Bloomsbury pulps stock after Orange Prize error

28.11.12 | Joshua Farrington - The Bookseller

Bloomsbury has been forced to pulp 6,000 copies of a novel after wrongly labelling it as the winner of the Orange Prize 2012.

The publisher reprinted Ann Patchett¹s book State of Wonder with a banner above the author¹s name declaring it the "Winner of the Orange Prize 2012". 

The book was shortlisted for the prize, but the award for women writers ultimately went to another Bloomsbury book, Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Patchett won the Orange Prize in 2002 for her novel Bel Canto.

The mistake was picked up by the Bookseller Crow bookshop in Crystal Palace, London. It posted a cover photo on its website, commenting: "a tip from Bloomsbury. If your shortlisted book fails to win a major book award, just SAY that it did anyway."

A spokesperson for Bloomsbury said: "We have moved printers and in the course of that move we made a mistake reprinting State of Wonder. Ann Patchett won the Orange Prize in 2002, not 2012. We have pulped the 6,000 copies in our warehouse and a corrected reprint is due in this Friday (30th November)."
Booksellers who want to replace stock should contact Bloomsbury.

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