Shadow World

Anatomy of a Cancellation: 6. Post Mortem

November 7, 2025·29 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Katie Razzall considers the fallout from the controversy surrounding Kate Clanchy’s award-winning memoir Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me. She explores the deep divisions the case exposed: in publishing, on social media, and among writers. Has the industry changed? What is the cost of this controversy, and who gets to tell their story?In Shadow World: Anatomy of a Cancellation, the BBC’s Culture Editor Katie Razzall revisits a story that rocked the UK’s publishing industry in 2021. It led to what some saw as the unjustified cancellation of a prize-winning writer and teacher - but to others, was a long overdue reckoning for the world of publishing. It grew into a culture war about race, class, and who has the right to say what.Anatomy of a Cancellation explores a range of different perspectives to consider how people now view one of the most controversial literary rows in recent memory.Presenter: Katie Razzall Producer: Charlotte McDonald Additional production: Octavia Woodward Production co-ordinators: Sophie Hill and Katie Morrison Sound design and mix: James Beard Story editing: Meara Sharma Series producer: Matt Willis Senior news editor: Clare Fordham Commissioning executive: Tracy Williams Commissioning editor: Dan Clarke

Podzilla Summary coming soon

Sign up to get notified when the full AI-powered summary is ready.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.

Listen to This Episode

Get summaries like this every morning.

Free AI-powered recaps of Shadow World and your other favorite podcasts, delivered to your inbox.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.