The Free Speech Union starts Writers Section

It is now official. The Free Speech Union now has an official writers’ section, dedicated to helping authors maintain their interests, particularly in the face of cancel culture.

These are some of the threats which were flagged up to the Free Speech Union during their initial discussions with authors:

• Morality clauses being included in publishing contracts

• Manuscripts being vetted by sensitivity readers

• Editors removing content to avoid giving offense, e.g. ‘cultural appropriation’

• Publishers reneging on a contract, e.g. after a book has provoked controversy before publication

• Publishers refusing to properly distribute or promote books because they’re judged to be ‘difficult’

• Grant-giving bodies withholding or withdrawing funding after an author has said something of which they disapprove, e.g. defended sex-based women’s rights

• Publishers recalling books after they’ve provoked controversy and insisting their authors make changes, or simply pulping the books

• Amazon refusing to stock books, or reorder them when out of stock

• Bookshops refusing to stock books or, if they do, their staff refusing to display them properly

• Authors being no-platformed from speaking events, e.g. literary festivals, at the behest of other authors, sponsors or venue staff

• Malicious reviews being posted online by anonymous trolls

• False and defamatory things being said about authors on social media by people who disapprove of their views

• Successful authors being dropped by their publishers and agents after they’ve engaged in ‘hate speech’, e.g. tweeted #IStandWithJKRowling

• Authors being removed from judging panels after saying something ‘problematic’ (see above)

Craig Simpson of the Telegraph has the details: Writers join rival union that aims to defend free speech after trans row (telegraph.co.uk)

You can see the full list of people on Writers’ Advisory Council here: Writer's Advisory Council – The Free Speech Union I personally think there is a good mix of right, left and centre political opinion. All have a common belief that freedom of speech is worth defending, that cancel culture is a problem in publishing and that the rights of the author should be uppermost in any authors’ union.

And in case anyone asks — membership is not tattooed on people’s forehead and lots of people (including me) have told Toby Young (the founder of the Free Speech Union) that he is obnoxious and disliked. And you know what, at the very least he is willing to fight for authors’ rights and interests. He does not care about intellectual purity. You can see that from the Advisory Council which includes Jack Dee, Julie Bindel, Bel Mooney, Rachel Rooney and others. (I am very happy not to be on the Council and am pleased to be a member).

It is good to have an option.