Open Letter from Autors and Entertainers in Support of JKR

[Igneococcus]

In the Times:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/d714149e-003d-11eb-a6ce-737681864bdd?shareToken=522b280f5312e063be007bba64a0e96d

Here is the letter (a few down the list):
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/2e240198-fe6a-11ea-a6ce-737681864bdd?shareToken=8bcca8afb981c27e32894e05e7776f41

And the signatories:

We wish JK Rowling well and stand in solidarity with her.
Ian McEwan, author; Lionel Shriver, author; Griff Rhys Jones, actor; Graham Linehan, writer; Maureen Chadwick, writer; Andrew Davies, writer; Frances Barber, actress; Craig Brown, writer; Alexander Armstrong, actor; Amanda Craig, writer; Philip Hensher, writer; Susan Hill, writer; Jane Thynne, writer; Ben Miller, actor; Simon Fanshawe, writer; James Dreyfus, actor; Frances Welch, writer; Francis Wheen, writer; Arthur Matthews, writer; Aminatta Forna, writer; Joan Smith, writer; Nick Cohen, journalist; Kath Gotts, composer & lyricist; Ann McManus, writer; Eileen Gallagher, writer & producer; Jimmy Mulville, producer; Lizzie Roper, actress; Stella O’Malley, author; Nina Paley, animator; Julie Bindel, journalist; Abigail Shrier, journalist; Rachel Rooney, author; Jane Harris, writer; Tatsuya Ishida, cartoonist; Lisa Marchiano, author; Zuby, musician and author; Debbie Hayton, journalist; Gillian Philip, Author, Jonny Best, musician; Manick Govinda, arts consultant; Russell Celyn Jones, writer; Magi Gibson, writer; Victoria Whitworth, writer; Dr Mez Packer, writer; Grace Carley, producer; Sam Leith, journalist; Malcolm Clark, television producer-director; Shirley Wishart, musician; Charlotte Delaney, writer; Nehanda Ferguson, musician; Justin Hill, writer; Trezza Azzopardi, writer; Birdy Rose, artist; Jess de Wahls, textile artist; Mo Lovatt, writer; Simon Edge, novelist; Tom Stoppard, playwright; and Amanda Smyth, writer

mobile.twitter.com/Tony_Robinson/status/1310266570850041856

This is cheering. I've always had a soft spot for Tony.

@Siablue

This is lovely. I am pleased to see Alexander Armstrong on the list. I like him and he is a big name.

To be fair lots of the people on the list has spoken up many of them at great cost. Birdie Rose has had a lot of abuse. Stella O’Mally spoke up before JKR there are a lot of familiar names on that list who I have seen supporting her.

Yes, indeed. There are a number names on there who have been in the firing line for some time. All credit to them.

@Freespeecher

Good to see Zuby has signed. I just hope people appreciate the sacrifice he could be making - this could mean his weightlifting records are taken away from him.

🤣🤣🤣

@Freespeecher

Good to see Zuby has signed. I just hope people appreciate the sacrifice he could be making - this could mean his weightlifting records are taken away from him.

What you did there... 🤣

Simon Edge, novelist, signatory
twitter.com/simonjedge/status/1310288817564397568

Finally!! Better late than never. Some big names there.

Matthew D'Ancona

twitter.com/MatthewdAncona/status/1310320687513579528?s=19

Good to see these people speaking up for women.

Ooooh Jenni Murray 💜💗

twitter.com/whjm/status/1310332475059638272?s=19

We knew it would happen eventually. And each of us who has been at it for a long time knows the way Jo Rowling must gave felt when she poured out her heart and faced opprobrium, and worse, the stunning lack of public support. It's draining and hard.

But you know what? This is the epitome of a collective effort. Not one individual has pushed this into the light, it's been the efforts of all of us - anons and names alike. I'm so, so proud to be part of a resurgence of genuine feminism, and I never ever thought I'd say that. And more, I'm tremendously relieved that a dystopia where vulnerable kids were left at risk looks like it could fade back into fiction, and hopefully there will be retribution for those already harmed.

Bloody well done to all of you. X

Lionel Shriver, who signed, has been pushing back on id pol for a long time.

@BaronessWrongCrowd

https://mobile.twitter.com/Tony_Robinson/status/1310266570850041856

This is cheering. I've always had a soft spot for Tony.

Me too, and that tweet made me happy.

Sam Leith, journalist; twitter.com/questingvole/status/1310305212742225921

Nina Paley animator
twitter.com/ninapaley/status/1310256104186818565

Manick Govinda, arts consultant
twitter.com/manick62/status/1310248115904053248

I signed a letter in defence of jk_rowling in thesundaytimes with many other authors, actors, artists. Some artist friends have unfriended or blocked me for my support of #jkrowling’s right to an objective, fair opinion. Equal rights for all, but self-identity politics?

Some artist friends have unfriended or blocked me

@BlackWaveComing

Lionel Shriver, who signed, has been pushing back on id pol for a long time.

Yes, her latest (excellent) book had an entire chapter on it, with so many familiar references I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s on this forum.

Waves to Lionel 👋

Anthony Horowiz as well on twitter says his name was left off HURRAH FOR DAME JENNI!!

I am so heartened to see this. (Have put my head above the parapet and shared the Times article on fb.)

@BlackWaveComing

Lionel Shriver, who signed, has been pushing back on id pol for a long time.

She has. She's excellent.

I really dislike Lionel Shriver, even though her books are stunning. Her political articles in the spectator seem like angry pub chat. It's hardly a surprise she signed given she's a social Conservative. It's all good and necessary, but I worry about the skew to Conservative voices. Where are the left wingers? Why are all my left wing friends so convinced that JKR is somehow a tory redneck, when she's a lifelong Labour voter and The Casual Vacancy was practically a socialist manifesto? Wtf has happened to the centre left?

Wow! This is amazing! Thanks to everyone who put their head above the parapet for this.

Where are the left wingers?

Tony Robinson is a socialist at least. He has spoken at a number of socialist rallies over the years.

Frances Barber isn't a conservative - homeless leftie, I think?

Barber urged a vote for the Labour Partyy^ at the 2017 UK general electionn^. Critical of Labour leader Jeremy Corbynn^, she said "I will vote Labour holding my nose. Urge you too."[9] In September 2017, she resigned from the party, saying: "I can't belong to a party full of Misogyny, Anti-Semitism and Thuggery"

@Tootletum

I really dislike Lionel Shriver, even though her books are stunning. Her political articles in the spectator seem like angry pub chat. It's hardly a surprise she signed given she's a social Conservative. It's all good and necessary, but I worry about the skew to Conservative voices. Where are the left wingers? Why are all my left wing friends so convinced that JKR is somehow a tory redneck, when she's a lifelong Labour voter and The Casual Vacancy was practically a socialist manifesto? Wtf has happened to the centre left?

My take is that the left isn't in fact the left. The people who consider themselves to be on the left have changed in a fundamental way. When you scratch the surface they are usually not left economically, and it's only because social liberalism became associated with the left that there is an appearance that they are similar there - but really, it's a liberalism based on a kind of individualism that matches their economic vision.

What do they really have in common with traditional leftism, with it's basis in low level community engagement, collective labour action, or the kind of really fairly traditional social values that it used to espouse? Pretty much zilch.

What do they really have in common with traditional leftism, with it's basis in low level community engagement, collective labour action, or the kind of really fairly traditional social values that it used to espouse? Pretty much zilch.

And to add to that - the fact is anyone who is a traditional sort of conservative has a lot more overlap - community over state or individualism, relatively conservative social values, even a distrust of free market capitalism.

Modern libertarian conservatism and modern "progressive" liberalism are a lot closer to each other than old school leftism.