Sir, – The Irish Writers' Union, representing professional and aspiring Irish writers at home and abroad, is deeply concerned by the Dublin City Council decision to cancel an International Literature Festival event celebrating the publication of author Una Mullally's new book Repeal the 8th.
This decision was based on the grounds that the book addresses the role of artists in political activity around reproductive rights and the repeal movement.
Regardless of public funding, the Irish Writers’ Union is alarmed by this direct attack on freedom of expression for artists. Banning the activities of an arts organisation or individual artist who is in receipt of public funds is a dangerous precedent to set. This intervention has already had a restrictive effect on the activities of some arts organisations who are now proposing the cancellation, or reducing the profile, of activities that they had been planning.
We believe the excuse that “Council officials are also bound by the Code of Conduct for Local Authority Employees to remain politically impartial” cannot be employed within the context of the arts. All books have an explicit or implicit political stance and this includes Irish works of significant prestige to this country. Indeed, most of the books and poems that make Dublin city famous, and the DCC rightly proud of being awarded City of Literature, have coruscating political messages.
We strongly believe that the role of the Arts Officer is not to advocate for any political view, but to support literature of all political outlooks. By choosing to withdraw support for this event, the officials are, in fact, demonstrating a very clear political bias of their own and they are setting a precedent that allows unelected administrators to pick and choose which books to support.
We appeal to the DCC and insist the decision must be reversed. – Yours, etc,
PHIL Mac GIOLLA BHÁIN,
Cathaoirleach,
Irish Writers’ Union,
Parnell Square North,
Rotunda,
Dublin 1.