Letters: Why I left the Society of Authors

Write and wrong

Sir: As a former member of the Society of Authors I read with interest Julie Bindel’s article about its failure to defend J.K. Rowling when she received death threats (‘Write-off’, 26 November). I asked on the society’s ‘Children’s Writers and Illustrators’ Facebook page why they had not spoken out in support of a fellow children’s author and the administrator replied that Rowling ‘has not requested an intervention’. I hadn’t realised that the defence of freedom of speech was something which had to be specifically requested. The other responses I got ranged from blandly negative to downright vitriolic and it wasn’t long before the administrator closed the discussion. I’m quite certain that was in order to protect the society rather than any of its members. I didn’t leave the SoA in a blaze of glory, I just didn’t bother renewing my membership. I suspect I’m not the only one.