Mick Hartley

Hannah Barnes has finally had her Time to Think book on the Tavistock published, but it certainly wasn't easy:

My book proposal had been sent to 22 publishers, but none had offered to take it on. That isn’t unusual. Proposals are submitted and rejected all the time. But it was the responses, or rather lack of them, that were most surprising.

The proposal was detailed. I’d spent months writing it in the evenings, after working during the day at the BBC’s Newsnight, where this story started, and at weekends. The proposal ran to 17,000 words and set out clearly the feel of the book, and a good idea of how the chapters might break down. (That later changed as my research ballooned; my initial manuscript clocked in at 160,000 words.) It explained that I would be taking an evidence-based approach, as we had done at Newsnight, and summarised my journalistic background in handling sensitive source material and standing up stories with documentary evidence. I explained that where there was uncertainty, it would be stated. The book being proposed – and the one that is now published – was not a polemic, but rather a balanced work of reportage about the care provided to deeply vulnerable children and young people, some of whom have been helped, but some of whom have been harmed….

Of the 12 who responded, all via email, not one publisher said anything negative about the proposal. In fact, several praised it, saying that it was an important story that should be told. But, essentially, not by them. Some mentioned that other authors they published would be “sensitive” to the material, others hinted that it would be difficult to get it past junior members of staff.

Another, who wanted to publish the book, had to take the decision all the way to the chief executive, who then declined, saying it was too controversial.

And here was me thinking it was the business of publishers to air controversial views. That, I suppose, was before the age of sensitivity readers. Yes, it's a well-researched book about the medical abuse of hundreds of vulnerable children, but what's that compared to the sensitivities of easily-traumatised junior members of staff?

Ten other publishers did not respond to my proposal, something my agent tells me is very unusual. He would usually expect an acknowledgment of a proposal and messages either declining or accepting a book from 90 per cent of recipients. This time it was a little more than half. These emails always tend to give some kind of reason for passing. It might be that some thought it easier not to respond, but it’s impossible to know for sure.

But, on April 13, 2021, I met (virtually – Covid was still in the air, and I was eight months pregnant) Mark Richards and Diana Broccardo, the owners of the small, independent publisher Swift Press. We talked, and they understood what the book would be about, and, importantly, what it would not be about. It was about healthcare, not ideology. Later that day, Swift — the 23rd publisher — made an offer, and here we are.

With the news last week about the rewriting passages of Roald Dahl’s books, I can say that Swift did not require my manuscript to be scrutinised by sensitivity readers, nor did they ask me to change a word. Just maybe cut it down a bit. But they have told me of their experience of taking the book to internal sales conferences, where people dared not ask a question in the public forum but grabbed them one-on-one in the coffee break afterwards. Staff were interested in the topic and wanted to know more, but were equally worried that there would be negative publicity for Swift.

I am thrilled that Time to Think has been reviewed so favourably by publications of all political stripes. It will be available in well-known bookshops – or at least in some.

Waterstones? That'll be interesting. The branches I visit are generally scrupulous in avoiding any gender critical works, like those by Kathleen Stock and Helen Joyce, while making sure that Shon Faye's The Transgender Issue features in every "must read" display. Well, Owen Jones loved it:

"There is a full-blown moral panic under way in Britain about trans people, and The Transgender Issue is the wake-up call we need. It is an inspiring call for coalition, across the divides of class, race, sexual identity and gender. Shon Faye shows with courage and clarity that the struggle of trans people is the struggle of us all. This book is a game-changer."

And Judith Butler:

"Shon Faye has written a book that models clarity in its writing and its moral vision. Focused on the UK, this book will doubtless have a strong and lasting impact in the world. One learns here how to distinguish between arguments that merit a response and those which should be refused because they are either cruel or stupid. This is a monumental work and utterly convincing – crystal clear in its understanding of how the world should be."

If anyone knows about crystal clear, it's surely Judith Butler. What more recommendation do you need?