Second Attempt to Remove Feminist Book from National Library
Trans activists are making a second attempt to force the National Library of Scotland to ban a feminist book, claiming its presence has created an unsafe and hostile environment for staff. The controversy surrounds 'The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht', a collection of essays by women's rights campaigners including JK Rowling and former MP Joanna Cherry, edited by Susan Dalgety and Lucy Hunter Blackburn.
Open Letter Demands Immediate Action
The Mail has obtained an open letter signed by publishers, academics, and book festival staff demanding the library's board immediately reverse its decision to reinstate the book. The letter states: 'We stand in solidarity with queer and trans staff at the National Library of Scotland, who in recent months have been subject to harassment and bigotry in their workplace.' Signatories are calling for urgent action to ensure all staff and visitors can access the library without fear.
The bestselling book was originally selected by the public for inclusion in the National Library's centenary exhibition but was removed earlier this year after staff complaints. In September, National Librarian Amina Shah performed a U-turn following substantial public backlash and reinstated the book.
Disciplinary Action Recommended Against Staff
A recent report concluded that the National Library should take disciplinary action against staff who used 'threatening and inappropriate' behaviour to secure the book's initial withdrawal. The whistleblower who came forward suggested that staff criticised in the report might be attempting to create an environment where the board would hesitate to discipline them.
Co-editor Lucy Hunter Blackburn condemned the latest demands, stating: 'This letter is an outrageous and unwarranted attack on a major cultural institution. It makes bizarre and unsubstantiated claims about the effect of including the book in the exhibition.' She added that this represents a form of McCarthyism that has no place in contemporary Scotland.
Public Funding Connections and Political Reactions
Several signatories of the letter have received public money from Creative Scotland, the arts quango funded by the Scottish Government and overseen by Culture Secretary Angus Robertson. These include a trans poet seen protesting with a megaphone days after the Supreme Court ruling on single-sex spaces and a board member of the Equality Network, which receives £600,000 in Scottish government funding.
Politicians have strongly criticised the censorship attempt. Scottish Conservative MSP Pam Gosal, one of the book's authors, stated: 'This is yet another attempt to silence brave women's rights campaigners. Taxpayers will be shocked that some groups who signed this letter receive Creative Scotland funding.'
MSP Fergus Ewing called the notion that the book poses a danger 'preposterous and simply laughable', adding that serious problems arise when governments ban books, not when they make them available.
The letter has been delivered to senior management ahead of a board meeting on Thursday where the fallout from the initial book ban is expected to be discussed. The National Library confirmed receiving the letter but declined to comment further.
A Creative Scotland spokesman stated: 'Any decision to support a particular cause or campaign is a matter for each individual or organisation and independent of Creative Scotland.'
