Quill says HC Canada and Harlequin have both pulled out of sponsoring the Romance Writers of America conference due to accusations of racism on the part of the organization. It’s a serious matter and I’m not even going to make a “pulled-out” joke. Nope.
HarperCollins Canada and Harlequin aren’t giving the Romance Writers of America any love, as they pull their sponsorship and participation from this year’s RWA national conference, scheduled to take place July 29–Aug. 1 in San Francisco. The two divisions join several other U.S.–based publishers in the boycott, including HarperCollins imprint Avon Books.
The decision follows widespread criticism that the RWA is not inclusive. In particular, the organization’s RITA Awards have been called out by the community for its lack of BIPOC and LGBTQ2S+ nominees and winners.
Bookninja 