Salt Path author’s fourth book delayed by Penguin after controversy ...Middle East

The publisher behind The Salt Path is delaying the author’s next book following allegations that she fabricated parts of the best-selling book, the The i Paper has learned.

The book’s author Raynor Winn, real name Sally Walker, has denied allegations by The Observer that her claims about her husband Moth’s corticobasal degeneration (CBD) illness, and the events that led to the loss of their home, have been mispresented by the book, which was recently adapted into a hit film.

In a statement, Penguin Michael Joseph, a division of publishing giant Penguin Books, said: “Given recent events, in particular intrusive conjecture around Moth’s health condition which has caused considerable distress to Raynor Winn and her family, it is our priority to support the author at this time.

“With this in mind, Penguin Michael Joseph, together with the author, have made the decision to delay the publication of On Winter Hill from this October. We will announce a new publication date in due course.”

An editor at a top industry magazine believes that Penguin could even cancel this book, the author’s fourth, if the allegations prove to be true.

Maia Snow, The Bookseller‘s news editor said: “The future of Raynor Winn’s next book is still uncertain, but the announcement of the book’s publication was only made on 10 June, so it’s unlikely Penguin has made a firm decision on the future of the next book.

“We are still in the early stages of the fallout from [The Observer] investigation. Nothing has been definitively proved either way, especially after Winn’s rebuttal.”

Should Penguin decide to cancel Winn’s new book, which was due to launch on 23 October, it would not be the first time the publisher has taken such drastic decision against an author.

In 2015, the group stopped printing recipe book, The Whole Pantry, amid uncertainty around whether its author, Australian wellness influencer Belle Gibson, had cancer.

It later transpired that Gibson had faked her cancer diagnosis and was fined A$410,000 (£205,000) after a court found her guilty of five breaches of consumer law.

Snow added: “It is worth mentioning, this was an extreme case as Belle Gibson admitted she had faked her diagnosis, and that book was hinged on that diagnosis. Whereas Winn has stood by her husband’s diagnosis and provided documents to say he has received treatment for CBD.

“There’s a chance the book might just be delayed until a later date when things are clearer.”

Penguin insists it conducted “all the necessary pre-publication due diligence” before publishing the worldwide smash. It’s contract with Winn also included “an author warranty about factual accuracy”.

The Salt Path and Winn’s two other previously published books – The Wild Silence and Landlines – have sold more than two million copies worldwide.

Authors typically receive royalties of around 10 per cent from the price of each book sold according to The Society of Authors (SoA), meaning Winn could have received around £200,000 from book sales alone, cash that does not include her income from digital and audio book downloads.

According to the SoA, when it comes to ebooks, the retailer pays the publisher a percentage of the recommended retail price. The author then gets 25% of whatever the retailer pays the publisher.

The figure also does not include how much Winn may have been paid for the film adaptation of the book, although films rights alone often result in the author receiving only a few thousand pounds. In 2020, Joanne Harris, the author of Chocolat, revealed she was paid just £5,000 for the film rights to the novel.

Following the allegations around the veracity of some elements in The Salt Path, Penguin insisted it had taken the correct steps before publication.

In an earlier statement, the publisher said: “Penguin undertook all the necessary pre-publication due diligence, including a contract with an author warranty about factual accuracy, and a legal read, as is standard with most works of non-fiction.”

In the UK alone, the books have sold a million with The Salt Path becoming one of the top 100 books of the past 50 years and is still the second biggest seller on the official NielsonIQ BookData non-fiction chart. The film adaptation starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs, was released in May and is still showing in cinemas around the globe.

In a statement posted on her website on Wednesday, Winn responded in detail to the claims made in the newspaper.

She provided documents that appeared to confirm her husband Moth had previously been diagnosed with corticobasal degeneration.

She also stood by her description of how the couple came to lose their house and denied the couple had any outstanding debts.

However, Winn acknowledged making “mistakes” earlier in her career, after The Observer reported she had defrauded a previous employer of £64,000. She said it had been a pressured time.

“Any mistakes I made during the years in that office, I deeply regret, and I am truly sorry,” she said, but added the case had been settled between her and her ex-employer on a “non-admissions basis” and although she was questioned by the police, she was not charged.

Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Salt Path author’s fourth book delayed by Penguin after controversy )

Also on site :

• Heartbreaking letters Camp Mystic children wrote to their family arrive days after they died in Texas floods
• Watch- Shubman Gill reacts as Ravindra Jadeja teases him in front of Sara Tendulkar
• Nine things over 60s should do each week to stay young (including kitchen dancing)