When an author speaks at or participates in an event, the appearance of an association can be just as tricky as the reality of an entanglement
In 2017, the Göteborg Book Fair in Sweden became mired in objections to the presence of a hard-right exhibitor. The fair took the position that it must allow all voices to be heard on its exhibition floor. Critics formed a parallel series of events to the fair, and within weeks, the main fair’s director had resigned. If you’d been a writer scheduled to appear at the fair, would you have attended?
In such charged times as these, you don’t have to travel internationally to run into situations in which a speaking engagement or a book signing may seem questionable—you might be at a book fair, a trade show, even a community gathering. Closer to home, authors often face alliances or leanings among civic groups and volunteer organizations that can create uncomfortable quandaries about how participation might be interpreted.
English PEN, the UK’s chapter of the freedom-of-expression watchdog organization PEN International, has just issued something we’re glad to see: a set of guidelines, presented in an article by PEN translation program manager Theodora Danek, for weighing some of the ethical questions an author might want to keep in mind prior to (or even after) committing to an event.
The core message from PEN is that there may be no easy or quick answer when you run into a dilemma. “Our position is that it is an individual decision about whether to attend, withdraw, or boycott an event,” writes Danek. “We believe that literature festivals are—or can be—valuable forums for free expression, sharing values, and challenging abuses. However, as an organization that supports and defends freedom of expression, we also encourage writers to speak out to protect this and other fundamental human rights when they are under attack.”
PEN’s top-line points:
- Learn about your destination. PEN lists several solid resources for getting a quick look at geographically specific issues.
- Consider whether you’re constrained by your hosts in what you might say.
- Check an event’s sponsorship: are you comfortable with the source(s) of funding?
- How will it be interpreted if you participate? Will you be seen as endorsing the event and/or associated positions? If so, are you comfortable with that?
- Who’s your audience in the area you’re visiting?
- If you’ve already accepted before you realize there’s a potential problem, (a) how would withdrawing appear (and who would be affected) and (b) are there ways you might go ahead with the appearance but use it to try to influence conditions on the ground? If you decide to go ahead with the appearance, have you thought through the risks?
Bottom line: The PEN organization is a mature, reliable icon in the world publishing community. The staff’s guidance and Danek’s article are prudent, sober, and free of any insistence that you march to the beat of any drummer other than your own. The best message here is not what to think but to be sure that you do think about your appearances and liaisons in these complex times.
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
