On 4 August 2021, an early draft of a press release addressing the storm’s fallout appeared warm and supportive of Clanchy.
It reads: “Kate Clanchy has been a force for good in the worlds of education and publishing for many years. She has transformed the lives of many young people.”
That statement was never published.
Instead, on 9 August, Picador put out a different statement about the book, 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.”
Clanchy and her publisher parted company in the following months. But the fallout from the events has continued, both for her and her critics.
