You are viewing your 1 free article this month. Login to read more articles.
Philip Pullman has resigned as president of the Society of Authors (SoA) in the wake of the debate over Kate Clanchy’s work, saying he no longer feels free to express his personal opinions in the role.
In a letter to the SoA management committee and c.e.o. Nicola Solomon this month, the bestselling author said it had been a privilege to serve as president, an ambassadorial post he has held since 2013.
Pullman, who will remain a member of the SoA council, went on: “The presidency is not an executive position. Matters of policy are decided by the members through the management committee and the society as a whole is administered by a chief executive. That state of affairs has worked well during most of my term as president, but recent events have made it apparent that when a difference of opinion arises there is no easy way to resolve it within the constitution or the established practices of the society.
“When it became clear that statements of mine were being regarded as if they represented the views of the society as a whole (although they did nothing of the sort, and weren’t intended to) and that I was being pressed by people both in and out of the society to retract them and apologise, I realised that I would not be free to express my personal opinions as long as I remained president. That being the case, with great regret and after long consideration I chose to stand down.”
Pullman came in for criticism last year for the way he defended Kate Clanchy’s Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me after people accused the book of racial stereotyping. In a since deleted tweet he made in response to a comment he wrongly thought to be about Clanchy, he said that those who do not read a book before condemning it would "find a comfortable home in Isis or the Taliban".
Some of the book’s critics were subjected to racial abuse online, prompting an open letter in their support signed by more than 1,000 people, including SoA management committee chair Joanne Harris. Pullman later apologised for “causing harm” with his comments while the Society of Authors distanced itself from them.
However, Pullman has continued to speak up for Clanchy on social media, tweeting after she and publisher Picador parted ways: “Speaking entirely for myself and not on behalf of any organisation, I hope Kate Clanchy soon finds a better publisher, one who combines editorial competence with moral courage.”
Some members of the SoA were unhappy with its handling of the issue. Virago founder Carmen Callil cancelled her membership last year, while Marina Warner told The Bookseller she had also now quit as a member “in an act of solidarity” with Pullman’s resignation, calling him a “superb advocate” for writers.
She said: “The SoA are there to stand on behalf of writers and their interests and I don’t think their response to various things that have happened recently have been in the interest of writers.”
Warner added that there was "a climate of anxiety" among writers and it was important that people did not lose their nerve, including over principles such as freedom to publish and remain published.
Harris said of Pullman’s decision: “We are very sorry to see Philip resign. We thank Philip for his many years of service to the SoA, for his inspirational work with young readers, and for his kind support to me during my illness last year. In the role of president and in his work on the management committee and children’s writers and illustrators group he has been a splendid advocate for authors. At a time when politicians and industry heads were focused elsewhere, he has helped keep many of our concerns on the agenda.”
Solomon added: “We were very sorry when Philip told us that he intended to resign and regret that his personal views have come under so much scrutiny because of his presidency of the SoA.”
Solomon said social media had changed communication and the organisation was reviewing its constitution to “reflect the times in which we live”, including the roles of the management committee, chair and president, with an annual meeting in June to discuss the management committee’s recommendations.
She continued: “Philip has been a great personal and professional support for me in my work since I started at the SoA. Whether he was supporting our campaigns or speaking with wisdom, eloquence and humour at our events and prize ceremonies, it has been a privilege to work with him as president. We are delighted that we will still be in touch with him as a member of the SoA council.”
Pullman has been a member of the SoA for 35 years, joining the children’s writers and illustrators group committee in 1991 and being elected to the management committee in 1999, serving two terms as chair from 2001. He joined the SoA council in 2004 before being elected president in 2013. His ten-year term was due to end in June 2023.
In a lengthy statement, the SoA said of Pullman: “During his nine years as president, the working landscape for authors of all kinds has continued to change almost beyond recognition, not least the unfettered growth of Amazon, the rise of illegal downloads, publisher mergers, coupled with falling author incomes—not to mention the ongoing impacts of Covid-19 and Brexit, which we are only now beginning to understand.
“He spoke out on many issues that impact authors, including payment, libraries, independent bookshops, book piracy and book festivals—ensuring a far wider understanding of the issues facing authors than we could have achieved without him.”
It went on: “In 2016, Philip famously resigned as patron of the Oxford Literary Festival over its non-payment of speakers, writing in the Guardian that he ‘couldn’t reconcile it with being president of the Society of Authors’. This act amplified our festivals campaign and the argument that authors should not be expected to work for free. In the months and years that followed, many UK literary festivals, including Oxford, changed their approach and found budgets to pay the authors who make their events possible.
“And during his presidency, the Society of Authors has gone from strength to strength. Membership has increased from 9,054 at the beginning of 2013 to more than 11,850 today.”