Times Interview with Kate Clanchy - shared article in post

Thanks for this. I've not been particularly invested in this story and was only vaguely aware of it going on. (So many cancelled women). Its been eye opening.

Sadly, I suspect petty jealousy is the driver for some of the, frankly, unhinged attacks on this woman. Agree to disagree on tone of her writing if you must, be envious of her class privilege, if you must (she's attractive and stylish too. I'm sure that's read uncharitably by her detractors) but let's not pretend she, or any writer, deserves to be pulled over the coals in this fashion.

Thanks for posting the archive link to the Unherd article, @icakethereforeIam

Sadly, "compulsorary" is not a word, and this short extract thereby exposes the problem, or one of the problems: that some of the people allowed to exert power over the fate of the book are not, in fact, capable of understanding said book.

I'm nowhere near the centre of this saga, but as a fringe person in publishing I've been following it since it erupted in 2021. There seems to be a never-ending cycle of questions, all unanswerable: (a) Who started it? (b) Is Kate nice or nasty? (c) Are the three women nice or nasty? (d) Was a particular reader offended by the book? (e) Who gets to be a "sensitivity reader"? (f) If someone receives racist abuse from an unidentifiable stranger on the internet, who is responsible? (g) Does it count as being cancelled if everyone is still talking about you?

To my ears now, these questions are as chaff in the wind. The enduringly horrifying thing about this episode is that Pan Macmillan did not stand by the book they had published. Even worse, the publishing staff who caved to the book's critics did so without having read the book first. This part is so disgraceful that it's uttered in a whisper whenever it comes up in conversation, it's that bad.

[NB: My understanding is that the original editor that Kate Clanchy worked with at Pan Macmillan had indeed read the book thoroughly, as would be expected. However, for some reason, he was not at the front line of the response when things erupted in 2021.]

When you think back to the 1980s, when Salman Rushdie had the fatwa on him, the entire publishing industry joined hands to defend him, and were proud to do so. And now, fast-forward to 2021, a publisher gets some criticism on twitter, and just.... keels over? Everyone was aghast. That's why it's still a case study for the publishing industry four years later, and that's why it's bigger than the feelings of any of the individuals who were involved.

Whatever your thoughts about the 2021 debacle, whatever conversations you're having on BlueSky/Threads/X/ WhatsApp, the central question everyone should be grappling with is: should publishers stand by their books? In my opinion, this would be a better place for conversations to start, rather than trying to go back to 2021 to work out who said what on Goodreads.

Good article.

It's very possible cancellation may eventually help produce exceptional work.

I agree with a comment I just saw on X, which was that the three women who seem to be at the centre of many of the 'cancellations' over the past few years appear to have some serious emotional regulation issues. Potentially disordered.

I don't want to see them hounded, or abused, or 'cancelled', either.

The problem, I would say, is with publishers and organisations like the 'Society of Authors', who have enabled, supported and facilitated abuse.

Don't know if this has been posted already, apologies if so. Kate has written an article in Unherd

https://archive.ph/fHRue

https://unherd.com/2025/11/uncancelled-at-last/

I admit I haven't read the book, and probably never will, but is 'compulsorary' actually a word? This is the caliber of person they have critiquing other people's work?

It's the viciousness of the attacks that take you aback. It's not just the fact that these women were critical of Clanchy, Lamb, Bindel etc, but that they used language like "cunts". Hadley Freeman today links to a screenshot of one of Monisha Rajesh's tweets:

https://x.com/HadleyFreeman/status/1987446856704815215

It's insane. It's such a disproportionate response to the seeming provocation - in this case, a newspaper publishing an interview with Kate Clanchy. No one normal talks like this. The idea that people post offensive, inflammatory comments like this, which can be read by millions of people, suggest to my mind that they are not quite of sound mind.

For those who don't know Christina Lamb, she wrote a superb book on rape as a weapon of war, Our Bodies, Their Battlefield. I can't imagine what she is supposed to have done to provoke these people's anger.

Poetry - they fight so hard because the stakes are so low.

I don't expect you'll get any answers to your questions @BundleBoogie. I'm still waiting for answers to mine from a couple of days ago.

I think the short answer to all of them is "She's a witch. Burn her."

I've just started listening to the radio programme. She was immensely successful as a poet before all this happened, so the idea that she was 'using' the children's work to "peddle herself" (as@DeanElderberrysuggested) is absurd. Her memoir was about sharing what she'd learnt over 30+ years as a teacher.

This is a thread from 2019 about a similar cancellation. Some people just seem determined to destroy the lives and careers of others.

"Cast Off - Diversity wars are raging in the knitting world' | Mumsnet

Your post was this:

lamamo · 07/11/2025 14:33
are you Kate Clanchy? Or? From that article it looks like she's not averse to hiring people to bring down her "enemies".
I’m very sorry for whatever situation has led you to feeling like this but your attacks on Kate are vicious and unfounded.
Dear God, get a life. Unless you're Kate I can't see how anyone else would be invested enough to write this.

It is not ‘exactly like’ mine at all. I called out the PP who got so overwrought about KC that she started drawing parallels between her and Jimmy Saville and Nazis. I called that out.

But from being in the industry and seeing this go on, Kate was awful and the criticism of her was wholly justified.

Can you specify exactly why you think Kate is awful and that the criticism of her (included above in @XXRepealtheGRA s extremely enlightening post)?

Was it the KKK accusations you agreed with? Are you saying that you genuinely think this author who spent 30 years working with refugee children is racist? Or is your criticism of her as ridiculous and unjustified as your criticism of me? You’ve rather undermined yourself there.

Why do you think I should ‘get a life’ and how does that equate to anything I said to Deanelderberry?

Tapsalteerie Press in Scotland pulped a whole run because one of the writers who co authored the book was accused of 'transphobia'.

My post was exactly like yours above making similar accusations at another poster. Look, I'm not on any "side". I'm not a fan of those other three women either. In general I stay away from people who make calling out people and "speaking up" their entire personality. I'm sick of that shit, from anyone. But from being in the industry and seeing this go on, Kate was awful and the criticism of her was wholly justified. She didn't want to just apologise and move on though. The whole article reeks of both victimhood and an air of superiority.

Here's what I've learnt since this thread was started:

Ceridwen's Goodreads review had misquoted Clanchy saying "slanted eyes" was in the book. Other terms were there that Ceridwen quoted but Clanchy disputed the review saying they were "all made up". https://x.com/KateClanchy1/status/1421146790808670208?s=20

So to be fair to DeanElderberry who said that Clanchy had amplified this herself "Streisand effect" I can see that and have shared the link. I've not seen evidence that Clanchy tried to get the reviewer doxxed or sacked which DeanElderberry also said, but if that existed I'd look at it.

It was found some of the terms used were quoted from her students own poetry. Perhaps this should have been the end to it. But three online bullies - Monisha Rajesh, Professor Sunny Singh and Chimene Suleyman decided to target Clanchy.

From what I've seen on X (screenshots) these women had a history of attacking white women and Jewish people. Here are some of the quotes:

Monisha Rajesh accused Professor Mary Beard of "white tears" https://x.com/QcWynter/status/1986749965725499797?s=20

Prof Sunny Singh called Julie Bindel's book Feminism For Women "racist, white feminist trash". https://x.com/bindelj/status/1986473743548289167?s=20

Author Christina Lamb tweeted that Monisha Rajesh and Sunny Singh "led online abuse against me in 2021 (and my husband and teenage son) that led to me getting death threats and almost quit my job." https://x.com/christinalamb/status/1986426802558865458?s=20

Monisha Rajesh called poet Rachel Rooney "shit-for-brains". https://x.com/RooneyRachel/status/1986857742535934112?s=20

Monisha Rajesh called Kate Clanchy "KKKlanchy" https://x.com/OpheliaBenson/status/1986437213966770612?s=20

Prof Sunny Singh called JK Rowling's writing "racist, sexist, homosphobic (sic), classist, ableist, imperial, slavery apologia." She rants over multiple tweets https://x.com/galluslass/status/1986107039039271098?s=20

Monisha Rajesh called David Baddiel a "steaming c*t. A vile self-seeking ct...hateful hateful man" (I have censored the word c*t in case it's a mumsnet forum condition but Monisha wrote it in full). https://x.com/SCynic1/status/1986749543560434099?s=20

Monisha Rajesh said "it's about time for a presidential assassination". https://x.com/TarekFatah/status/797089444914405376?s=20

Chimene Suleyman accused authors of "heinous racism and ongoing harrassment" against herself, Singh and Rajesh. https://quillette.com/2021/08/29/inflammatoryanti-racism/

I haven't linked to Monisha Rajesh, Prof Sunny Singh or Chimene Suleyman's X accounts as they seem to have deleted their profiles so I'm linking to either screenshots or people's accounts of what they said.

Rajesh deleted her X account after making a crying video on Instagram asking people not to contact her about the BBC podcast 'Anatomy of a Cancellation' which she said was "violent behaviour" (scroll down to Crocodile Tears https://www.thetimes.com/article/bbbd2362-106d-4c43-bc2f-a646ca60b0aa?shareToken=29b2bbd99e0dcd193df93b8dbe83ff55) and see Kathleen Stock's article https://unherd.com/2025/11/how-to-play-the-victim-card/

Rajesh's reel has gone from Instagram but you can watch her Oscar worthy sobs here https://x.com/nice_cuppa/status/1986031175270539719?s=20

In 2021 in response to the attacks on her memoir and her descriptions of children Clanchy rewrote it and issued an apology Kate Clanchy to rewrite memoir amid criticism of ‘racist and ableist tropes’ | Kate Clanchy | The Guardian

Philip Pullman who initially defended Clanchy also issued an apology Philip Pullman apologises for social media comments in defence of controversial memoir – The Irish Times

Picador apologised to anyone who had taken offence “profoundly for the hurt we have caused”. A statement from Picador regarding Kate Clanchy's Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me - Pan Macmillan

Joanne Harris (then chair of the Management Committee of the SOA) and the Society of Authors criticised Clanchy https://loobylou.substack.com/p/some-complaints-i-made-and-what-they and
https://societyofauthors.org/2021/08/11/inclusivity-across-publishing/

Why am I "invested" in this thread? I'm sick of (mainly) women being cancelled because other people (bullies) have taken offence at something or disagreed with their views. Lots of women have lost their careers (I named some in an earlier comment - Rachel Rooney, Gillian Phillip, Rosie Kay, academics who can't work in Universities anymore like Sheila Jeffreys and Kathleen Stock), JK Rowling can't be cancelled but is constantly attacked. Graham Linehan lost his career.

It's also worth remembering that Kate Clanchy worked with immigrant and refugee children for over 30 years (not every teacher does that). She was awarded the Orwell prize for her memoir. She was given an MBE for her work with refugee children. https://poetrysociety.org.uk/news/clanchy/
Her students wrote a letter supporting her https://x.com/KateClanchy1/status/1986345961380077949?s=20

She continues to support girls and women writing poetry in Afghanistan sharing their words on her X account eg.https://x.com/KateClanchy1/status/1986052668456858106?s=20
https://x.com/KateClanchy1/status/1985403231628079593?s=20

https://x.com/KMScattergood/status/1986556627743387872?s=20

This doesn't sound like a horrible racist, ableist woman to me. She described children in her own words or in theirs and I don't agree with people censoring her life, her experiences or her words even if they decided to find offence.

"Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me" is on Audible read by Kate Clanchy. I will be listening to it. I will be listening to "Anatomy of a Cancellation". Pan Macmillan, her former publisher, have now apologised to Clanchy. https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-cowardly-publishing-world-betrayed-kate-clanchy/

I don't like DARVO crybullies. I don't like sexist reverse racism such as calling white women "Karen". I don't like the words I've seen from the three ethnic minority writers who attacked Clanchy and other writers so viciously. Which in my opinion are far far worse than anything Clanchy wrote!
But in 2021, 950 writers signed an open letter rushing to the defence of Rajesh, Singh and Suleyman Book industry figures condemn abuse of Clanchy critics in open letter

Instead of standing by their words they have deleted their accounts. Where is their apology?

What’s wrong with the middle class? (And where’s the twaddle?) You wouldn’t criticise the working class in such a general way, would you?

Not sure if it’s been mentioned on this thread - can’t see anything- but Kate Clanchy’s book also won the Orwell Prize for political writing in 2020. The judges included a Guardian journalist and the distinguished writer Elif Shafak, who is Turkish. Strange that none of them noticed the alleged racism and classism in the winning book.

The podcast is now up early, I presume because of all the interest. will be listening later.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m001zlz0

WTAF?!?!! What a bizarre and quite frankly despicable comparison. What is wrong with you?

This is, of course, the pertinent question.

You don’t acquire a book, publish a book, enjoy the success of the the book up to and including it winning a prestigious award, and then, when someone doesn’t like some adjectives, and three vile bullies go to town on your author, throw her under the bus.

Or at least any publisher with a shred of decency and courage doesn’t do that.

It’s a conundrum isn’t it? It seems that the kids were happy with it (and apparently still are) , the publishers were happy with it, her Oxford Alma mater was quite delighted with it.

It seems that things only went south when these three powerful women got involved and decided she was next on their list to attack.

I wonder what they attacked Christina Lamb for? Isn’t she a war correspondent? What’s she ever done to anyone?

It sounds a little like they just liked bullying others.

I don't pretend to know much about this case, but if the book was so appalling, why was it published in the first place?

Why didn't her publishers take responsibility for what they'd unleashed on the world?

Kate Clanchy isn't the only one targeted by these women. Julie Bindel and Christina Lamb have been as well.
https://x.com/bindelj/status/1986473743548289167?t=byk17VCyTmeu1rMzwmi8Uw&s=19

And Sunny Singh, that vile woman, decided to condemn me and my book on feminism in 2021 as “racist, white feminist trash” to name but a few insults she threw at me - who she’d never met - and a book she hadn’t read.
and Christna Lamb;
Interestingly 2 of the 3 witch-hunters who led the campaign against Clanchy - Monisha Rajesh and Sunny Singh - are the same women who led online abuse against me in 2021 (and my husband and teenage son) that led to me getting death threats and almost quit my job.

I have no respect or time for people who confuse throwing insults and unfounded accusations with criticism.

What a very odd post.

I don’t like bullies. It is very clear that a group of bullies attacked Kate, hence the apology where her publisher admitted their behaviour. I’m not sure why you would have an issue with me calling out a PP on here who has decided to add to the bullying and has compared her to Jimmy Saville and the Nazis for reasons best known to herself.

My post took me a couple of minutes to type - does that really constitute ‘invested’? You probably spent a similar amount of time writing your extremely odd and unfounded accusations - are you ‘invested’?

Can you share the specific passages that you object to in her book?

I read a brief review just now - her old Oxford college seemed quite impressed by her book. Thoughts?

www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/exonian-publishes-one-of-the-most-inspiring-books-about-teaching-youll-ever-read/

@BundleBoogie are you Kate Clanchy? Or? From that article it looks like she's not averse to hiring people to bring down her "enemies".

I’m very sorry for whatever situation has led you to feeling like this but your attacks on Kate are vicious and unfounded.

Dear God, get a life. Unless you're Kate I can't see how anyone else would be invested enough to write this.

Can you clarify how calling out a poster comparing Kate Clanchy to Jimmy Saville and Nazis is ’middle class twaddle’?

Can you pinpoint the particularly ‘twaddlish’ comments so I can understand?

She wasn’t using the children’s phrasing ‘back at them’ and

as though I was an animal - how on earth did you get from an author using the children’s own terms to describe them in a book, to ‘dehumanising’ them and speaking to them as if they were animals??

For whatever reason you seem hugely triggered by this book and author and I think, especially from your other comments - (Jimmy Saville wth?) that you are rather overwrought and maybe this has clouded your thoughts. I’m very sorry for whatever situation has led you to feeling like this but your attacks on Kate are vicious and unfounded.