<
https://theconversation.com/why-sensitivity-readers-matter-and-should-be-paid-properly-183531>
"Last month, controversy was reignited in the UK around teacher Kate Clanchy’s
memoir
Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me, about her time teaching
kids from diverse backgrounds to write poetry.
Although Clanchy’s book was initially lauded (even winning the Orwell Prize),
criticism soon eclipsed praise. Readers, prominent writers of colour and
autistic author Dara McNulty protested the language Clanchy used to describe
her pupils (“Somali height”, “Ashkenazi nose”, autistic children as “jarring
company”). Her publisher Picador agreed the objections were “instructive and
clear-sighted”; eventually, it withdrew the book from publication.
Clanchy apologised for any offence caused, but maintained that her book was
intended to be anti-racist. “I’m horrified that people found prejudice and
cruelty in my book,” she wrote in an article on UnHerd.
But before author-publisher relations broke down entirely, Picador (belatedly)
employed sensitivity readers, who advised revisions to the text.
Thanks to increasing awareness of cultural representation – and to avoid
damaging fiascos like this – sensitivity readers are now routinely employed
before a book is published, if the author is writing about cultures outside
their lived experience."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
