Poet Abigail Ottley is taking legal action against Arts Council England (ACE) after a publicly funded magazine withdrew her work, allegedly due to her gender-critical social media posts. The magazine, Aftershock Review, received over £92,000 from ACE.
Ottley's poem was accepted in September 2024, but in October the magazine emailed her stating it would not publish due to 'concerns about your social media presence'. Ottley believes this refers to her gender-critical views, including retweets of JK Rowling.
Her solicitors argue ACE failed to properly investigate the withdrawal, which they claim constitutes discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. ACE responded in January, saying it found no breach of funding terms, but Ottley's legal team demands a full review.
ACE declined to comment, citing ongoing legal proceedings. Aftershock Review has not responded to requests for comment.
