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Original poster

Petition to Society of Authors re their chair

102 replies

beastlyslumber · 18/08/2022 16:30

The chair of SoA is Joanne Harris, a TRA. Over the years she has tweeted some nasty things to and about other authors. After the attack on Salman Rushdie, JKR tweeted and received death threats. JH's response was a sarcastic tweet.

There's now been a petition organised to ask the SoA to consider whether their chair can be considered to be defending authors' rights in the light of her activism.

I'm an author, and as much as I find JH's activism unpleasant, I'm not convinced that a petition isn't just more cancel culture. I want to see evidence that what she's doing on twitter is affecting the work of the SoA - I think she is damaging the perception of the organisation, for sure. But she is an unlikeable person and it's hard for me to separate these things out. I don't want to sign the petition just because I dislike her. Any other authors who've signed it or are considering doing so?

OP posts:
Original poster
beastlyslumber · 19/08/2022 13:01

I think the SoA are totally doomed. What's the use of a society that is so ideologically driven it can't defend its members?

The open letter was always going to be interpreted as a cancellation attempt. E.g. this tweet from another TRA author: twitter.com/LauraNMauro/status/1559987915572346880?cxt=HHwWgIC8mc-vmKYrAAAA

(never tried to link a tweet before... hope it works)

OP posts:
PeriodBro · 19/08/2022 13:11

It’s not her opinions that are the problem it’s her behaviour and her professionalism.

Yes.

Beowulfa · 19/08/2022 13:22

The tone of her frantic tweeting is unprofessional, regardless of the union or subject matter. On that basis members are right to question her position.

PeriodBro · 19/08/2022 13:26

Not read this, but leaving here for reference:

a response to the response:

juliebindel.substack.com/p/to-those-defending-joanne-harris

PriOn1 · 19/08/2022 14:18

She is undoubtedly damaging the reputation of the organisation. Question is does it matter?

I left because of her and therefore now have no support. I realise that leaving was a choice, but there isn’t another union (that I know of) and therefore her presence means that the Society are not supporting a number of authors they previously would have supported. And yes, there has been an occasion since I left when I would have consulted them. So does it matter? Well it certainly matters to me.

Original poster
beastlyslumber · 19/08/2022 14:27

I joined the Free Speech Union a while back - they are very good on supporting their members' freedom of speech. They're currently supporting Gillian Phillip with her case.

They don't do all the other stuff SoA do, though.

OP posts:
TheBestBitch · 19/08/2022 14:39

sunshinesupermum · 19/08/2022 12:34

Joanne Harris has tweeted today that JKR is a 'useful Trojan Horse for bigotry.'
Her bullying of JKR hasn't stopped and she does bring the SoA into disrepute by this constant bombardment of JKR.

What the actual Fuck?

PeriodBro · 19/08/2022 14:46

Writer's Guild?

writersguild.org.uk/about/

Tamworthian · 19/08/2022 14:58

Signalbox · 19/08/2022 13:01

I think she is damaging the perception of the organisation, for sure. But she is an unlikeable person and it's hard for me to separate these things out.

It’s an interesting one. I’ve found myself pondering whether or not this is a free speech issue and I don’t think it is. She has a clear conflict of interest (which isn’t necessarily a problem but it is a problem that she doesn’t recognise she has one). It’s not her opinions that are the problem it’s her behaviour and her professionalism. She wrote a whole thread about the practicalities of how a claim is looked at and how she doesn’t have any influence over decision making. The problem is many people will look at her using her right to free speech to have unpleasant public spats on twitter and they will think that as chair of the SoA she must have some influence over things. She is undoubtedly damaging the reputation of the organisation. Question is does it matter? Would it be discriminatory if they removed her as chair? I can imagine if she’d been GC, and behaving in a similar way, she’d be long gone by now.

It probably depends on personality types but I would also be impacted in that I’d be worried about tweeting (etc) my GC views in the case it might impact the support I’d get from the union (among other things). I’d also likely be worried about asking for help with something as I’d be concerned they wouldn’t be neutral about it. So a lot of the impact of this is a hidden one where the people most likely to be silenced are, well, now… silent.

Tamworthian · 19/08/2022 15:11

To add, I think a lot of GC women are in the unusual position for the first time in their lives of not being in the obviously ‘liberal’ position, if you add the implied shaming in from the TRA side for this, plus a dollop of ‘be nice’ and you’ve a toxic brew of sidelined women in a situation already set up to sideline women.

PriOn1 · 19/08/2022 15:20

PeriodBro · 19/08/2022 14:46

Writer's Guild?

writersguild.org.uk/about/

Thanks.

PeriodBro · 19/08/2022 15:21

Tamworthian · 19/08/2022 15:11

To add, I think a lot of GC women are in the unusual position for the first time in their lives of not being in the obviously ‘liberal’ position, if you add the implied shaming in from the TRA side for this, plus a dollop of ‘be nice’ and you’ve a toxic brew of sidelined women in a situation already set up to sideline women.

Yes, but as liberal women gradually come to realise the illiberal position of gender ideology more and more are moving across, I would say.

See you all on the other side of the seesaw ...

chilling19 · 19/08/2022 15:56

sunshinesupermum · 19/08/2022 12:34

Joanne Harris has tweeted today that JKR is a 'useful Trojan Horse for bigotry.'
Her bullying of JKR hasn't stopped and she does bring the SoA into disrepute by this constant bombardment of JKR.

As a former charity chair, I think this is disgraceful. And firmly against the Nolan principles.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-7-principles-of-public-life/the-7-principles-of-public-life--2

Mukajeans · 29/08/2022 14:42

New thread on this topic
www.mumsnet.com/talk/feminism/4622024-goodreads-secret-book-spite-and-kate-clanchy

Imnobody4 · 29/08/2022 16:08

Mukajeans · 29/08/2022 14:42

Thanks for that link - very interesting and depressing.

Mukajeans · 29/08/2022 18:08

You should come on over. It's warming up and yet no one has said anything offensive.

Original poster
beastlyslumber · 29/08/2022 23:13

Not sure what that thread has to do with Joanne Harris and the SoA?

OP posts:
ScreamingMeMe · 02/09/2022 10:42

John Boyne has been critical of the Society of Authors in this interview:

archive.ph/8UMuJ

ScreamingMeMe · 02/09/2022 10:44

Scathing:

Having endured endless death threats and people posting pictures of his Dublin home online, he says that he would not advise any writer in a similar position to look for help from the Society of Authors, the writers’ union, under its controversial current chair, Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat.

“The way she speaks about and treats other writers online – it suggests to me somebody who does not like writers very much. I feel some sympathy for her because I think she’s addicted to Twitter and addicted to publicity – I think she makes David Beckham look like Greta Garbo.

“The Society of Authors seems to me now to be an organisation which will support writers who agree with their ideological positions and gaslight those who they think do not.”

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 02/09/2022 12:27

I saw that.
I think he’s spot on about Harris and Twitter. There’s nothing wrong with tweeting sometimes but people who live on there and get carried away by it are compromised in their ability to hold positions that need balance, dignity and good judgment.
I got my first book contract recently but it didn’t cross my mind to join the Society of Authors (which would once have been an obvious step) when the society has been so much brought into disrepute by her inappropriate tweeting.
It feels rather as if this has been one of the unforeseen outcomes of the great experiment that is social media and I hope in the future there will be more robust guidelines and expectations for people who tweet but take on voluntary figurehead roles. Certain organisations need dignity from those who represent them but that is currently out of fashion.

Original poster
beastlyslumber · 02/09/2022 13:27

That's a good quote from John Boyne. I'd like to think JH is feeling the pressure to take her role more seriously and perform it with more dignity - but I expect she is more interested in posing as a victim.

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TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 02/09/2022 13:39

Oh I very much doubt she will take any of it on board.
Any discussion (other than the cheerleading) will = harassment by terfs.

ScreamingMeMe · 02/09/2022 21:33

Yes John Boyne has already been identified as one of the "bad ones"

A blog from an anonymous source about the state of the publishing industry:

thethingthatshouldnotbesaid.substack.com/p/theres-something-rotten-in-the-state

ScreamingMeMe · 02/09/2022 21:34

And congratulations Countess

PoornaB · 06/09/2022 13:14

Congratulations Countess!!
I'm a member of Writers Guild since 2003. Very warm recommend though I'm more technical type writer and not UK base all the time.
Who has seen this article? Liked it very much.
thecritic.co.uk/publishing-needs-jk-rowling-to-be-a-monster/