Petition to Society of Authors re their chair

[beastlyslumber]

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?

Excellent article. Thanks for sharing!

My experience: even in editing/translation type settings in publishing there is cowardice and people telling each other to shut up. I have given up one good job because of this. I do not have very strong opinions to start with, I want everyone live their good life. Now I think I am TERF, just from keeping my mouths shut so much and seeing people treated badly and feeling angry inside!

But in publishing in London everyone terrified of the young people, everyone watching their mouth. We need unions to have our backs and Joanne Harris does not do this. I have seen the things she says on twitter because I have followed her some years and she is not professional. She is sounds very kind but she is a bully too. Once she starts she bullies and bullies. It is frightening.