EP 31: Sensitivity Readers Are the New Literary Gatekeepers

If you’re a fiction reader and you’ve noticed that novels are getting more political — and more overtly aligned with the progressive political project in particular — there’s a reason for this. Big publishing houses are increasingly hiring what are called “sensitivity readers,” to vet authors’ work to ensure that it doesn’t cause offence.   

Tara's guest on the podcast today has written a piece about this trend for Reason Magazine. It’s titled “Sensitivity Readers Are the New Literary Gatekeepers,” and it argues that overzealous language policing on race and gender is shaping the publishing industry in profound ways.

Kat Rosenfield is an American culture writer, a columnist at UnHerd and the co-host of the Feminine Chaos podcast. She’s also a novelist; her most recent book is No One Will Miss Her. 

You can find Tara Henley on Twitter at @TaraRHenley, and on Substack at tarahenley.substack.com