Susan Fowler’s forthcoming memoir, titled “Whistleblower,” is scheduled to hit bookshelves March 3, 2020. The book will be available for pre-order beginning June 12.
In late 2017, Penguin Random House imprint Viking Books acquired the rights to the memoir, which chronicles the harassment and discrimination Fowler faced during her tenure as a site reliability engineer at Uber.
Her memoir “will expose the systemic flaws rampant in the startup culture,” with “previously unreported details of what happened after she went public with the harassment and discrimination she faced [at Uber],” according to Viking. Additionally, it will touch on themes such as women’s role in the American economy, navigating challenging work environments, with an “eye-popping depiction and broad indictment of a work culture where a woman can do absolutely everything right and still encounter tremendous obstacles.”
Twenty-eight-year-old Fowler is best known for her infamous blog post, “Reflecting On One Very, Very Strange Year At Uber,” published in 2017. The 3,000-word essay detailed the sexist bro-culture rampant at the fast-growing ride-hailing giant, as well as its human resources department’s negligence. Unintentionally, the writing made Fowler an overnight celebrity in the tech world, with leaders praising her for her bravery.
The blog post sparked a movement that ultimately led to the ouster of Uber’s founding chief executive officer, Travis Kalanick, and some 20 other Uber employees accused of sexual harassment or other inappropriate behavior. Kalanick was replaced by former Expedia chief Dara Khosrowshahi, who has since led the business’ highly anticipated initial public offering.
Fowler, alongside Tarana Burke, Ashley Judd and others, was named a Time Person of the Year in 2017, named on Vanity Fair’s New Establishment List, along with countless other accolades.
Exercising her writing chops, Fowler joined Stripe as the editor-in-chief of its quarterly publication, Increment, before getting scooped up by The New York Times, where she now works as an editor of the opinion section. Previously, she authored two books on computer programming.
In addition to “Whistleblower,” a movie documenting Fowler’s story is in the works. Oscar-nominated “Hidden Figures” screenwriter Allison Schroeder and former Disney executive and producer Kristin Burr have signed on to develop the film, titled “Disruptors.”
“The Disaster Artist” producer Erin Westerman is credited with landing the project for Good Universe, an independent film production company, and will oversee its production. Westerman told Deadline in late 2017 that the “project is an anthem for women and an important reminder of the power of one female voice.”
Uber ends policy of forced arbitration for individual sexual assault claims
