ANTHONY HOROWITZ, one of the most prolific and successful writers in the UK, is speaking urgently and I passionately. "You can take the 'N' word out of James Bond or the 'fat' word out of Roald Dahl, but that is only the beginning. They will ask for a word, then it will be a paragraph, then it will be a page, then it will be the whole book, then it will be the whole author - and that is already happening" Horowitz has had a 40-year career and is one of Britain's best-selling novelists.
He has written more than 50 books, including the latest James Bond and Sherlock Holmes novels, as well as TV series, films and plays and is the creator of both Foyle's War and Midsomer Murders. But even he fears the chill of cancel culture. "Even speaking to you in this interview," he tells me.
"Every word I am speaking to you now I am thinking about before I utter it. That didn't used to be the case." He has agreed to speak about free speech and attacks on artistic freedom because he feels a sense of duty to highlight the "new atmosphere of relentlessness in seeking punishment, retribution and cancellation" in the literary world.
Critics are like sharks waiting to jump, he says, and offence has no time limit.
"You can offend somebody in the 21st century with something you said in 1970." He is restless and energetic, talking with force on a subject that clearly fires him up. The free speech debate, as highlighted in the Evening Standard's recent inquiry, is an "extremely important subject that writers have a responsibility to contribute to", he says.
He points to what is happening in America, which is "always one step ahead of us", where books including Maus, a graphic novel about the Holocaust, and Margaret Atwood's Handmaid's Tale, have been withdrawn from some libraries.
Bu hikaye Evening Standard dergisinin August 13, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Evening Standard dergisinin August 13, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Why are England wasting time waiting for Tuchel?
Winning the World Cup is the aim, so the new boss should start now
He's been shot, and punched by Mike Tyson, but British boxing's great survivor is back on top and aiming to rule the world
This is where the magic happens,\" reads a big neon sign scrawled across the entrance to the offices of arguably the most powerful man in British boxing today.
How Sketch went from 'obscene' to era-defining
After arocky start, the glamorous and infamous restaurant is now an institution
Money is worth less than time'
He's quit Fendi, but what will Kim Jones do next?
London's Roman Amphitheatre
Guildhall Yard, EC2V
Liberals didn't notice they'd lost relevance in the all-consuming digital sphere
There are many reasons why Donald Trump might have won the election last week.
Do we have to die?
One neuroscientist thinks the answer is no
How to have a magical Christmas in Edinburgh
From cosy cobblestone streets to abundant Yuletide goings-on, few cities rival the Scottish capital in creating Christmas whimsy.
London's best festive restaurants
The social season is upon us once more. These are the city’s most coveted Christmas venues, which need to be booked soon so as to not miss out on the tinsel and tipples.
Rag'n'Bone Man
I struggle with being recognised... I'll never really feel comfortable with it'
