BOOKS ARE POLITICAL

Books, reading and writing are inherently political.

It’s a controversial statement, and there are some readers and writers who disagree.

However, this is a hill that I will die on.

ESCAPISM

To be clear, I'm not demonising those who wish to read and / or write fun, escapist stories which are free of ‘heavy’ political content. In fact, we need those stories! We need joy and laughter and space to breathe: especially in our current political / global climate.

Escapism is one of the reasons I, myself, am a bookworm; I love delving into worlds, and events, and perspectives which are outside my own experience and my own viewpoint. And I love temporarily forgetting about the horrors and stresses of the real world so I can rest and regenerate.

However, even ‘escapist’ literature is inherently political: even down to our ability to access it in the first place.

ABILITY TO READ

The existence of fiction – and our ability to read and enjoy it – is, in itself, political.

Throughout history, oppressed populations have not always been taught to read, or been permitted to read (e.g. enslaved people, poor people, women etc). The simple fact that most people in the so-called ‘developed world’ have the ability to read, and have access to books (including free libraries), and have choices in what we wish to read, is a freedom that most of us take for granted.

In some dystopian stories – for example, Vox by Christina Dalcher, and The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood – women are no longer ‘permitted’ to read or write. As a hyperlexic autistic woman who often struggles with speech, and as someone who has lived for books, reading and writing my entire life, having those freedoms stolen from me would probably kill me.

There are many people throughout the world who – for various reasons – do not have easy access to books and learning. There are people in warzones, people born into poverty, people born into enslavement or abusive situations, people with disabilities which hinder their ability to read… Just because reading and writing are now widespread, does not mean we have equity of access to reading either. Allowing this inequity to continue is, by itself, a political choice made – consciously or unconsciously – by powerful governments every single day.

So no: I do not take being able to read and write for granted.

WRITING & PUBLISHING

On a related note, we need to look at who is 'allowed' to write – and publish – stories. For example, traditional publication has historically favoured white, male, cishet, able-bodied and wealthy voices. Only a small percentage of the population fit into all of these boxes, and yet this percentage is massively over-represented in fiction writing. Anyone who claims the publishing industry is not biased should read R.F. Kuang’s Yellowface.

This bias also exists in the make-up of publishing industry professionals; it is almost impossible to afford to live in publishing hubs like London or New York on a starting salary at a traditional publishing house or literary agency without having access to an alternative source of income. I’m privileged in many ways, but – as a Yorkshire-based fiction editor from a non-wealthy background – it is endlessly frustrating to me that most of the editorial opportunities which come up are based in London.

Compounding this, having access to the time and resources required to write a novel is also inherently political. We live in a patriarchal society, and one of the effects of this is that women shoulder more domestic and childcare responsibility than men; hence, less time for writing. We live in a white supremacy, therefore people of colour face greater systemic barriers in all aspects of their daily lives: including wealth, health and time. Disabled people living in our ableist society are constantly having to balance their energy and wellbeing against their ability to survive in our fast-paced world.

I was so thrilled when – around 2020 – a large ‘own voices’ movement gained momentum in traditional publishing. Not only were more under-represented authors being picked up, but they were also given greater creative freedom; they were no longer restricted to writing novels about ‘the pain of being marginalised’. Although these stories are important, so too are the stories in which Black people are wizards in epic fantasies, and in which trans people fall in love, and in which disabled people go on adventures. This long-overdue trend brought me so much joy.

Alas, the inherent bias and stigma within the publishing industry never went away. And, with the more recent descent into hard-right politics, these trends have sadly slowed.

Not only do marginalised people face greater barriers in being able to write in the first place, but – even if they finish their novel – they also face greater barriers breaking into publishing. And then, if you manage to publish your book, you are more likely to receive negative reviews from readers because of conscious and unconscious bias towards characters who are disabled / Black / queer / female etc.

BOOK BANS

This topic touches on how – as a society – we define ‘free speech’, and where the line should be drawn between freedom of expression and avoiding causing harm to others. In my opinion, a book causing harm means its content could be deemed to reinforce negative or harmful opinions or stereotypes towards a marginalised group of people. For example, this could be a book which glorifies hateful views and ideologies (e.g. Nazism) – especially if its characters don’t unlearn, or challenge, or defeat those views.

It deeply concerns me that some governments / religious organisations / groups in ‘powerful’ societal positions equate ‘harm’ with ‘showing that certain groups of people (checks notes) exist’. White Christian Nationalists in the US are not an oppressed group; they are one of the most powerful demographics in modern US society – and we know how well that’s working out. It pains and enrages me to see these groups fighting to get stories banned from schools, libraries, and book shops; not because those books are harmful, but because they show Black / brown / queer / disabled characters existing and living their lives. Or because the book shows viewpoints which do not support the ongoing power and comfort of white supremacy and the patriarchy.

Book bans show the oppressors’ fear. They try to restrict the population’s access to certain texts: not because they’re harmful, but because they might help that population educate themselves, and learn empathy, and appreciate others’ points of view. This shows just how fragile the oppressors are, and how important books are.

What was that about ‘books not being political’, again?

POLITICAL GENRES

There is already so much political bias within society – and within the publishing industry itself – that so far I’ve barely even touched on the actual content of the books!

As writers, our own politics and opinions influence the stories we write: whether we intend them to or not. True, politics may have a stronger influence in some genres and stories than in others, but this truism applies no matter which genre we are writing.

Even general attitudes towards certain genres are political. Do you think it’s a coincidence that romance – the highest-selling and most widely read genre in existence – is belittled and disparaged by both readers and writers alike? I wonder why that is? Surely, it isn’t because romance is largely enjoyed by female readers, and largely written by female writers? It can’t possibly be that the patriarchy suffers when women see themselves actually being loved and appreciated and respected by their male partners. Nah, that can’t be it.

Even the pearl-clutching over open-door versus closed-door sex scenes ties back to society’s stigmatisation of sex, and enjoyment of sex: especially when it comes to women. To be clear: it is absolutely fine for readers and writers to have preferences on closed-door versus open-door romance. I personally enjoy both. However, my eye starts twitching whenever people spout moral judgements against those who write or read open-door sex, e.g. by referring to closed-door romance novels as ‘clean romance’.

Science fiction and fantasy – two of the genres I specialise in – are also two of the most political genres in existence. It physically pains me when I see a social media post from a far-right account bleating about ‘when did sci-fi / fantasy become so political? Why can’t we go back to the Star Trek days?’ (insert face palm). Dude, I’m no Trekkie, but did you ever even watch, like, a single episode? It also worries me that I have come across aspiring SFF authors who ‘don’t do politics’ and who just want to write their fun sci-fi adventures, while having no clue that it’s one of the most politically charged genres there is.

To be clear: I’m not disparaging fun sci-fi adventure stories or authors who write primarily for fun / whimsy! And I’m also not saying books should be written for the sole purpose of sending a political message – in fact, that would probably kill the story. However, as with anything else, authors should approach their stories with knowledge and intention.

As well as authors, readers also bring their real-world knowledge and experiences – and political views – to the table when reading a book. Writers need to be aware of the political message(s) their story may send; the last thing we want to do is have the meaning behind our stories interpreted in a way which is antithetical to our viewpoint.

There are some who read books like Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and seem to ignore or miss the parallels with our own world. Plot twist: we already live in a dystopian society. Wealth inequality is already rampant. This is the bad place. We are already subjected to media propaganda. We are the pampered, gilded residents of the Capitol exploiting the districts for wealth and resources. SFF stories reflect elements of our own world: whether we intend them to or not.

BOOKS MATTER!

With all the horrifying evil in the world, it is easy to think that books, and reading, and writing just don't matter. However, this could not be further from the truth. Otherwise, why would fascists ban books and stories which don't align with their hate? Why would they alter educational and media content to suit their agenda? Why would they try to silence the voices of the oppressed?

Please keep reading. Please keep writing.

Your story matters: whether it's a fun romcom, an educational non-fiction, or an epic high fantasy in which a few bad actors are literally changing the climate of your imagined world.

They all matter. They all help us explore other worlds and perspectives. They educate. They inspire empathy for others. They provide self-care and escape when the real world becomes too loud and too horrible. They broaden our minds. They help us see our real world – and the people in it – with much greater clarity.

Books are one of the strongest tools we have against cruelty, greed and apathy. They are not frivolous: they are vital.

I am not a fighter. I am not wealthy. I have young children and a fear of crowds, so in-person protests are not an option for me. Although I'm a 'speaking' autistic person, coherent speech is one of the first things to 'go' when I'm under stress.

However, I can write great stories. I can help other authors write their great stories. I can use my written voice far more effectively than my spoken one. And I intend to keep doing so.

CONCLUSION

So… books, reading and writing are inherently political, whether we like it or not; even down to who is allowed to read them, write them, publish them, and enjoy them.

I’ve only scratched the surface of the topic here, and I welcome any additional (respectful) thoughts and comments. The main purpose of the blog post is to show that – even at a surface-glance – books are a. absolutely political, and b. they’re far more important than we might initially think.

Please keep writing. Please keep reading. Please keep telling your stories. They matter so much!

BEFORE YOU GO…

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Disclaimer: generative AI

I do not use generative AI to produce or inform my blog, my images, or my fiction. All of my content is generated by the chaotic firing of my own (human) brain! (I have access to some images through my Wix subscription).I do not consent to the use of my content, images, or fiction to train generative AI models. Please contact me to discuss permission and compensation if you wish to use my content in this way.