‘The censors are insatiable’ | Adam Szetela on how ‘sensitivity readers’ captured publishing

There is more than one way to burn a book. In the modern publishing industry, books are censored, edited or scrapped entirely to avoid straying from woke dogma. ‘Sensitivity readers’ scour for words, characters and plot lines that could cause offence to minorities. ‘Morality clauses’ ensure that authors espouse the correct views in public. The result is books that are bland, predictable and utterly safe. Here, Adam Szetela – author of That Book is Dangerous! – lifts the lid on how the publishing industry itself became the enemy of literature. See the spiked podcast and Last Orders live at the Battle of Ideas festival on 18 and 19 October. Get 20 per cent off with the promo code SPIKED: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/battle-of-ideas-festival-2025-tickets-1055046124359?discount=SPIKED Read spiked: https://www.spiked-online.com/ Support spiked: https://www.spiked-online.com/support/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices