This is a structural issue not an individual one. The email quoted Sunny Singh’s tweet which stated “UK publishing is a hostile environment for writers of colour. It also stated “We do not get involved in individual debates – or in disputes between authors” but that “we condemn any kind of racist, hate or unprofessional speech.” The union encouraged members to make a complaint if they are concerned about another author’s behaviour. Joanne Harris, chair of the Society of Authors. The email from the SoA emphasised that “Philip wrote his comments as an individual, not in the name of the Society of Authors”, and that “President is an honorary position only: he does not play any part in the governance of the SoA”. “Writers of colour (including children) and people of colour who are not writers (including children, again), your experiences and imaginations deserve every kind of respect” he added. Pullman has now tweeted an apology for the harm he caused, admitting that his tweet was a “mistake”. Authors of colour who criticised Clanchy, including Chimene Suleyman, Monisha Rajesh and Sunny Singh, went on to receive racist abuse from social media users. In a now deleted comment, made in response to a tweet he wrongly thought to be about Clanchy, he wrote that those who do not read a book before condemning it would “find a comfortable home in Isis or the Taliban”. Pullman, who has been the SoA’s president since 2013, praised Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me, calling it “humane, warm, decent, generous, and welcoming”.
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