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Pan Macmillan Apologizes to Kate Clanchy Over 2021 Book Controversy

The statement followed a BBC Radio 4 probe that surfaced redacted internal emails from 2021.

Overview

  • Pan Macmillan CEO Joanna Prior told the BBC she was "sorry for the hurt" caused to Kate Clanchy and "many others," calling the episode a "regrettable series of events."
  • The apology was issued in response to a BBC Radio 4 series revisiting the dispute and reporting on internal Picador emails from the period.
  • Clanchy’s 2021 controversy centered on accusations that her memoir used racist, classist and ableist descriptions of children, accusations she rejects.
  • Emails reported by the BBC show Picador drafted a supportive release on August 4, 2021, then switched course with a public apology on August 9.
  • Clanchy later ended her long relationship with Picador in 2022, and both she and some critics say they suffered serious online abuse during the fallout.