An end to self-censorship: Julia Williams bids for the Society of Authors' Management Committee

By Julia Williams.

My name is Julia Williams and I have over thirty-five years' experience in publishing, both as an editor and an author. I have put my name forward to stand for the Society of Authors’ Management Committee.

In the last few years, I have seen a disturbing tendency for authors to – in the words of Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche – “self-censor” both their work and their views. I feel this is not only counterproductive, as all writers need to be able to use the whole range of their imagination to express themselves creatively, but also sets a dangerous precedent for society as a whole as we need to be able to discuss contentious ideas robustly and not stay silent for fear of causing offence.

I know many writers who currently live in a state of fear, unable to say what they truly think, worrying that they might be called out/have their career trashed by a Twitter mob. They have seen what happens to people who do speak out. For me this is an unacceptable situation, as I strongly believe that this leads to writers staying silent on a number of issues where they would normally feel able to speak. I also believe unless someone is saying something illegal or specifically targeting an individual and/or threatening them that anybody should be free to espouse whatever views they wish to, even if such views might be unpalatable to others. I will support anyone who is in this position, whether I agree with their beliefs and opinions or not.

Freedom of speech is a part of the bedrock of our society, and I believe it behoves us all to defend it.

If you are someone who disagrees with me, I am very happy to have polite and reasonable conversations with you. If you are someone who has blocked me, feel free to unblock me, and come and get to know me. We might have more in common than you think.

What I would ask is that people who disagree on an issue treat one another with respect and dignity. I am not someone who regularly blocks people on social media, but I will do so if I deem it necessary. I will also condemn anyone who is behaving in a way that is inappropriate for members of the Society of Authors.

It is my hope that being elected to the MC will allow a space for more nuanced and robust conversations to be had on difficult topics in order to allow everyone the right to speak.

I look forward to chatting to some of you and won’t be remotely offended if you don’t vote for me!

Best wishes

Julia