Kate Clanchy - poet - is 'cancelled' by her publisher

[ArabellaScott]

Picador are unpublishing - ceasing to distribute - all of Clanchy's books. The article says 'by mutual consent', but it's not a good thing to hear a poet/author being 'cancelled'.

Literature/poetry is not in a healthy state right now.

unherd.com/thepost/picador-cancels-poet-kate-clanchys-books/

In case you missed the brouhaha - Article from last year:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-58151144

Well, I agree with that, Squirrels.

On the subject of describing eyes as 'almond' eyes:

'To be clear, I would not dream of commenting on whether other words and phrases Kate has used are offensive to others, but “almond eyes” is a term that I have often used in my own poems. My almond-shaped eyes are at the core of my Hazara identity. Hazaras are an almost invisible ethnic group in Afghanistan.

...

I am currently writing my master’s thesis on their genocide. For Hazaras, “almond eyes” is a beautiful reference, widely used in our poetry and to proudly describe ourselves.'

• Shukria Rezaei

@TedMullins

It’s the right decision. The fact that the publisher originally stood by her when three women of colour were relentlessly hounded and ignored speaks volumes. If people of colour say something is racist, it is absolutely not the place of white people to tell them they’re wrong.

But it wasn't Clanchy that did this hounding, according to a pp? I haven't seen all of the history, but it seems unfair that she suffers because of what random people on Twitter say/do.

@ArabellaScott

Well, I agree with that, Squirrels.

On the subject of describing eyes as 'almond' eyes:

'To be clear, I would not dream of commenting on whether other words and phrases Kate has used are offensive to others, but “almond eyes” is a term that I have often used in my own poems. My almond-shaped eyes are at the core of my Hazara identity. Hazaras are an almost invisible ethnic group in Afghanistan.

...

I am currently writing my master’s thesis on their genocide. For Hazaras, “almond eyes” is a beautiful reference, widely used in our poetry and to proudly describe ourselves.'

• Shukria Rezaei

One person saying she doesn't find the comparison offensive doesn't negate the vast wealth of experience that suggests otherwise.

Well, that was the person the description was written about. So I think she deserves to have her say.

@EishetChayil

Sorry not sorry but that is not just Woke nonsense but also patronizing.The young woman loves her almond-shaped eyes. She herself describes them almond-shaped and supports someone using that term to describe them.

I don’t think it’s ok to say that some of the people Clanchy described don’t find some of the descriptions offensive, so that means none of the descriptions are problematic. Those people were children. clanchy was their teacher. I don’t think it’s appropriate that they should feel pressured to defend her (I understand that she and her publisher asked them to). If I was in Clanchy’s position i like to think that I would urge them not to as I think it is an abuse of power. Quite apart from the fact that it is othering and weird to think that one marginalised person can represent all marginalised people. Maybe ‘almond eyes’ is ok in some contexts. But the young women described as fat or butch?

’It's her publishers and the entire industry that is the problem. This book went through a major publisher RECENTLY. It won a major award. Many, many people were involved in reading it, editing it, marketing it.’

This ^ The publishers are dropping her now because some people objected to the words they chose to publish! How many people read those descriptions and didn’t flag them before that book hit the shelves?

[quote DontLikeCrumpets]@EishetChayil

Sorry not sorry but that is not just Woke nonsense but also patronizing.The young woman loves her almond-shaped eyes. She herself describes them almond-shaped and supports someone using that term to describe them.[/quote]

I love my Jewish nose but that doesn't make it ok for someone else to comment on it. It isn't woke. It's the truth of coming from a persecuted minority.

If you had given the various quotes and asked me to guess who had written them I'd have guessed someone like Martin Amis or Will Self or even Lionel Shriver but in the voice of an unlikeable character in a novel, not their own voice.

I agree with this short piece in the New Statesman.
www.newstatesman.com/comment/2022/01/cancelling-kate-clanchy-wont-root-out-real-racism

If we cannot disagree without shouting “bigot!” at each other, we will learn less about each other, be less able to understand each other – and crucially, make less progress in rooting out true discrimination through understanding. At the moment, there is one less inspired teacher and mentor with a platform to promote young voices of colour. Is that really what we want?

And I'd think that whoever had written it had done an excellent job of portraying an unpleasant, cynical and snobbish character.

www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/44031939-some-kids-i-taught-and-what-they-taught-me

Interestingly, various relevant reviews still up there.

The issue to me isn't whether she said objectionable things in her book. She said objectionable things. The question is whether ALL her books should be withdrawn, after she has apologised, and all the efforts she has made over many years to support refugee pupils discounted.

There is a big difference between someone like Lionel Shriver, who has openly spoken out against multiculturalism and immigration, and someone like Kate Clanchy, who has openly spoken out in favour of multiculturalism and immigration.

I have been meaning to read the book so I can see the passages in their full context.

I followed the social media furore relatively closely, and I think I learnt a lot about what not to do, if the event I have a book published.

But what I really learnt was that all the discussions of how to foster diversity in publishing are clearly so much flim-flam, and no-one actually comprehends othering or racial stereotyping, for all they talk about wishing to avoid it. That book was not a self-published blog post on Clanchy's website; it went through the editing and decision-making process of a publishing house, and educated people were paid to read that manuscript and spot issues like this. They didn't spot them at all.

@cassandre

The issue to me isn't whether she said objectionable things in her book. She said objectionable things. The question is whether ALL her books should be withdrawn, after she has apologised, and all the efforts she has made over many years to support refugee pupils discounted.

There is a big difference between someone like Lionel Shriver, who has openly spoken out against multiculturalism and immigration, and someone like Kate Clanchy, who has openly spoken out in favour of multiculturalism and immigration.

I don't know anything about Kate Clanchy other than this one issue.

I don't agree with the poster who said If people of colour say something is racist, it is absolutely not the place of white people to tell them they’re wrong (what never? In no circumstances?) no more than I would agree that if a woman says something is sexist , then it must be, but those comments are really not acceptable in the context of a teacher talking about her pupils.

I have never heard of 'almond eyes' being offensive. When I looked up the expression online, to see if there was something I hadn't understood, I got page after page of make-up tips either to show off almond eyes or to give yourself the appearance of almond eyes! The models were of all colours and ethnicities.

If almond eyes suggest a particular racial group to you, Eishat, what's wrong with that racial group? Why is it offensive to be associated with it? Many people associate white-blonde hair with Scandinavians. Does that offend anyone?

I have the book on a TBR pile somewhere - read a wee bit last year but didn't get to any of the bits quoted.

@thinkingaboutLangCleg

I have never heard of 'almond eyes' being offensive. When I looked up the expression online, to see if there was something I hadn't understood, I got page after page of make-up tips either to show off almond eyes or to give yourself the appearance of almond eyes! The models were of all colours and ethnicities.

If almond eyes suggest a particular racial group to you, Eishat, what's wrong with that racial group? Why is it offensive to be associated with it? Many people associate white-blonde hair with Scandinavians. Does that offend anyone?

Hiw to tell if you have "Almond eyes" according to the beauty websites

Before diving into beauty tips, it's helpful to know whether you do, in fact, have a set of almond eyes. Typically, with this eye shape, the iris (aka, the colored part of your eye) touches both the top and bottom waterlines—meaning, you can't see any white above or below

Or

If you see a visible crease when looking at your lids and the iris of your eyes touches white on both the top and bottom, you have almond-shaped eyes. You will also notice in almond-shaped eyes that they turn slightly upward in the outer corners

In which case I have "almond eyes".

Can someone explain the white saviour thing to me? She was a teacher, mostly working in schools with children from quite disadvantaged backgrounds, she facilitated opportunities for them through her poetry workshops and classes. I didn't get the impression that she did this to be some sort of hero but because she (a) genuinely enjoyed teaching them (most of the time) (b) thought writing poetry might be helpful for those that engaged (c) was partly paid to. When I read the book - before the furore - I was, shocked would be too strong but surprised that she wasn't mincing her words and I did have small concerns that some of the children would recognise themselves - especially the white kids from the school in Essex about which she was extremely disparaging - but I had no sense that this was some giant ego-rub for her. I went to a school at which inspiring teachers were in pretty short supply, someone taking this level of interest in us and our work would have been tremendously helpful and encouraging.

@cassandre

The issue to me isn't whether she said objectionable things in her book. She said objectionable things. The question is whether ALL her books should be withdrawn, after she has apologised, and all the efforts she has made over many years to support refugee pupils discounted.

There is a big difference between someone like Lionel Shriver, who has openly spoken out against multiculturalism and immigration, and someone like Kate Clanchy, who has openly spoken out in favour of multiculturalism and immigration.

It will be by mutual agreement, though. The publishing house hasn’t ‘withdrawn’ her books from sale - they have reverted the rights back to her so she can get a publishing deal elsewhere.

It sounds to me less like a publisher-led decision of ‘cancellation’ and more of a ‘this relationship is untenable now on both sides and neither side wants to keep dealing with the other.’

In this scenario it’s right that the publisher doesn’t continue to make money off an author they no longer actively support.

I don't think it's a mutual decision really, my impression is that she's gutted.

@cassandre Yes, me too.

she can get a publishing deal elsewhere

Have you ever tried to 'get a publishing deal', NoSquirrels? It's pretty much a lifetime endeavour. It's not like going shopping. People spend years building a CV to work their way up to one.

A writer might go and seek another publisher for new books, but in general her old publisher will continue to stock/distribute old books. To have them cancelled like this & rights reverted is really unusual and suggests quite a serious falling out.

@KimikosNightmare

If you had given the various quotes and asked me to guess who had written them I'd have guessed someone like Martin Amis or Will Self or even Lionel Shriver but in the voice of an unlikeable character in a novel, not their own voice.

What's weird is that I've read the book and loved it. It's one of the best books I've read in recent years. And yet I have to admit that some of the quotes people posted here come across as quite offensive.

But I didn't notice them when I read the book and, presumably, neither did the many people at her publisher notice them nor the people who gave the book glowing reviews and awarded her a prestigious prize. Obviously one explanation for that is that we are all privileged white people who are just not attuned to racism (this is possibly true). Another explanation is that they read differently in context. What I took from the book is that this is a woman who is devoted to her students and does everything she can to support them and nurture their talents. Very difficult to square this with the idea that this is someone who is casually racist.

I don't know what the answer is.

@ArabellaScott

she can get a publishing deal elsewhere

Have you ever tried to 'get a publishing deal', NoSquirrels? It's pretty much a lifetime endeavour. It's not like going shopping. People spend years building a CV to work their way up to one.

A writer might go and seek another publisher for new books, but in general her old publisher will continue to stock/distribute old books. To have them cancelled like this & rights reverted is really unusual and suggests quite a serious falling out.

Yup. She's going to really struggle to get another contract, at least under her own name.