Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

Original poster

Waterstones and censoership

174 replies

MiladyBerserko · 15/08/2021 08:44

I have been reading about concerns re Waterstones not displaying Helen Joyce's Trans book on Twitter, for example:
mobile.twitter.com/GreenFemsUK/status/1425764602722275337

I have been into three Waterstones in the last two weeks. It was not displayed in two shops and ther was one copy in the third. I asked about it in one of the no-display stores and apparently there was one in store but couldn't be found (!)

Has anyone else had this experience? If you are passing a Waterstones, have a quick check...

OP posts:
barrowgreen · 19/08/2021 17:44

Surprised to see a copy on the counter next to the till in the Norwich branch, with the gift type books!

LemonLymanDotCom · 19/08/2021 18:19

@MiladyBerserko

I know BlackForest. Maybe we should be scurrying in to hide the Queer theory books. Little point though, the more people that read that incomprehensible guff, the better. Ditto for some of the latest associated autobios

Discussion of hidden books/no stock does seem to irritate some though.

Scurry away, the great thing about living in a country with freedom of speech and respect for one another's opinions (& differences) is that there are lots of books with differing opinions within them, that you can spend all your days hiding in bookshops across the country. Enjoy.

Discussion of hidden books/no stock doesn't irritate me, but ignorant people in tin foil hats, spouting off nonsense theories with no actual knowledge of what they're talking about (while casting aspersions upon the industry you work in) do.

This is compounded when the industry you work in is kinda hung up on grammar and punctuation.... and the ignoramus in the tin foil hat casting aspersions on said industry, can't even spell censorship properly. God I wish Mumsnet had an eyeroll emoji.

MaudTheInvincible · 19/08/2021 18:55

I find incorrectly formatted ellipses make me roll my eyes.

Original poster
MiladyBerserko · 19/08/2021 18:58

There aren't enough lols for the vicious snobbery cast at anyone disagreeing with you and at a simple typo.

OP posts:
LemonLymanDotCom · 19/08/2021 20:26

Fair cop @MaudTheInvincible Grin

CoffeeWithCheese · 21/08/2021 10:42

@Waitwhat23

TRA's and their allies seem to have a higher proportion of those who dye their hair colours such as blue or green than seen in the general population (going off profile photos on Twitter, photos published in the media etc). Hence the name 'blue hairs'. There also seems to be a higher proportion of fans of anime (again going off profile images).

Haven't the vaguest idea why but really is quite noticeable when you become aware of it.

Just putting a very polite ahem in here... I have blue and green and silver hair currently (I'm forever changing the colour of it - my hairdresser is a baaaad influence) and I am quite firmly gender critical and that a leopard can't change their chromosomes.
KittenKong · 21/08/2021 10:42

Yes but are you a bright eyes teen?

yoshiblue · 21/08/2021 10:53

Trafford Centre had several copies in the hardback section last night. Bottom shelf but facing outwards rather than only showing the spine. It's a tiny shop so majority of hardbacks don't get much space.

JiggeryWokery · 21/08/2021 20:02

Went into Birmingham Waterstones today - they had a big display of 'new and recently reviewed' by the entrance. There were two copies of Trans, spine-out on a low shelf, and a front-facing copy of the Queer Bible at eye level. They weren't that way round when I left though Wink

KittenKong · 21/08/2021 20:15

Hahaha! I do that with books too. I like things orderly.

lomaamina · 21/08/2021 20:18

Ok, thanks to this thread I’ve placed an order with my local library. They have 3 copies in the county, 10 in the queue to borrow.

Ps I agree that Hive Books are great for an alternative to that A online store. I nominate my closest bookshop (a town away here in the sticks, sadly), but I’ll be checking their stock of Trans at the next opportunity.

Waitwhat23 · 21/08/2021 21:28

@CoffeeWithCheese I've had blue hair myself in the past so no aspersions on those who do dye their hair! It's just very noticeable on Twitter especially that the profiles who are TRA tend to be a combination of bright hair or anime profile pictures.

Your hair sounds kickass btw

OP posts:
ScoldsBridal · 27/08/2021 10:00

Milady this definitely needs a thread of its own!

NiceGerbil · 28/08/2021 02:51

I would say it's a pretty niche buy. Is it on the shelves? If so then aok.

Original poster
MiladyBerserko · 29/08/2021 06:29

Helen Joyce seems to think it's true

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9936523/Author-accused-trans-lobby-trying-supplant-biology-says-cancelled.html

OP posts:
Aethelthryth · 29/08/2021 07:10

I tried to buy it in Islington Waterstones just after publication and was told that it was sold out, apart from one copy which was reserved for someone. At the time I believed them but not so sure now, I might have another look today.

I ordered it from Blackwells, which at the time was offering a really good discount.

I think store staff have a lot of control over what they promote locally, which, generally, I like but perhaps it is part of the problem here. I noted one tweet saying that someone had been unable to buy it in Picadilly Waterstones but had bought it in Hatchards, 100 yards away. If I remember correctly, Hatchards is just a differently branded Waterstones

DdraigGoch · 29/08/2021 07:49

@Aethelthryth it's available for click and collect in Islington so it would be interesting if they still claim OOS.

Helleofabore · 29/08/2021 07:57

@MaudTheInvincible

I find incorrectly formatted ellipses make me roll my eyes.
I found the ampersand discordant.
KaycePollard · 29/08/2021 09:37

If you want to avoid Amazon, Hive is excellent. I only buy from them now.

Me too. I live in a very 'woke' university town, and I donated my Hive points to a local independent bookshop which hasn't stocked Trans. Nice irony I thought.

Maerchentante · 29/08/2021 10:33

I bought it at Hatchars, but was also able to find it at Waterstones Piccadilly. Know fully well that they belong together, Hatchard's just happened to be the last stop on my research trip.

Doomscrolling · 29/08/2021 13:15

I was in Waterstones Bradford (world’s most beautiful book shop!) and there it was!

Waterstones and censoership
Mallowmazing · 30/08/2021 22:35

I was heartened to see Material Girls displayed prominently at Waterstones in Covent Garden today

Tesla73 · 31/08/2021 09:53

I was in Bournemouth at the weekend and was pleasantly surprised to see Helens book fully on display at front of store under new non fiction

Had a walk around and unlike Birmingham there was no tables of the usual books aimed at teens too

Rubidium · 31/08/2021 11:07

I suppose the measure here is going to be how prominently Shon Faye's book is displayed when it is published later this week. In one of my local bookshops this weekend (not Waterstones) there was already a promotional poster for Faye's book, despite it not being available yet. (Although I should add they also had both Helen Joyce's and Kathleen Stock's books on the shelves.)