What I (and a small group of fellow authors are fighting against)

In the wake of the horrific attack of Salmon Rushdie, some organizations have stepped up but the Society of Authors, once a proud beacon for free expression has been mealy-mouthed at best...

As some of you know, I am a novelist and believe wholeheartedly in freedom of expression. I utterly condemn any death threats or incitement to violence. It is a basic value. I thought the Society of Authors, the UK’s main advocate for authors in publishing. You need to have published a book (or have a contract) to belong. The membership list is long and glorious (including George Orwell).

The current president is one Joanne Harris. You may have heard of her and her book Chocolat. It was made into a movie starring Johnny Depp. Ms. Harris has certain strident views on gender ideology which are in opposition to views which JK Rowling and other GC feminists hold. Ms Harris is welcome to hold her views, but she has no right to condemn or to try to silence others for holding a different view or advocating in a specific way. Ms Harris also has openly mocked any suggestion of cancel culture, saying that she has never directly experienced it.

Under her leadership, the Society of Authors has never condemned the death threats which many authors have received.

On Saturday Ms Harris made a puerile joke poll aimed at JK Rowling and the latest death threats she had received. She has since deleted that tweet and put up another poll, proclaiming that she is merely investigating the extent to which authors receive death threats. She doesn’t need a bloody poll — one death threat is too many.

My friend Jane Harris (another novelist) has written a twitter thread about why Joanne Harris’s comments are unacceptable. Letters are going to the Society of Authors.

Jane, Empress of the Known Universe (but not a GP) on Twitter: "Wow. Here's yesterday's poll by @Joannechocolat of @Soc_of_Authors which (though she'll deny it) is her covertly taunting @jk_rowling for daring to complain about the thousands of death threats Rowling receives. Here, Harris hopes to prove that death threats are 'no biggie' https://t.co/2V0iIruulI" / Twitter

Onjali Rauf is a children’s author who faced death threats because she tweeted that she liked Ricky Gervase’s latest and was someone who believed in biological sex rather than identity. onjali rauf on Twitter: "It's the saddest, most tragic of ironies that after shutting down all my platforms for a week following death threats made directly to my phone, this is the news I'm coming back to. My thoughts & prayers are with #SalmanRushdi & all his loved ones as he battles for his life. 1/2 https://t.co/VLVu7o26yR" / Twitter

Thus far this is all the Society of Authors has put out: Society of Authors on Twitter: "Our thoughts are with Salman Rushdie following today's horrific attack in New York." / Twitter

Compare and contrast with the statement Warner Brothers has put out: “Warner Bros. Discovery strongly condemns the threats made against JK Rowling.  We stand with her and all the authors, storytellers and creators who bravely express their creativity and opinions. WBD believes in freedom of expression, peaceful discourse and supporting those who offer their views in the public arena.  Our thoughts are with Sir Salman Rushdie and his family following the senseless act of violence in New York. The company strongly condemns any form of threat, violence or intimidation when opinions, beliefs and thoughts might differ.”

It is an on-going story but at least people are fighting back.

No doubt I will return to this issue from time to time.