Kate Clanchy and Rebecca Abrams Interviewed by Stephen Law

Two writers, Kate Clanchy and Rebecca Abrams, discuss their personal experience of the current publishing phenomenon of ‘sensitivity reads’ and the serious issues they raise.

To what extent should readers influence an author’s text? To what extent should writers be free to shape their work as they choose?  Where does it leave us as a literary community if there is no space for discomfort or disagreement? How is meaningful dialogue between writers and readers possible if only complete consensus is tolerated?

Abrams is the author of eight works of fiction and non-fiction. She teaches creative writing at Oxford University and is a regular literary critic for the Financial Times.  Her latest book is Licoricia of Winchester: Power and Prejudice in Thirteenth Century England. Clanchy has won prizes for poetry, fiction and non-fiction, most recently the Orwell Prize for teaching memoir, Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me. Discussions are chaired by Dr Stephen Law, a philosopher and academic, author of bestselling introductions to philosophy for adults and children, and editor of the Royal Institute of Philosophy Journal Think.