ffs, amanda craig novellist dropped from mslexia

[Helmetbymidnight]

according to nick cohen on twitter, amanda craig novellist has been dropped as a judge from mslexia because she signed the jkr letter - a womens writing magazine! - absolutely shocking. and frightening.

Where are people ordering Amanda Craig’s books from?

From hive

www.hive.co.uk/Product/Amanda-Craig/The-Golden-Rule/24817296

Kitty try your local independent book shop. If they don’t have it in stock they’ll order it in for you.

[quote Kit19]From hive

www.hive.co.uk/Product/Amanda-Craig/The-Golden-Rule/24817296[/quote]
Thanks Kit! Trying to avoid Amazon!

@Cuntysnark

Kitty try your local independent book shop. If they don’t have it in stock they’ll order it in for you.

Cheers! I’ll have a look.

It is interesting to compare the two lists. A large proportion of the people who signed the JKR one initially were people who had already been cancelled with a few big names lending support. Now there are a lot more but the list is mixed up with ordinary people.

The trans support one has a few big names (Mallory Blackman, Jonne Harris, Elizabeth Day) but many of the people in the list are people who work in the marketing department or publishers PAs. Many of the names on the list are people who have been very vocal in their support for trans rights. A lot of people who fall over to agree with everything Elizabeth Day does have not signed the petition. Most people are staying well out of it. I presume people will have shared the petitions with their contacts and many people have decided it is too toxic.

So disappointing to see Malory Blackman and Jeanette Winterson sign that KMH letter affirming TWAW and TMAM.

They should have just written "Mslexia exists to support all writers who identify as women, regardless of their sex."

Or "Mslexia exists to support all writers who identify as women, except those who have minds of their own, in which case we don't want anything to do with them."

These days I am in an almost permanent stage of rage. There is something about this story, however, that has made me even angrier than I already am. I think it's because of the sheer overwhelming stupidity of a magazine that claims to represent women writers doing the exact opposite. These are women cancelling the very women who are trying to stand up for women. They are writers trying to silence other writers.

And that isn't even the worst of it. The worst of it is the sheer smug self-satisfaction of taking the moral high ground. If they admitted the were vile, hateful, misogynistic bullies (which I admit is unlikely), it wouldn't be quite so bad. The gaslight-y element of pretending that you are standing up for inclusion when you are actually very deliberately and publicly excluding someone is enraging beyond belief.

Their statement is dishonest as well as unkind. (Illegible too with that light coloured background, which is a bit worrying coming from a magazine.)

In Wokeland you can accuse people of anything, no need to provide any evidence. I hope Amanda Craig sues.

@notyourhandmaid

Mslexia have released a statement: Mslexia have released a statement: twitter.com/Mslexia/status/1311252031764606976

"...if a Mslexia judge expresses views that threaten to undermine Mslexia's climate of welcome and inclusivity, we will always ask her to step down from that role."

Quite nasty.

Women's Aid made a statement condemning the abusive misogyny aimed at Rowling. Said it emboldened violent misogynists everywhere.

Apparently, Mslexia are strong on cancelling women who support Women's Aid's position on misogynistic abuse towards women.

I think it takes a special kind of idiocy to read the Times letter and find it anti-trans, when it fact all it says is that women shouldn't have to face abuse online for expressing an opinion.

The fact that they've set up a letter of support for trans people in response is a rhetorical move designed to put the debate onto a pro-trans/anti-trans footing when that is emphatically NOT what it's about. It's dishonest and it's ideological, and it's very disappointing to see any writers signing up to this crap because it suggests that, apart from anything else, they are very, very stupid indeed.

@queenofknives

I think it takes a special kind of idiocy to read the Times letter and find it anti-trans, when it fact all it says is that women shouldn't have to face abuse online for expressing an opinion.

The fact that they've set up a letter of support for trans people in response is a rhetorical move designed to put the debate onto a pro-trans/anti-trans footing when that is emphatically NOT what it's about. It's dishonest and it's ideological, and it's very disappointing to see any writers signing up to this crap because it suggests that, apart from anything else, they are very, very stupid indeed.

Indeed and someone could honestly and with their whole heart sign both letters. A number of trans people have signed the supporting JK Rowling one.

Any recommendations on which of her books I can buy?

I've just ordered The Lie of the Land. I hope Amanda Craig picks up lots of new readers as a result of the publicity about this sorry affair.

@notyourhandmaid

Mslexia have released a statement: Mslexia have released a statement: twitter.com/Mslexia/status/1311252031764606976

"...if a Mslexia judge expresses views that threaten to undermine Mslexia's climate of welcome and inclusivity, we will always ask her to step down from that role."

Quite nasty.

Thanks for posting the text of the statement as I don't have access to twitter. Very helpful.

The Bookseller: www.thebookseller.com/news/mslexia-asks-amanda-craig-step-down-judge-over-concern-rowling-letter-threatens-climate

The full Mslexia statement is quoted in the link above, along with Amanda Craig's response, but here it is for ease of reading:

"Mslexia exists to support all writers who identify as women, regardless of their prior background or current circumstances, including issues relating to their age, race, class, income, disability, sexual preference, location, health status, fertility, caring responsibilities and gender assignment. We stand against all forms of abuse and harassment.
Mslexia aims to foster a welcoming and inclusive environment that encourages women to express themselves across a wide range of literary genres in the knowledge that they, and their writing, will always be treated with respect.
Therefore, we absolutely respect any woman’s right to freedom of speech, within the law. However, if a Mslexia judge expresses views that threaten to undermine Mslexia’s climate of welcome and inclusivity, we will always ask her to step down from that role."

Signing letters against bullying is not inclusive

Because that makes sense 🙄

I hope they realise their name is transphobic. They should change it at once. Dickslexia sounds good.

Jeanette Winterson is a big pusher of homeopathy. They can have her - there's no denying that she can turn a nice phrase but rational thought was never her strong suit.

@Time40

I've just ordered The Lie of the Land. I hope Amanda Craig picks up lots of new readers as a result of the publicity about this sorry affair.

I went with The Golden Rule

Thanks Kit! Trying to avoid Amazon!

I read everything on Kindle, so it's Amazon for me! (Also Amazon provides 3/4 of my income, so...)

Just ordered 4 Amanda Craig's and picked up Troubled Blood into the bargain.

And this batshittery is the ultimate conclusion - can’t organise or protect women once they are no longer a definable group
mobile.twitter.com/hm_leach/status/1311290557549948935

Delighted to have found a new (to me!) author though...

I was starting to calm down and that Bookseller article has enraged me all over again. The sheer fuckwittery of Hargrave's response. "Really, it's about trans people's right to exist and have their existence enshrined in law."

You stupid, stupid, stupid woman.

I would like to formulate a more coherent response but frankly, I don't think she's earned it.