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Joanne Harris highlights sexism in the publishing industry in string of tweets
The bestselling author of the Chocolat series has given a troubling insight into life as a female author
The author Joanne Harris has shed light on her experience of sexism in the publishing industry in a series of tweets.
Harris, whose books include psychological thrillers, the Rune fantasy series, and the bestselling Chocolat trilogy, told of being ignored by a male presenter while on a panel with three male guests before a female presenter came out to interview her, and being asked repeatedly about EL James's Fifty Shades of Grey book while on her last US tour.
Harris spoke as part of her #TenTweets series on Twitter, in which she posts 10 messages on a theme, usually about the publishing industry.
"Last time I toured in the US, every interviewer I met asked me what I thought of Fifty Shades of Grey," she said. "I happened to be travelling with a male writer, who spoke to the same interviewers on the same shows. NO-ONE asked him."
Samantha Shannon, the author of The Bone Season, replied to Harris saying: "My first book was compared to Fifty Shades several times despite having no sex in it. Still puzzled."
When the author John Lanchester wrote about food, she said, reviews focused on themes. When she wrote about food, reviews focused on recipes. "I yet have to meet a male writer of fiction whose work is habitually described as 'delicious; sweet; mouth-watering'," she said.
Harris also cited a recent magazine interview in which she was asked, "aren't you afraid of getting fat" and "how do you juggle motherhood and writing?"
When asked what questions she respected, Harris replied simply: "Respectful ones."
"No man in publishing is ever described as 'juggling' anything," she said. "His work is art. Women's work is a hobby."