As JK Rowling turns 60, John Boyne on why he stands behind the fearless author

I'm suspicious of any man who identifies three groups as at fault, men, young people and women, and takes it upon himself to decide women are the worst of the three.
TRA women aren't beyond reproach. But they weren't the people sending JKR rape and death threats.

@Inkspotblue I agree. It is terrifying that any intelligent discourse on this matter is shouted down as bigotry. It makes me wonder how many people in the public eye hold GC beliefs but keep silent out of fear of losing their livelihoods or worse.

Well I can’t answer your question but I can offer that I was meant to see John Boyne in conversation on a book tour thing probably last Oct time. It was in a venue in a quite rural but affluent community - not a place where I would imagine TRA’s would bother to make the journey to. But it was cancelled because of the furore. Any way, it’s back on a year later and so maybe just maybe it’s an indication that this stuff is losing its chokehold.

Thank you @ReTerf yeah v interesting…
I understand that trans people are a tiny minority and I understand that they are vulnerable to violence and discrimination, just like women. What I don’t understand is how the lobby for trans people has become so powerful that any disagreement, or even any questioning/debate, is immediately labelled transphobic and people are cancelled, abused, John Boyne is bullied out of a literary prize nomination etc.
Like @DeanElderberry said, the Irish media won’t engage in the debate (though granted they did print the article re boyne on JK). I find this power to shut down all debate quite frightening…history has shown us where this leads. How is it that such a small minority has become so powerful?? Please share your views.

Just found this. Interesting read.
https://quillette.com/2025/08/12/another-tiresome-trans-activist-power-play-boyne-polari-prize/

I know this is an old thread but I’d love to read about JB’s conversion from TWAW…any links you could share? I can’t get past the paywall on the OP’s link, or archive link.

Polari Prize statement on the matter. Getting their arses handed to them from both sides on X...

https://x.com/PolariPrize/status/1953387847643185591

Yes I've been reading about this.

Now some of the other nominees have dropped out in protest about 'Johns hateful views' and I think mostly about the quote in the first post on this thread.

Sasha Coward seems particularly aggreived about the analogy with handmaidens....

It seems John Boyne is coming under fire for being nominated for a literary award. The TRAs and their handmaidens are trying to get him.

I saw JKR tweet about this but couldn’t find a thread. It made me buy all four of his Elements series. I loved The Heart’s Invisible Furies so much so am happy to support this author.

60? Blimey! Almost as shocked as when I was.

Still remember sitting in a packed cinema for the premier of the first HP film with our 6 year old. She has her own 5 year old now 😳

All the Irish media have been continuing to toe the 'no debate' line.

@DeanElderberry Is that true of the Irish Independent? Genuine question, it's not on my radar.

That is just brilliant!

I enjoyed The Echo Chamber. Over the top but fun.

John Boyne has had trouble at the hands of TRAs, IIRC (sorry not read linked article which may discuss it).

Caledonian Road is good, a bit absurd in parts and fairly serious. It’s well written and interesting. I love Andrew O’Hagen’s book Maf The Dog, highly recommend it

It ain't Literary Fiction. More of an absurd bit of knockabout fun. If course the characters and plot are a bit unlikely. But are they as unlikely as the craziness we are actually living through?
Ps I've just bought Caledonian Rd for someone as a birthday present too. An impulse purchase after reading a few sentences.

Not just me it's code for awfulness at my book group! Every single one of us hated it. I found all the characters awful (I know we were meant to hate the main family but everyone was unlikeable and it would have worked better for me if they contrasted with the minor characters actually being likeable).

I found the Eastern European characters to be boardering on racist stereotypes.

We were supposed to believe that no one could spot that an attractive 'female' was in fact male and had presented as such until a couple of weeks ago.

The plot was ridiculous and I didn't think it was well written. I can't think that it had a single redeeming feature.

@WarrenTofficier I’m sorry, I didn’t see your post but I’m so surprised that you hated the book so much

It's always heartwarming to me when people support her publicly. I feel less of a missanthrope.

Essential reading and so funny. The audiobook is great too. Much better than Caledonian Road which has some similar characters

I hated it, one of the worst books I have ever read. I had assumed from it that Boyne was a fully fledged 'be kinder' so he has gone up slightly in my estimation but I will never get back the hours of my life I wasted on that awful, awful book.

It was wonderful watching his conversion from TWAW to Terf a few years ago. He a knowledged how wrong he'd got it and has been gracious in seeking out those he criticised to apologise and then defend them

We're suspicious of any male who calls himself a "feminist", but maybe this is a case of "Terf is as terf does".

I recommend John's book The Echo Chamber. Brilliant, funny novel about the follies of our time

It's the link with "archive" in the address, immediately below the main link in the OP.