Latest news with #Wiley
Forbes
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Beyond The Creative Status Quo—How Creators Are Reinventing Success
Writers collaborate and share ideas in a creative community, illustrating the power of connection in ... More today's storytelling landscape. The publishing industry is facing a cultural creative renaissance, driven by #BookTok trends, blockbuster book adaptations, and celebrity-led book clubs. As a result, the demand for great storytelling has never been higher. Creators are becoming savvier in how they market and generate an income from their art. The creative is the easy part; it's trying to understand the business part of the industry that deflates dreams. #BookTok has garnered over 35 million videos and been viewed over 200 billion times globally, according to Wiley. This community has sparked a renewed interest in reading, particularly among younger demographics. Additionally, celebrity book clubs, such as Oprah's Book Club and Reese's Book Club, have a significant impact on book sales, catapulting titles to the bestseller lists. 'Why don't we have guidance as writers before we invest years in a novel? Why don't we know if this is going to be good? Is the story good?' Louise Dean, founder of The Novelry, asked, highlighting the gap between creative passion and the business realities facing aspiring authors. As an award-winning novelist, she wanted more from her writing experience. The more she thought about the writing process and the anxiety creators experience, her questions led her down an entrepreneurial path. With the launch of The Novelry, a top-rated online writing school, the Betty Trask Prize winner aimed to create a community that would help authors achieve their desired level of success. Through this journey, she learned the following lessons: From Solitary Pursuit To Collective Power Dean's journey began with a simple, contrarian question: 'Why is this such a lonely business?' After years spent wrestling with the isolation of writing, she decided to challenge the status quo. The Novelry's origins were an open invitation for writers to draft their novels together in 90 days. Dean thought only a few would apply; however, hundreds joined without a website or marketing push, proving there was a hunger for community-driven creativity. Dean's philosophy is clear: 'Let's do this together.' She established a writing culture centered on collaboration, peer support and constructive feedback. 'Being together and writing was way more fun than writing solo, contrary to the myth,' she notes. This sense of shared journey remains the foundation of The Novelry, where writers support each other through the highs and lows, and the myth of the solitary genius is replaced by collective momentum. Louise Dean, Founder of The Novelry, preparing for the Next Big Story event. Neurodiversity: A Source Of Competitive Strength What sets The Novelry apart is Dean's recognition that differences drive excellence. There are many neurodivergent individuals within her sphere, and she sees this not as a challenge but as a strength. 'There's no cookie-cutter way of doing things,' she insists. She champions a 'tools, not rules' mindset, allowing people to work in ways that best suit them. 'Learning to understand how people operate gives a company superpowers,' she says. By fostering a flexible and adaptive culture, Dean has positioned The Novelry as a magnet for talent and innovation. The founder believes that connection and trust are more important than rigid hierarchy. 'We're not corporate, and that was important to me,' she explains. Her company operates on a culture-based autonomy system; each team member plays to their own strengths, rather than having to fit a specific job description mold. Redefining Access And Opportunity The company was designed to provide aspiring writers with the kind of access and support typically reserved for insiders. With in-house coaching from bestselling authors and former Big Five publishing editors, The Novelry is reshaping how great stories are discovered. Since 2017, thousands of writers have gone on to secure major book and TV deals, with 75% of represented writers landing publishing contracts with prominent publishing houses, including Penguin Random House. The company's latest initiative, The Next Big Story—a $100,000 contest judged by book world luminaries like Emma Roberts and Julia Quinn—aims to spotlight new, underrepresented voices in fiction. As publishing continues to evolve, human-centered leadership offers a powerful reminder: creativity flourishes where connection and access come first. By championing community over competition and recognizing the unique strengths within every writer, the industry changes what's possible in storytelling; it's setting a new standard for what leadership can look like in any creative industry. 'We have this incredible community of resources,' Dean concludes. 'We know how to get what people need really quickly, and people can learn and write in the ways that work for them.'
NZ Herald
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
‘Mental as anyone': Entertainment journalist Jonathon ‘J-Mo' Moran opens up about mental health struggles
'It's been a fabulous, wonderful, awesome career' which included going on sets of movies in New Zealand, interviewing Michael Buble, Madonna, Cher, and countless other big names, even striking friendships with famous people others can only dream of getting close to. That's not what he wanted to do with his time and his platform. 'I've found real purpose in sharing my story and other people's stories around mental health,' he told Bridge. 'I've experienced trauma in my life. Not saying it's more trauma than anyone else, but it's real trauma,' he added. 'The thing that I have is a platform and ability to share that because I've come out the other side. 'I am strong today. I may not be tomorrow, I wasn't yesterday. But I have the ability to share this story.' Moran's goal is to reclaim the word 'mental' and destigmatise mental health struggles. His years of working closely with celebrities helped him realise that truly everyone struggles, no matter how famous you are or how much money you have in the bank. He wants everyone to know there is nothing shameful about that and that, in fact, sharing our vulnerabilities is a strength. Because it is based off Moran's real-life experiences, the book includes some episodes with celebrities, but none of them are gratuitous name-dropping. 'There are certain lines I won't cross,' he said. 'The celebrities that I have touched off in the book are celebrities I've felt a connection with,' he added, mentioning the late Carrie Fisher as an example of someone with whom he struck up a friendship with. Moran speaks candidly about his struggles and says he endeavours 'to show a sense of vulnerability' in the hopes it encourages other people to open up about their own. 'I can't get people to share their stories if I'm not truthful with my own. 'Yesterday morning I could not stop crying. Right this second I'm great. But life is ups and downs,' he said. 'I check in with my GP regularly, I have an appointment with my counsellor next week.' Entertainment Journalist Jonathon Moran's new book. Moran believes the world is shifting and audiences no longer care about superficial celebrity gossip - of which social networks are filled up. 'We're moving back to authenticity, as lame as that word sounds. You, out there, the audience, are demanding more,' he said. In Mental As Anyone, Moran gives the audience what they demand. Warts and all. Mental as Anyone is published by Wiley and available now.
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Record
Urgent warning from Met Office as report shows extreme weather is 'new normal'
The latest report on the UK's climate is a 'call to action' against global warming. The Met Office has issued an urgent warning as extreme weather has become the 'new norm' for the UK. We enjoyed the sunniest spring on record this year and are just out a sweltering heatwave. But we have also seen some wild weather, and these trends of extremely hot weather mixed with severe storms and rainfall show the concerning impact of global warming on our climate. The new State of the UK Climate report was published by Wiley in the Royal Meteorological Society's 'International Journal of Climatology'. It shows that the last three years have been in the top five warmest on record for the UK, with records beginning in 1884. UK temperatures have warmed at a rate of approximately 0.25C per decade since the 1980s, with the most recent decade (2015-2024) being 1.24C warmer than 1961-1990. The report is based on data from a network of several hundred weather stations, with temperature and rainfall records dating back to the 1800s providing the long term context for climate change. The hottest summer days and coldest winter nights have warmed around twice as much in some parts of the UK when comparing the most recent decade of 2015-2024 to 1961-1990. Rainfall has also increased dramatically, bringing greater risks of flooding in the UK. The overall increase in rainfall was caused by an upward trend of rain in the winter half-year (October to March). For 2015-2024, the winter half-year is now 16 per cent wetter than 1961-1990 for the UK. Met Office Climate Scientist and Lead Author of the State of the UK Climate report, Mike Kendon, said: 'Every year that goes by is another upward step on the warming trajectory our climate is on. "Observations show that our climate in the UK is now notably different to what it was just a few decades ago. We are now seeing records being broken very frequently as we see temperature and rainfall extremes being the most affected by our changing climate." These changes in temperature and rainfall have already led to an increase in extreme weather events for the UK. While we've seen major storms this year, such as Storm Éowyn, and several record-breaking heatwaves already, the report only uses data up until the end of 2024. However, it details a spike in severe weather up until the end of last year that caused widespread damage and several deaths. The UK saw widespread flooding last year caused by storms Babet, Ciarán, Debi, Elin, Fergus, Gerrit, Henk, Isha and Jocelyn, and parts of Eastern Scotland in particular were affected. Parts of South Wales also experienced severe flooding from storm Bert in late November 2024, with 100 to 150mm or more of rain falling across high ground. This multi-hazard storm brought heavy rain, strong winds and caused several deaths. Red warnings were also issued across the UK for storm Isha in January and storm Darragh in December of 2024. Chief Executive of the Royal Meteorological Society, Professor Liz Bentley, said: 'This latest edition of the State of the UK Climate report reinforces the clear and urgent signals of our changing climate, rooted in robust observational science. "It documents changes in temperature, rainfall, sea level, and weather extremes that are affecting lives, infrastructure, and ecosystems across the UK. 'The report draws particular attention to the last decade that clearly shows how quickly our climate is evolving to inform policy, resilience planning, and adaptation. Perhaps most striking is the growing impact of extremes. "While long-term averages are shifting, it is the extreme heat, intense rainfall and droughts that are having the most immediate and dramatic effects on people and nature. This report is not just a record of change, but a call to action.'
Engadget
5 days ago
- Business
- Engadget
Claude AI now integrates with Canva
Anthropic's Claude can now create and edit designs with visual studio Canva from within an AI chat. This integration is powered by a Canva server that uses Anthropic's Model Context Protocol, or MCP. Claude can use Canvas's tools to generate a design or search for materials within a user's Canva workspace. This functionality requires a paid subscription to Claude, and access also varies based on the user's Canva plan. Multiple artificial intelligence platforms have started using MCP to connect their models to applications. Anthropic unveiled its MCP in November, and earlier this month, it announced that Wiley and Panopto had created MCP servers to connect to Claude. In addition, Anthropic now has a directory of all the platforms that use its MCP tech. From that directory, users can discover and access the remote services and local apps that connect to Claude. Subscriptions are required for the remote connectors. It seems likely that the company will continue to expand its roster of supported services and get its chatbot active in more third-party platforms.
The National
5 days ago
- Climate
- The National
Extreme weather in UK is now the norm, major climate report says
Scotland recorded its hottest day in two years on Saturday with temperatures hitting more than 32C in some areas. A temperature of 32C in Scotland has only been recorded on six previous occasions since 1961. The latest State of the UK Climate report, published by Wiley in the Royal Meteorological Society's 'International Journal of Climatology', says the last three years have been in the UK's top five warmest on record, with 2024 the fourth warmest year in records dating back to 1884. In 2024 specifically, the UK recorded its second warmest February, warmest May, fifth warmest December, fifth warmest winter and warmest spring on record. READ MORE: TRNSMT Ferris wheel evacuated as generator fire breaks out Statistics like this are typical of recent years in the UK's climate records and some of these have already been surpassed in 2025, the report said. Met Office climate scientist and lead author of the report Mike Kendon said the pace of change and clustering of records is "not natural". Met Office climate scientist and lead author of the report, Mike Kendon, said: 'Every year that goes by is another upward step on the warming trajectory our climate is on. "Observations show that our climate in the UK is now notably different to what it was just a few decades ago. We are now seeing records being broken very frequently as we see temperature and rainfall extremes being the most affected by our changing climate. 'This pace of change and clustering of consecutive records is not a natural variation in our climate. "Numerous studies have shown how human emissions of greenhouse gasses are warming the atmosphere and changing the weather we experience on the ground. "Our climate in the UK is now different to what it was just a few decades ago, this is clear from our observations.' The report is based on observations from a network of several hundred weather stations, with temperature and rainfall data from these extending back to the 19th Century providing long term context. READ MORE: Woman dies after fall near popular beauty spot north of Glasgow Statistics show how the hottest days experienced in the UK have increased dramatically in just a few decades. It says the number of days with temperatures 5°C above the 1961-1990 average has doubled for the most recent decade 2015-2024 compared to 1961-1990. For 8°C above average the number has trebled and for 10°C it has quadrupled. When comparing the most recent decade 2015-2024 to 1961-1990, the hottest summer days and coldest winter nights have warmed around twice as much as average summer days and winter nights have in some parts of the UK. At the same time, the frequency of the coldest nights has also dropped dramatically. Statistics also lay bare the extremes of rainfall in last the few decades. For the most recent decade 2015-2024, the number of months where counties are recording monthly rainfall totals of at least twice the 1991-2020 monthly average has increased by more than 50% compared to the number in 1961-1990. Floods and storms brought the worst severe weather impacts to the UK in 2024. There was widespread flooding in early January associated with the run of named storms from the autumn of 2023 including storms Babet, Ciarán, Debi, Elin, Fergus, Gerrit, Henk, Isha and Jocelyn. October 2023 to March 2024 was the wettest winter half-year on record for England and Wales in over 250 years with areas affected by flooding including eastern Scotland, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and the West Midlands. Met Office chief scientist, Professor Stephen Belcher, said: 'We are experiencing more severe weather events in the UK due to climate change. "They are a potent reminder of our responsibility to citizens now, and to future generations, to accelerate efforts to adapt our society and infrastructure to cope with these weather extremes. "The climate is likely to continue to change, and so we need to prepare for the impacts that will have on the weather we experience on the ground.'
