Kate Clanchy, the poet and author of the memoir 'Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me', has received an apology from her former publisher Picador following a four-year ordeal that saw the book become the centre of a culture war storm. The memoir, which won the Orwell Prize for political writing in 2019, was praised for its celebration of multicultural school life. However, in November 2020, a teacher posted on Goodreads accusing Clanchy of using 'racist stereotypes' to describe pupils, including phrases like 'chocolate skin' and 'almond eyes'.
Clanchy initially denied the claims, but it emerged that some of the disputed phrases were indeed in the book. Her defensive response on social media drew support from literary figures like Philip Pullman, but also led to racist abuse directed at her critics, including writers Monisha Rajesh, Sunny Singh, and Chimene Suleyman. An autistic writer, Dara McAnulty, was forced off social media after questioning Clanchy's description of autistic pupils.
Picador initially apologised and said Clanchy would rewrite the book, but in January 2023, the publisher parted ways with her by mutual consent. Clanchy, who also faced personal tragedies including the loss of her parents and a divorce, disclosed feeling suicidal at times. The rights to the book were later bought by Swift Press, a new independent publisher, and a revised edition was quietly released in March 2023.
The controversy has broader implications for publishing, with authors like Kazuo Ishiguro and Sebastian Faulks expressing concerns about online 'lynch mobs' and self-censorship. Clanchy has since received an apology from Picador, though the exact terms remain private. The case highlights ongoing debates about representation, free speech, and the power of social media in the literary world.
