ARTS

Royal Society of Literature magazine ‘pulled for comments about Israel’

‘Censorious’ management halted publication at the last minute and sacked the editor after a reference to ‘the Israeli war machine’ appeared in an article, it is alleged
David Sanderson
, Arts Correspondent
The Times
Molly Rosenberg, the RSL director, bottom, dismissed Maggie Fergusson, the magazine’s editor, at the same time that the edition was “postponed”
Molly Rosenberg, the RSL director, bottom, dismissed Maggie Fergusson, the magazine’s editor, at the same time that the edition was “postponed”
David Sanderson
, Arts Correspondent
The Times

An article mentioning the “Israeli war machine” was responsible for the scrapping of the Royal Society of Literature’s annual magazine, helping to provoke the biggest crisis in the organisation’s history, new evidence has suggested.

Emails seen by The Times suggest that the magazine editor and designer both believe the magazine was pulled from the printing presses at the last minute to remove “offending comments”.

The society, set up by royal charter to promote the advancement of literature 200 years ago, continues to deny this and said there were a “number of issues” with the magazine.

Fergusson said she was “100 per cent certain the article in question was the reason” the magazine was scrapped. The society has denied this and said it would be “printed in full in the forthcoming new edition”
Fergusson said she was “100 per cent certain the article in question was the reason” the magazine was scrapped. The society has denied this and said it would be “printed in full in the forthcoming new edition”

However, the magazine’s editor, Maggie Fergusson, says in an email that she is 100 per cent certain the article in question was the reason. She said the magazine’s designer,