so and concealed the decision from me and its own employees while we were working on Catch and Kill—a book about how powerful men, including Woody Allen, avoid accountability for sexual abuse"
The controversy unfurled with a number of Hachette employees staging a walkout, in protest of Grand Central's planned publication. Hachette then announced that it was dropping the book, which was originally slated for April 20.
Speaking to the title, Arcade, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, said it is "a candid and comprehensive personal account by Woody Allen of his life, ranging from his childhood in Brooklyn through his acclaimed career in film, theater, television, print and standup comedy, as well as exploring his relationships with family and friends."
