Writers who are monsters - should their works be withdrawn by booksellers (WARNING! - Potentially distressing content)

[Quattrocento]

The case of Roger Took disturbed me. It's a disturbing case.

Article in the Spectator here
He's a convicted paedophile who happens to have written some well-regarded travel books. Should Amazon and other booksellers continue to stock books by him? What do you think?

That is horrendous.
If I were a bookseller I wouldn't stock him.

That is sick.

I definitely would not want to buy his books. I would want booksellers to remove his books from the shelves.

I'm surprised that the case has been so little reported. Quite a few writers have colourful backgrounds, quite a few have been to prison. Look at Jeffrey Archer.

Ordinarily in favour of free speech but Roger Took's crime is so sickening that I do think all his books should be withdrawn.

I wouldn't buy a Gary Glitter record.
And I wouldn't buy a paedophile author's books.
I'm not spending good money making some sicko richer.

That article is the worst thing I've read in ages. i only got a few paragraphs in. Now it will haunt me for days.

That's sickening. I'm not in favour of censorship but I wouldn't anyone to help him make money by selling his work. So I guess I am actually in favour of bookshops deleting him from their lists.

God, I wish I hadn't read that.

I'm sorry I wish I hadn't read it too.

Horrible man. Can't believe his books are still for sale. Is it worth a letter to Amazon?

that is disgusting, the only way his books should still be on sale is if all proceeds were to go to his victims/funding support for victims of a similar crime or that kind of thing.
i certainly would not wish to buy anything that would make this sick bastard a penny richer

When I first opened this thread I was ready to completely disagree with you - freedom of speech and all that.

However, after reading this article I feel physically sick. I also can't believe how little a jail term he was given.

quat that article has made me nauseated

i would think it would be appropriate to have this thread deleted and re post with a warning.

i did not realise that article would be so graphic

i have a young daughter, i now have hideous images in my head

this should have been a warning that this articel was a graphic description of peadophilia from the first line

Jesus that article(the little i actually read) will haunt me. I so did not wan't to read that

Message withdrawn

i have already reported it . it definitely needs a warning

Sorry - yes you are all right. I couldn't get the awfulness of it out of my head so shouldn't have inflicted it on others.

I've asked for the thread to be deleted

That article is awful.

I feel ill

Only managed to read a small part, how can these 'chatrooms' operate? Surely with all the technology available now they can be found and stopped? Or am I incredible naive?

The article will make you feel ill.

But this man, undeniably guilty and nevertheless protected by his friends and family in court will quickly become a free man unless his actions do become public knowledge. If nobody hears about what he has done he will be freed more easily when brought up for parole (nobody objects) and may become quickly re-integrated into the art history world that have played a part in protecting him so far. Google this man and you will see his crimes have not been reported at all.. I´m horrified that this is possible, given the sensation the media normally make of this type of case. Clearly high flying men can do as they like with relative impunity.

Yes, that's partly why I posted it NPNG. It's worrying how very little coverage this has had. Do you think it is partly because it is so horrible?

It was a very graphic article.

It was a very graphic article.

I did try to find another article actually. But there wasn't one. Not in any newspaper.

Apparantly there was a one paragraph article in The Times. I didn´t find it though online..

I wish I hadn't read that article. Please, a bit more warning.

I don´t think this case has got more or less no coverage because it´s so horrible. There are always sensational reports of similar cases in the media..

It seems to be more related to his elevated social status, given how much personal support he received in court and how he seemed to be treated with kid gloves by the legal system. The lack of interest from court reporters defies belief and begs the question: has some well-placed person protected this man?