In November, a chasm opened up in the middle of one of the most popular online reading spaces.
It started after the election, when political chatter seeped into BookTok. On one side of the app, readers begged users to refrain from connecting politics and romance. On the other hand, readers argued that these conversations were necessary because “reading is political.”
This debate has spread across social media spaces. UK-based YouTuber Shelley Fleuridor dissected the deliberation on his channel, watching from the outside as BookTok’s American creators discuss the outcome of the 2024 election and bicker over whether they should do it. She had seen some drama online, but nothing like this.
Today, with the presidential inauguration and a changing political landscape, the predicament is far from resolved.
Does politics have its place in the book space?
Enter Jodi Picoultauthor of “My Sister’s Keeper,” “By Any Other Name” and more than two dozen other books. In a video posted on TikTokPicoult, one of most frequently authors banned in the United States, stacked his books in front of the camera. She received messages from readers asking her to stop talking about politics.
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“So today I’m going to stick to my books,” she says in the video. “This is my book about trans rights. This is my book about a school shooting. This is my book about eugenics in America.
In a recent interview, she told USA TODAY: “Honestly, I don’t know any writer I know who doesn’t believe that all art is political. When we choose to tackle stories, we do so for a reason.
“It’s not the same thing as imposing a political agenda on someone, and that’s where the problem lies. People who believe that a book, a movie, or any other type of entertainment isn’t isn’t political, what they’re really saying is ‘I only want to see stories that fit my worldview and my echo chamber.
Others say they don’t want politics and BookTok to mix.
Morgan Capehart, Houston-based reader went to TikTok shortly after the election to express his disappointment in the BookTok community. Reading and scrolling BookTok relieves stress after putting your kids to bed. She did not say who she voted for, but said she still receives hateful comments for her desire to remain apolitical. She also felt frustrated by some authors’ messages: “If you voted for this person, you need to stop buying my books, you need to unfollow me.” »
“I just want to see people having fun, I don’t want it to be serious,” she told USA TODAY. “Some things, yes, it’s serious business, but I want it to be where everything is peaceful or… you can disagree and everything is fine. I just want everyone to get along.
Since posting her first video, she said she has found other like-minded creators who want to keep politics out of the literary space.
Independent dark romance author EY Kelley said she was upset by the circulation of a “red list” of authors who voted for Donald Trump or said they wanted no politics on their social media pages.
“My life as an author and my life as a human being are two very different things, and I’m not going to impose what I believe on others,” Kelley says. “All I said was that the disrespect had to stop and that I didn’t care which way you voted, red or blue, or if you didn’t vote at all, that I accepted whoever you be. That got me in trouble with a lot of people, because if I wasn’t willing to stand up and say I didn’t vote a certain way, then I was no good.
Books are ‘inherently political,’ readers and authors say
Capehart agrees that books can be political, but didn’t like the way the conversation went in November, shaming users who didn’t want to participate. “A book about dragons will not determine the outcome of the election,” she said.
Other creators argue that political debate belongs in online book communities because of the politicized nature of access to literature today. in the form of book bans and protests. Tony Weaver, Jr., author of children’s book “Weirdo” cited anti-literacy laws in his rebuttals on TikTok. Between 1740 and 1867, these laws banned from enslaved and free black Americans even when learning to read or write.
“Some people are deeply uncomfortable with the truth of history, not just in the United States, but in the world in general,” says the author, who is black. “People don’t like to accept the fact that people who look like me aren’t allowed to learn to read, that they can be killed because they can read. »
The books that seem like escapism, he says, sometimes contain the strongest political intrigue. Fantasy books dealing with good and evil, with oppressive ruling empires carrying messages about power and justice. Question about romance books who is worthy of love and often comment on gender dynamics and stereotypes.
Fleuridor thinks the problem is the way we talk about politics. It’s more than just conversations about an election, she says, it’s a set of values and beliefs.
“When you recognize the political nature of books, it doesn’t take away from the enjoyment, because it adds depth to your enjoyment,” she says. “You understand the rather broader themes of a story. You connect them to real-world problems. You can chat with more people, making the reading experience more rewarding.
For Picoult, writing entertaining books is only “half the equation,” she says.
“People who think that when they pick up a book it’s only meant to be carried away and entertained, they’re not receiving that book in the way any author would have wanted,” says Picoult. “It’s our job to entertain you.” It’s our job to take you in, but it’s also our job to make you think, when that last page is turned, about a made-up story that has roots in reality.
“To think that a writer does not have their own political vision or that they do not wish to start a conversation with a book is a very reductive way of thinking about artists,” she continues.
Reply to book influencers on social media
The particular bone to pick for Weaver is creators who have hundreds of thousands of followers. That’s more important than an individual choosing to read an escapist book, he says. These creators are the voices that tell editors what readers are interested in and I want to buy. And it’s a playing field where not everyone is on equal footing – the industry and its titles, are still largely white.
The debate over “reading is political” is part of a larger conversation about who can see themselves represented in books, who can become an author, and who has access to literature, Weaver says.
“People are really excited about this idea: ‘I want to tear down the empire, I want to destroy this institution that kept me from being with my family or… this person that I fell in love with,'” Weaver says . “But then we cut to real life and I was like, ‘Hey guys!’ Publishing is an institution that keeps stories from getting into people’s hands and perpetuates harm in very specific ways and they go, ‘Oh, woah, hey, that’s not what I’m here for.’
This is the end of the line for TikTok:What happens to publishing when BookTok disappears?
Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY’s book reporter, where she covers hot releases, chats with authors and dives into reading culture. Find her on Instagramlook at her recent articles or tell him what you read at cmulroy@usatoday.com.