Exclusive:SNP ministers urged to reassure library over censorship row U-turn on The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht book

The editors of The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht have written to Angus Robertson, the culture secretary, after their book was excluded from an exhibition marking the institution’s centenary.

A Freedom of Information request previously showed bosses at the National Library of Scotland reversed a decision to include the title in their Dear Library show, despite the publication receiving more than enough public nominations, after complaints were raised by staff.

The book is a collection of gender-critical essays from more than 30 women, including JK Rowling, and was co-edited by Scotsman columnist Susan Dalgety and Lucy Hunter Blackburn.

In the letter to Mr Robertson, the editors write: “You will see that the national librarian has argued that the book required to be excluded from the exhibition because of ‘the potential impact on key stakeholders and the reputation of the library. There is a risk that they will withdraw their support for the exhibition and the centenary’.

“Around 90 per cent of the library’s funding is provided as grant-in-aid. We would therefore ask you to reassure the chair of the library that taking a decision to restore the book to the exhibition would not place its grant-in-aid, or any other forms of support from the Scottish Government, at any risk.

“You will also see that the National Library’s LGBT staff network informed management that if the book were to be included in the exhibition, ‘they would ‘have no choice’ but to notify LGBT+ partners of the library’s endorsement of the book’.

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“It is unclear from the records who the staff network had in mind. In light of these comments, we would also ask you to reassure the library that if any organisations funded by the Scottish Government were to seek to penalise or pressurise the library in any way as a result of restoring the book to the exhibition, you would regard that as unacceptable interference with its work, and would wish to be alerted quickly to any such action. We would be keen meet you to discuss what has happened here.”

Mr Robertson previously stressed the importance of freedom of speech in the arts and culture.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, First Minister John Swinney downplayed the row.

He said: “As I understand the National Library issue, there was a selection process of a more significant pool of books to narrow it down to a smaller selection of books that were on display, and not every book can be displayed, and that’s a matter for the choice of however they went about the selection process.”

Mr Swinney added: “I don’t think anybody has banned a book.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “While ministers have no role in booking or curation decisions taken by individual venues or institutions, the Scottish Government supports individuals’ rights to freedom of expression and we are clear that there is no place for any form of discrimination in Scotland.”