Inside the 'needlessly cruel' cancellation of author Kate Clanchy and why I'm glad I'm not the BBC

A frequent misunderstanding about cancel culture in the literary world is the idea that if an author still manages to publish and earn a living, they have not been truly cancelled. Many assume that any backlash faced must therefore be fair and deserved.

Those who have attacked fellow writers online, often contributing to their professional downfall, may find comfort in this assumption. Travel writer Monisha Rajesh, who played a critical role in the public criticism of poet and educator Kate Clanchy, appears to share that view.

Public Reactions and the BBC’s Role

When asked by BBC journalist Katie Razzall whether Kate Clanchy had been cancelled, Rajesh replied:

“Of course not. Everyone’s still talking about her.”

Rajesh added that she did not regret her earlier decision to challenge Clanchy, though she recently shared a tearful video on Instagram expressing frustration that the controversy had resurfaced. This came just before the release of the new BBC Sounds podcast series Anatomy of a Cancellation, hosted by Katie Razzall.

The Case and Its Context

The six-part podcast examines different perspectives on the events that led to Clanchy being labelled racist—a year after her acclaimed memoir, Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me, was released by Picador in 2020 and received high praise, including the Orwell Prize.

Author’s Summary

The article scrutinizes how public discourse, social media outrage, and media framing shaped the controversy that engulfed Kate Clanchy, revealing the complexities and personal toll of literary “cancellation.”

The Scotsman — 2025-11-10