A Poet's Fight for Free Expression Sparks Legal Battle with Arts Council England!
Imagine pouring your heart into a poem, only to have it yanked from publication because of your thoughts shared online. That's the reality facing poet Abigail Ottley, who is now threatening Arts Council England (ACE) with legal action after a magazine it funds, the Aftershock Review, withdrew her work. Ottley believes this decision was triggered by her gender-critical views expressed on social media.
But here's where it gets controversial... The Aftershock Review, which received a significant sum of £32,368 and later £60,000 in funding from ACE, initially accepted Ottley's poem in September. However, by October, an email arrived stating that due to an "internal review" and "concerns raised about your social media presence," her work would not be published. The magazine cited a "duty of care to ensure our contributors and readers feel safe and respected" as the reason for their final decision.
Ottley, seeking clarity, reportedly received no specific explanation for the withdrawal. This led her to complain to ACE in November, a move also supported by the organization Freedom in the Arts (FITA). FITA highlighted that Ottley's social media activity largely consists of expressing gender-critical viewpoints, including retweeting prominent figures like J.K. Rowling.
And this is the part most people miss... ACE, in their response on January 28th, stated they found no breach of funding terms and conditions. They also claimed the grant-holder confirmed the poem wasn't withdrawn due to Ottley's gender-critical beliefs. However, Ottley's solicitors argue that without concrete clarification on what specific social media content caused the withdrawal, there's strong evidence of discrimination based on her beliefs.
Ottley's legal team has formally requested ACE to disclose all documents related to the dismissal of her complaint and to re-open the investigation. They are also urging ACE to review its funding for Aftershock, emphasizing that all ACE grantees must adhere to the Equality Act 2010 and refrain from discrimination.
ACE has stated they will not comment on the matter as legal proceedings are ongoing. The Aftershock Review has also not yet responded to requests for comment.
What do you think? Is it fair for a publication to withdraw work based on an artist's social media activity, even if it's related to their beliefs? Should publicly funded arts organizations be held more accountable for the decisions of the groups they support? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
