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A writer who led the charge against a fellow author over claims her award-winning memoir was racist has posted a tearful video begging people not to drag up the ‘past’.
Monisha Rajesh, who is now an author in her own right, was one of the earliest critics of Kate Clanchy’s 2020 book Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me, which won the prestigious Orwell Prize for political writing.
The memoir, based on Clanchy’s 30 years teaching in state schools, came under fire a year after its release when readers accused her of using ‘racist’ and ‘dehumanising’ descriptions of pupils’ physical appearances.
Rajesh was among those who condemned the book on social media, fuming on X in August 2021: ‘F***ing chocolate-coloured skin!?! Jesus, this is making me rage and prickle all over.’
She later went further, branding Clanchy ‘KKKlanchy’.
Now, four years on, the row has resurfaced as the BBC prepares to launch a six-part podcast series titled An Anatomy of a Cancellation, revisiting the controversy that divided the literary world.
In a remarkable twist this week, Clanchy’s former publisher Pan Macmillan has issued an apology to her and ‘many others’ affected by what it called a ‘regrettable series of events’.
The company acknowledged the handling of the backlash as a mistake in its past.
As the fallout reignites, Rajesh took to Instagram in tears this week, pleading with people not to attack her online. She also blasted the BBC for reviving the controversy through its upcoming series.
Rajesh took to Instagram in tears this week, pleading with people not to attack her online
The memoir, based on Clanchy’s 30 years teaching in state schools, came under fire a year after its release when readers accused her of using ‘racist’ and ‘dehumanising’ descriptions of pupils’ physical appearances
Through sobs, she told followers: ‘I just want to leave a note to get ahead of something because I’ve already had people get in touch with me telling about the Kate Clanchy fervour which has been stirred up again by the BBC, who are doing a podcast next week called An Anatomy of a Cancellation which I begged and pleaded with them not to do.
‘And today there is an interview in the Times where Kate Clanchy has been interviewed again.
‘Once again Andrew Billen has called us attackers and detractors and I’ve already had an abusive email this morning from a stranger and I know they are only going to pick up again.
‘So please don’t write to me about it… please please don’t get in touch with me about it. I beg you thank you.’
Clanchy has since revealed that she ‘never felt supported’ by her publisher, saying: ‘They were absolutely unsupportive.’
The firm, which had reportedly set up a special team to monitor the social media outrage, is said to have pressed her to apologise to her critics.
The original row erupted in 2021 as calls for racial equality surged following the murder of George Floyd.
Inside Clanchy’s publisher, internal emails – seen by the BBC – show the extent of the turmoil as executives debated whether to stand by their author or bow to online criticism.
An early draft statement from August 2021 praised Clanchy, describing her as ‘a force for good in the worlds of education and publishing’ but it was never released.
Through sobs, she told followers how she had begged and pleaded with the BBC not to do a podcast on the subject
Monisha Rajesh, who is now an author in her own right, was one of the earliest critics of Clanchy’s 2020 book Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me, which won the prestigious Orwell Prize for political writing
Days later, the publisher instead issued a public apology, saying: ‘We want to apologise profoundly for the hurt we have caused, the emotional anguish experienced by many of you who took the time to engage with the text.’
The fallout left Clanchy’s career in tatters. She was accused of racism, classism and ableism, lost work and friends, and later told the BBC: ‘I really wanted to die for a very long time.’
Monisha Rajesh has been approached for comment.