A taxpayer-funded literary magazine is facing staunch criticism after pulling a positive review of a novelist over her gender-critical views.
Polly Clark, an author who has published three novels and four poetry collections, secured Gutter's book of the month in September, along with a glowing review.
It was her poetry collection, Afterlife: New and Selected Poems, that won the accolade and was even included in the magazine's newsletter.
However, Ms Clark was soon informed by her publisher that a reader had complained over the author's social media posts "that they considered to be offensive", Gutter said.
Managing Director Mallachy Tallack and Sean Wai Keung, Poetry Reviews Editor at Gutter, said the editorial team decided promoting her work through positive reviews "risked undermining" their goal of providing a "welcoming publishing space, including for trans writers."
The review by fellow poet Iona Lee, which has now been deleted, praised the book as "funny, feminine and violent: confessional yet mysterious".
Ms Clark has been a vocal critic of the treatment of gender-critical writers, suggesting "gender activists have wreaked havoc in our cultural life for nearly a decade".
The writer said she wrote to Mr Tallack to point out the "harm" and "unfairness" of the review being pulled, in the hope the matter could be resolved "privately and professionally".
Polly Clark, an author who has published three novels and four poetry collections, secured Gutter's book of the month in September for her poetry collection, Afterlife: New and Selected Poems
|Gutter, a magazine which secured new funding from Creative Scotland in September, was not so diplomatic. The writer said she was told: "We are a cooperative that includes trans members, and we strive to make the magazine a welcoming space for trans writers and readers.
"Occasionally, editorial intervention is required to ensure this remains the case."
Gutter describes itself as "Scotland's leading literary magazine" and has published a "high-quality print magazine" twice a year since 2009. The magazine secured funding from Creative Scotland, the public body supporting the arts, screen and creative industries across Scotland.
Meanwhile, Ms Clark has previously stated she is "interested in the inner experience of women" when discussing her books, which explore life as a woman.
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Polly Clark has published three novels and four poetry collections
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Writing on her Substack page, Ms Clark said: "Neither the book nor the review itself was in question. The review had been commissioned, written, and published.
"It was positive. The decision to remove it was taken after publication, and the explanation given relates not to the work or the review, but to concerns raised about me personally.
"For a writer, the timing of a review matters. A book of the month selection and a strong review, appearing at publication, can have a significant effect on a book’s visibility and reach. That is particularly true for poetry, which exists within a small and often fragile ecosystem.
"I found myself, in the space of a single email, moving from a position of recognition — book of the month, an enthusiastic review — to an unspecified concern about me as a person, communicated to my publisher, and used to justify the withdrawal of support for the book.
"On social media I write across Instagram, X and Substack about my work, my life, and occasionally about public issues.
"Among posts about books, writing and life on the boat, you will find reflections on biological sex, on women’s rights, and on related current events.
"These are views I express openly and in my own name, and which are widely held. They are not the subject of Afterlife, nor of the review that was commissioned, published, and then removed.
"Poetry brings me very little financial return, and moments like this have real consequences.
"It is difficult to express the distress this has caused me at what should be a time of celebration at a landmark publication."
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