Publisher halts Philip Roth biography after sexual assault allegations

In the US, publisher W W Norton has halted the distribution and promotion of Blake Bailey’s Philip Roth: The biography after several women accused Bailey of grooming and sexual assault.

The allegations against Bailey, who has also been dropped by his literary agent the Story Factory, were first reported in articles by the Times-Picayune and the New York Times. Bailey has denied all wrongdoing.

The Age reports that Penguin Random House (PRH), the book’s publisher in the UK and Australia, is still planning to publish Philip Roth: The biography, calling the allegations ‘extremely serious and concerning’. ‘At this stage they are allegations, and we continue to publish Philip Roth: The biography. We are assessing the situation closely,’ PRH said.

The book is due for publication in Australia in June, having been published overseas in April.

Category: International news