Kate Clanchy

MBE
Born1965 (age 58–59)
Glasgow, Scotland
Alma materUniversity of Oxford
Occupation(s)Poet, teacher, writer
Parent(s)Michael Clanchy
Joan Clanchy
AwardsEric Gregory Award
Forward Poetry Prize
Scottish First Book of the Year BBC National Short Story Prize
Orwell Prize for Political Writing

Kate Clanchy MBE (born 1965) is a British poet, freelance writer and teacher.

Early life

She was born in 1965 in Glasgow to medieval historian Michael Clanchy and teacher Joan Clanchy (née Milne)[1][2] She was educated at George Watson's College in Edinburgh and at the University of Oxford, where she studied English.[3]

She lived in London's East End for several years, before moving to Oxford where she was a fellow of Oxford Brookes University and served as City Poet.[4] She is Writer in Residence for Sanctuary Arts[5] at Mansfield College, Oxford.

In 2021 she wrote an essay about the deaths of both her parents from COVID-19.[6]

Teaching career

Clanchy qualified as a teacher in 1989 and has taught since in several different institutions. Her memoir of her teaching experience,Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me won the Orwell Prize for Political Writing in 2020.[7]

From 2009-2019 she combined employment as a teacher and a role as Writer in Residence at Oxford Spires Academy, a multicultural comprehensive school. Noted students included Mukahang Limbu,[8] Shukria Rezaei,[9] and Amineh Abou Kerech.[10] In 2018 she edited an anthology of poems written by her students, England: Poems from a School, which was widely reviewed.[11][12] Over the lockdown period of 2020 Clanchy met on Zoom with her students and published their poems on Twitter where they became popular.[13][14] In 2021 she published a self-help guide to writing poetry, How to Grow Your Own Poem.

Literary career

Clanchy won an Eric Gregory Award in 1995.[15] She published three poetry collections between 1996 and 2004. They won a Forward Prize,[16] the Scottish First Book of the Year (then Saltire Prize) two Scottish Arts Council Book Awards, and a Somerset Maugham Award.[17] In 2008, she moved into non fiction with a memoir about her relationship with her Kosovan neighbour. What is She Doing Here? This was republished as Antigona and Me and won the Writers Guild Award.[18] In 2009 she won both the VS Pritchett and BBC National Short Story Award.[19] This was followed by a novel, Meeting the English,[20] which was shortlisted for the Costa Prize, and a collection of short stories, The Not Dead and the Saved.[21] Clanchy has written and adapted for BBC Radio since 2001 with 12 plays and serials produced, notably Hester, A Little Princess,[22] which starred Adjoa Andoh and Enduring Love. In 2015 her broadcast anthology of her pupils' work, We Are Writing a Poem About Home,[23] was shortlisted for the Ted Hughes Award.[24] In 2018 she was awarded a Cholmondeley Award.[25]

Controversy

In 2021, Clanchy posted on Twitter encouraging followers to report a Goodreads review of Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me, stating that they had "made up a racist quote and said it was in my book".[26] In a response published in The Guardian, Monisha Rajesh argued that although the exact quotes in question were not present, similar offensive stereotypes were present throughout the book.[27]

Clanchy was criticised by other authors, including Chimene Suleyman, Monisha Rajesh and Sunny Singh, who received large amounts of abuse in the following months.[28][27][29] An open letter signed by over 950 people from the publishing industry condemned the targeted harassment.[30] Clanchy's publishers, Picador, an imprint of Macmillan Publishing, issued three statements of apology in August 2021 and stated that the books would be rewritten.[27][26] Further statements of apology were made following an interview [31] with Philip Gwyn Jones, Publisher of Picador, in the Daily Telegraph in December 2021.[32]

Clanchy was defended in articles by Sonia Sodha, who stated that 'the strand of anti-racist thinking that is obsessed with the blame and shame all white people should bear for structural discrimination is (so) corrosive to common cause and understanding' [33] and by Clive Davis,[34] Tomiwa Owolade,[35] Shukria Rezaei,[36] Carmen Callil[37] Amanda Craig and Philip Pullman. A group of her former students wrote that they had experienced no safeguarding issues and were 'disempowered and distressed' by the critics' allegations.[38]

In December 2021, Clanchy published an article in Prospect magazine on the personal impact of public cancellation.[39] Consequently, Picador her publisher announced they would no longer publish her books.[29] In an interview for UnHerd, Clanchy said that the apology put out by Pan Macmillan had been made "over her head" and without consulting her.[40] She subsequently wrote an article on sensitivity readers.[41] which continued to be discussed in the following years.[42][43][44][45] especially in the context of the Roald Dahl revision controversy. Clanchy is now published by Swift Press.[46]

Honours

Clanchy was appointed a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2010[47] and resigned her fellowship in 2023.

Clanchy was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2018 Birthday Honours.[48]

Prizes and awards

Bibliography

  • Samarkand. Picador. 1999. ISBN 978-0-330-37194-0.
  • Slattern. Picador. 2001. ISBN 978-0-330-48929-4. 1st edition Chatto & Windus, 1995
  • All The Poems You Need To Say Hello. Picador. 2004. ISBN 978-0-330-43384-6. (editor)
  • Our Cat Henry Comes to the Swings. illustrated Jemima Bird. Oxford University Press. 2005. ISBN 978-0-19-272557-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  • Newborn. Macmillan UK. 2006. ISBN 978-0-330-41931-4. 1st edition Picador, 2004
  • What Is She Doing Here?: A Refugee's Story. Picador. 2008. ISBN 978-0-330-44382-1.
  • Antigona and Me. Picador. 2009. ISBN 978-0-330-44933-5.
  • Meeting the English. Picador. 2013. ISBN 978-0-330-53527-4.
  • The Not Dead and the Saved 2015. ISBN 978-0330535250.
  • England, Poems from a School. Picador. 3 December 2023. ISBN 978-1509886609.
  • Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me. Picador. 2019. ISBN 978-1-5098-4029-8.
  • How to Grow Your Own Poem. Picador. 2020. ISBN 978-1-5290-2469-2.

References

  1. ↑ Clanchy, Kate (21 November 2023). "Kate Clanchy: For my mother, the test of a good teacher was how much you gave the children". The Times. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  2. ↑ UCL (5 February 2021). "Professor Michael Clanchy FBA (1936–2021)". History. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  3. ↑ Wilby, Peter (5 November 2019). "Teacher who helps migrant children turn pain into prize poetry". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  4. ↑ "Kate Clanchy, Oxford City Poet at Oxford Brookes University". Oxford Brookes University. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  5. ↑ "Sanctuary at Mansfield | Mansfield College". www.mansfield.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  6. ↑ Clanchy, Kate (6 April 2021). "Letting go: my battle to help my parents die a good death" – via The Guardian.
  7. ↑ Winners, Orwell Prize. "Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me | The Orwell Foundation". www.orwellfoundation.com. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  8. ↑ Isis Editorial. "The Changing Face of Poetry | The Isis". Isis Magazine.
  9. ↑ Brothers, Caroline. "Poetry helps Afghan girl find her path in England". UNHCR NEWS. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  10. ↑ UN News (14 March 2021). "First Person: Poetry and the pain of loss and leaving; a voice from Syria | UN News". news.un.org.
  11. ↑ Noel-Tod, Jeremy (21 November 2023). "Review: England: Poems from a School edited by Kate Clancy — when students made poetry their top sport". Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  12. ↑ Kellaway, Kate (10 July 2018). "England: Poems from a School, edited by Kate Clanchy – review" – via The Guardian.
  13. ↑ "Unmute: Young Voices from Lockdown". 26 August 2020.
  14. ↑ Sanderson, Imogen. "Young British Poets are Encapsulating the Spirit of Lockdown". The Economist. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  15. 1 2 "Eric Gregory Awards - The Society of Authors". 8 May 2020. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  16. ↑ Alumni, Forward Prizes. "Forward Alumni 1992-Present". Forward Arts Foundation. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  17. 1 2 Allumni, Somerset Maugham (8 May 2020). "Somerset Maugham Awards - The Society of Authors". Society of Authors. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  18. 1 2 "Writers' Guild Awards archive". Writers' Guild of Great Britain. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  19. 1 2 Clanchy, Kate. "The Not-Dead and the Saved". www.prospectmagazine.co.uk.
  20. ↑ Dunmore, Helen (25 April 2013). "Meeting the English by Kate Clanchy – review". The Guardian.
  21. ↑ Rakoff, Joanna (4 July 2015). "The Not-Dead and the Saved – Kate Clanchy's first short-story collection". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  22. ↑ Hepworth, David (4 February 2017). "This week's best radio: Trevor Nelson, film soundtracks and gothic princesses". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  23. ↑ Clanchy, Kate. "BBC Radio 3 - Between the Ears, We Are Writing a Poem about Home". BBC. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  24. ↑ Award, Ted Hughes. "The Poetry Society". poetrysociety.org.uk. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  25. 1 2 "Cholmondeley Awards - The Society of Authors". 8 May 2020.
  26. 1 2 Rajesh, Monisha (13 August 2021). "Pointing out racism in books is not an 'attack' – it's a call for industry reform". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  27. 1 2 3 Campbell, Lucy (10 August 2021). "Kate Clanchy to rewrite memoir amid criticism of 'racist and ableist tropes'". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  28. ↑ Hinsliff, Gaby (18 June 2022). "The book that tore publishing apart: 'Harm has been done, and now everyone's afraid'". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  29. 1 2 Hinsliff, Gaby (18 June 2022). "The book that tore publishing apart: 'Harm has been done, and now everyone's afraid'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  30. ↑ "Book industry figures condemn abuse of Clanchy critics in open letter". The Bookseller.
  31. ↑ Allfree, Claire (26 November 2021). "The crisis at the heart of literary fiction". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  32. ↑ "Picador publisher Gwyn Jones apologises after Clanchy remarks reignite criticism". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  33. ↑ Sodha, Sonia (23 January 2022). "The hounding of author Kate Clanchy has been a witch-hunt without mercy". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  34. ↑ Davis, Clive (15 November 2023). "This year's Edinburgh Fringe is for locals. Maybe it's better that way". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  35. ↑ Owolade, Tomiwa (12 September 2021). "The problem with white saviours". UnHerd. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  36. ↑ Rezaei, Shukria (15 November 2023). "I do have 'almond-shaped eyes'. My teacher Kate Clanchy described me beautifully". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  37. ↑ "Virago founder Callil quits Society of Authors over Clanchy response". The Bookseller. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  38. ↑ "Clanchy students defend author over safeguarding criticism". The Bookseller. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  39. ↑ "Ostracised, disinvited, rescinded: what it's like to get cancelled". dlv.prospect.gcpp.io. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  40. ↑ Kate Clanchy: "My life's work has been taken away", retrieved 15 November 2023
  41. ↑ Clanchy, Kate (18 February 2022). "How sensitivity readers corrupt literature". UnHerd. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  42. ↑ Abrams, Rebecca (25 March 2022). "Sense and sensitivity: why books need to unsettle us". Financial Times. Financial Times. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  43. ↑ Adorney, Jonathon (17 November 2023). "Is Disney's new movie Wish a 'woke' disaster?". Restoring America. Washington Examiner.
  44. ↑ Vegard Hagesæther, Per (23 April 2023). "Publishing's Maligned Helpers". www.aftenposten.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). AftenP{osten. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  45. ↑ Goldszal, Clémentine (29 January 2023). "The rise of sensitivity readers in the literary world: A sign of inclusivity or a threat to free speech?". Le Monde.fr. Le Monde.
  46. ↑ "Kate Clanchy". Swift Press. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  47. ↑ https://rsliterature.org/fellows/kate-clanchy/
  48. ↑ "No. 62310". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 June 2018. p. B15.
  49. 1 2 3 "Forward Arts Foundation Alumni". Archived from the original on 13 July 2019. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  50. 1 2 Clanchy, Kate. "Contemporary Writers". British Council Contemporary Writers. British Counchy. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  51. ↑ "Scottish Arts Council - Literature - Book Awards 2009 - Non-fiction". Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  52. ↑ "Scottish Arts Council - Literature - Book Awards 2009 - Non-fiction". Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  53. ↑ "Scottish Arts Council - Literature - Book Awards 2009 - Non-fiction". Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  54. ↑ "V.S. Pritchett Short Story Prize". Royal Society of Literature. 10 September 2023.
  55. ↑ Mark Brown (26 November 2013). "Costa book awards 2013: late author on all-female fiction shortlist". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
  56. ↑ "2015 – The Poetry Society". poetrysociety.org.uk.
  57. ↑ "Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me | the Orwell Foundation".
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