The management at book publishing company Penguin Random House Canada is facing fierce opposition this week from company staff after plans were announced to publish a new book by Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson in March of 2021.
Four anonymous Penguin Random House Canada employees informed Vice News that the company held a town hall Monday for hysterical employees over the upcoming publishing of Peterson’s latest book, “Beyond Order: 12 More Rules For Life.”
Vice reports that Anne Collins, publisher of Knopf Random Canada Publishing Group, reminded staff at the meeting that it is important they publish “a variety of voices.” Scott Sellers, director of marketing strategy, echoed Collins, saying that the company has to work with writers whose views “we don’t necessarily support.”
Angry staff at Penguin Random House Canada appear to have been largely unreceptive to the idea of diversity of thought.
One employee told Vice News that “people were crying in the meeting about how Jordan Peterson has affected their lives.” One contended Peterson radicalized their father, and another insisted that if the book is published it will negatively affect their non-binary friend.
A different staffer said that Peterson is “an icon of hate speech,” “transphobia,” and “white supremacy.” Another claimed Peterson is responsible for “causing this surge of alt-right groups, especially on university campuses.”
“We publish a lot of people in the LGBTQ+ community and what is the company going to do about making sure these authors are still feeling supported by a company that is supporting somebody who denies their existence?” one employee asked.
If Peterson’s book is published, staff are asking Penguin Random House Canada to donate the profits from the book to LGBTQ organizations.
Following the Vice article, Peterson’s daughter Mikhaela Peterson responded on Twitter writing, “How to improve business in 2 steps: Step 1: identify crying adults. Step 2: fire.”
“… staff CRIED and expressed dismay with the decision to publish 'Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life.'”
How to improve business in 2 steps:
Step 1: identify crying adults
Step 2: firePenguin Staff Confront Publisher About New Jordan Peterson Book – https://t.co/hFBJPS2SmA
— Mikhaila Peterson (@MikhailaFuller) November 24, 2020
In an email to Vice, Penguin Random House Canada stated that they are open to feedback from their employees, but are still committed to publishing books from “a range of voices and viewpoints.”
“We announced yesterday that we will publish Jordan Peterson’s new book Beyond Order this coming March. Immediately following the announcement, we held a forum and provided a space for our employees to express their views and offer feedback. Our employees have started an anonymous feedback channel, which we fully support. We are open to hearing our employees’ feedback and answering all of their questions. We remain committed to publishing a range of voices and viewpoints.”
Employees told Vice News that they felt Penguin Random House Canada had hidden the release of Peterson’s book until last minute. “I feel it was deliberately hidden and dropped on us once it was too late to change course,” said the junior employee. One suggested that the company was trying to avoid the cancel culture met by Hachette Book Group after it tried to publish Woody Allen’s memoir. Employees at Hachette staged a walkout which ended in the company dropping Allen’s book.
Why shouldn’t executives at Penguin Random House Canada be strategic about avoiding inevitable cancel culture? The pushback they are facing is part of a new book banning trend where publishers are pressured to bow to the woke mob. Recently, Target announced they had removed author Abigail Shrier’s book, “Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters” from the retailer’s “assortment” after an unverified Twitter user complained the book questions transgender ideology, especially the concept of irreversible hormonal and surgical experimentation on minors.
Far from a transphobic or a white supremacist, Peterson, a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, has become a beacon of reason in a world of cancel culture, identity politics, and lack of personal responsibility. His free speech advocacy and self-help videos have been especially influential on young men, who have been left behind in the war on boys.
It has yet to be seen whether the very cancel culture Peterson has dedicated his time to combat will ultimately take down his latest book deal.
Here is a glimpse into “Beyond Order: 12 More Rules For Life”:
