Publisher withdraws Kaavya book

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Keywords: Book, Megan McCafferty

New York: Little, Brown & Co., the publishers of Kaavya Viswanathan's controversial How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild and Got a Life have decided to withdraw all editions of the book from stores.

This move comes just days after the author Viswanathan confessed to have unintentionally copying lines from another writer's work in her debut novel.

Publisher Little, Brown and Company, which had signed Viswanathan to a reported six-figure deal, said in a statement Thursday that it had notified retail and wholesale outlets to stop selling copies of the book, and to return unsold inventory to the publisher for full credit.

Though the book is still available in India, Penguin which is distributing the book here is waiting for a notice from Time Warner UK before recalling copies from stores.

Viswanathan, 19, has apologized repeatedly for lifting material from Megan McCafferty's books Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings, saying she had read McCafferty's books voraciously in high school and unintentionally mimicked them.

However, McCafferty's publisher, the Crown Publishing Group, labeled Viswanathan's actions "literary identity theft" and had urged Little, Brown, which initially said her novel would remain on sale, to withdraw the book.

In a statement issued soon after Little, Brown's announcement to withdraw the book, Crown said it was "pleased that this matter has been resolved in an appropriate and timely fashion" and also praised McCafferty for "her grace under pressure throughout this ordeal."

McCafferty, in a statement released by Crown, said she was "not seeking restitution in any form" and hoped to put the affair behind her.

"The past few weeks have been very difficult, and I am most grateful to my readers for offering continual support," she said. "In my career, I am, first and foremost, a writer. So I look forward to getting back to work and moving on, and hope Ms Viswanathan can too."