JK Rowling called ‘Britain’s nastiest novelist’ in New Statesman

[IwantToRetire]

After setting out the examples of nastiness in recent works including The Ink Black Heart and The Running Grave, he stated that Rowling has evolved “from saint-like Labour Party-supporting children’s author to polemical political activist, seemingly obsessive about the tabloid media, Scottish nationalism and, most provocatively for her millennial readers, gender-critical feminism”.

He claimed that she lacks “self-awareness” because she “condemns vicious keyboard warriors and hysterical reactionaries in her books but engages in similar behaviour herself online”.

“In another world, JK Rowling could be a character in a book by Robert Galbraith: brittle, insecure, cruel.”

Following the backlash, the New Statesman appeared to alter the original headline to “JK Rowling, Britain’s Gloriously Nasty Novelist”.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/01/15/jk-rowling-called-britains-nastiest-novelist-new-statesman/

I dont think it is a surprise that some male writer would say this. The question is why would the New Statesman want to publish it?

Article behind paywall but can be read at https://archive.ph/LJMFL

The guy deactivated his Twitter account and deleted a goady tweet he made promoting his article due to the amount of pushback he received.

Hannah Barnes is an Associate Editor at the New Statesman. Editorial meetings must be interesting.

Horrible misogynist. She's such a fab woman! Never met her but she is such a wise,kind soul and strikes me as a friend to women! They FEAR her power!!! Good!!!

That makes it even more puzzling as to why they would publish such a silly goady sixth form incel drivel.

"Nasty woman" is straight out of Donald Trump's playbook. Not a very original insult, is it?

Maybe she should write about it. "Harry Potter and the frothing misogynist" or "Harry Potter and the Deadly Misgendering"?

They never seem to understand that 50+% of the readership, country, world, are female and completely pissing off that many women is an incredibly stupid thing to do.

Being pointed out on X that this is the same Nick Hilton who gave Mr Bates vs the Post Office 3 stars and said it was hard to imagine anyone sticking with it.

Very funny these inadequate weedy middle aged men getting all upset at a strong woman speaking up.

They published the Dawkins article too - although delayed publication in order to "balance" it out with the usual drivel.

I did read the JKR piece yesterday when it all erupted on Twitter. I'm shocked- shocked! - at a crime writer featuring murders and murderers, that's truly naughty. She should have stayed in the little lady lane, maybe gone for chick lit.

I saw this yesterday and was immediately struck by him using the word 'nasty'. He could have chosen another adjective but he went for that one. It has, for me at least, undertones of slyness, duplicitousness, vindictiveness.

He seems to be confusing the author with her work, which many people do with actors etc, but I wouldn't expect such simplistic thinking from a critic.

It's long been noted that women writers predominate in crime fiction. It's an interesting phenomenon and I'm thinking I may join their ranks, with my first novel about a much-loved author and the gruesome murder of a nasty critic.

I find this interesting. Stephen King was roundly called a hypocrite for applauding The Running Grave. Presumably because of twitter spats where he has tried to appease his following by stating TWAW.

He is also a writer who writes with a political angle and references current times. He was criticised by a large amount of his following about being anti-Bush pro-covid injection in his book Holly.

It seems that authors cannot win.

I find it is interesting that this is in the New Statesman though I would have thought they'd have more sympathy with writers like JKR basing their fiction on the current era.

Seems some can't help but woman bash, eh?

And yes regarding use of nasty. It's not a word you seen used about a man in this context.

Julie Bindel’s GoFundMe appeal in support of JKR is hilarious.

The idiot writer seems to believe only lovely subjects should be covered by female writers. He presumably thinks Lionel Shriver is a man. Poor love.

They published the Dawkins article too - although delayed publication in order to "balance" it out with the usual drivel.

The "balance" article was shockingly bad. Enjoy.

“What is a woman?” The formulation has the merit of suggesting that to be a woman, far from being obvious, is a question, and one susceptible to more than a single reply. This is encouraging at a time when the fight over the definition of what a woman is has taken on such virulence. Being a woman is at risk of becoming a protected category, as the binary man/woman hardens into place. This is happening even though it has always been a central goal of feminismm^ to repudiate the very idea of womanhood, as a form of coercive control that means the end of freedom.
https://www.newstatesman.com/ideas/2023/07/the-gender-binary-debate-jacqueline-rose

I agree...

Can we pre-order?

I'll let you know when it's near completion @Boiledbeetle!

I was heartened to read an article recently by a writer about why he self-publishes or, as he prefers, independently publishes. I know the big publishing houses have taken a downturn recently and I'm hoping that publishing, as we now know it, is one of the industries that is in for a massive shake-up. There's a few of them, God knows they need it.

It's very funny. He appears to be a Harry Potter devotee who can't cope with the fact that Rowling has turned into a horrible Terf. She even "liked" a far-right tweet, apparently (no evidence of this is provided).

The same guy wrote a piece for the Independent saying he didn't think many viewers would make it past episode one of Mr Bates vs the Post Office.

Talented, prolific author goes from writing a beloved series of children’s books to penning grown-up stories about crime and blood and stuff. And all this while focusing on women’s rights in her spare time. Nasty woman. She really shouldn’t be allowed.

I am sick of the misogynistic, horrible, brainwashing, nasty bullshit that the media keeps churning out about JKR. These “journalists” really ought to acquire some critical thinking skills.

Apparently the "far right" tweet is one by Libs of TikTok.

I just saw that El Bandito mentioned the Post office thing. Sorry!

Anyway, the whole thing has given me a lorra laughs, as Cilla might say. I'm guessing Hilton has never read any Val McDermid or Patricia Cornwell.

Not only that, but using swear words! He literally ran a search for how many times she used the word “cunt” in The Running Grave.

Does he genuinely think it’s beyond the pale for the woman who wrote Harry Potter to now write books with adult themes and language?

Let me guess - writer bingo

He thinks writing children's novels is easy.
He has written a really shiiiiit fantasy novel about himself, the chosen one, with a big sword.

I read this article before it was famous 😁