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Fans of Meghan Markle were thrilled at the news that the Duchess of Sussex is releasing her first children’s book, yet critics have already taken the opportunity to trash Markle’s work online.
People are taking to social media to accuse Markle of plagiarizing her book, which is titled The Bench. Critics claim that the book holds striking similarity to The Boy on the Bench by Corrinne Averiss and Gabriel Alborozo, published in 2018.
“Before you run out and waste money on the book by Harry’s wife, read The Boy on the Bench by Corrinne Averiss and Gabriel Alborozo,” Twitter user @Norms_Nonsense wrote on May 5.
According to its synopsis, The Boy on the Bench centers around a boy sat on a bench with his father at a park. The boy then joins the other children to help find a missing toy. Markle’s book also includes imagery of a child and father sitting on a bench.
However, it seems that the similarities may end there.
Children’s Author Says Meghan Markle Did Not Plagiarize Book
Corinne Averiss, author of The Boy on the Bench, also took to Twitter - to defend Markle against the plagiarism claims.
“Reading the description and published excerpt of the Duchess’s new book, this is not the same story or the same theme as The Boy on the Bench. I don’t see any similarities,” Averiss shared on May 5.
Averiss is a career author who has published ten children’s books, which include Sorrel and the Sleepover, My Pet Star and A Dot in the Snow. If any opinion mattered in the debate as to whether The Bench holds similarities to The Boy on the Bench, it would be hers.
“The Bench started as a poem I wrote for my husband on Father’s Day, the month after Archie was born,” Markle wrote in a press release. “That poem became this story… My hope is that The Bench resonates with every family, no matter the makeup, as much as it does with mine."
The book is being published by Random House Children’s Books in the United States, as well as Tundra Books in Canada and Puffin in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa.
Penguin Random House described the book in a statement: ": “Evoking a deep sense of warmth, connection, and compassion, The Bench gives readers a window into shared and enduring moments between a diverse group of fathers and sons—moments of peace and reflection, trust and belief, discovery and learning, and lasting comfort.”
The Bench will feature watercolor illustrations by Caldecott-winning and bestselling artist Christian Robinson, whose resume includes contemporary children’s books such as Milo Imagines The World, You Matter and Carmela Full Of Wishes. Markle has already spoken highly of her collaboration with Robinson.
She said, “Christian layered in beautiful and ethereal watercolor illustrations that capture the warmth, joy and comfort of the relationship between fathers and sons from all walks of life. This representation was particularly important to me, and Christian and I worked closely to depict this special bond through an inclusive lens.”
Penguin Random House mentioned that Robinson “expands on his signature style,” in The Bench, “working in watercolor for the first time, to bring joy and softness to the pages, reflecting the beauty of a father’s love through a mother’s eyes.”
Markle’s book will be released on June 8. It is reported that The Bench will be 40 pages long and intended for children aged 3 to 7. The Duchess of Sussex will also record an audio version of her book.
In addition to launching her first children’s book, Markle has been busy in other areas of life. She and husband Prince Harry have been activating compassion in communities across the world through their nonprofit, the Archwell Foundation.
The couple recently partnered with Global Citizen as campaign chairs for VAX LIVE: The Concert to Reunite the World, in effort to make COVID-19 vaccines accessible to all, and are working on an upcoming Netflix series.
Not to mention that Markle is a mom to two-year-old Archie, and expecting her second child - a daughter - later this year.
