(You can read about it in the Telegraph here.) Our hope is that this will lend the FSU’s voice authority when it speaks out in defence of freedom of expression and comes to the aid of beleaguered authors. To ensure these issues are given a proper airing in the public square and our writer members are protected, as well as authors more generally, we have set up a specialist Writers’ Advisory Council. The freedom of authors to express themselves and of people to read their work without interference or mediation by self-appointed censors is a fundamental human right. These issues are of great concern to the Free Speech Union and not just because they directly affect our writer members. Authors being removed from judging panels after saying something ‘problematic’ (see above).Successful authors being dropped by their publishers and agents after they’ve engaged in ‘hate speech’, e.g.False and defamatory things being said about authors on social media by people who disapprove of their views.Malicious reviews being posted online by anonymous trolls.literary festivals, at the behest of other authors, sponsors or venue staff Authors being no-platformed from speaking events, e.g.Bookshops refusing to stock books or, if they do, their staff refusing to display them properly.Amazon refusing to stock books, or reorder them when out of stock.Publishers recalling books after they’ve provoked controversy and insisting their authors make changes, or simply pulping the books.Grant-giving bodies withholding or withdrawing funding after an author has said something of which they disapprove, e.g.Publishers refusing to properly distribute or promote books because they’re judged to be ‘difficult’.after a book has provoked controversy before publication Publishers reneging on a contract, e.g.Editors removing content to avoid giving offence, e.g. Manuscripts being vetted by sensitivity readers.Morality clauses being included in publishing contracts.The threats that our writer members have flagged up include: It has become increasingly clear to us that freedom of expression is under severe pressure within the literary world, with publishers and literary agents often failing to defend their authors when their speech rights come under attack. Since we launched in February 2020, a growing number of writers have come to us for advice and support – Gillian Philip, Julie Burchill, Helen Joyce, Allison Pearson, Holly Lawford-Smith – and over 250 authors have joined as members.
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