White romance novelist in racism row says she was 'used'

Kathryn Lynn Davis says in Guardian interview trade association ‘encouraged’ her to file a complaint against Courtney Milan

A white romance novelist’s ethics complaint against the author Courtney Milan for calling her book a “racist mess” led to the censure of Milan and sparked an uproar across the publishing world. Now the novelist, Kathryn Lynn Davis, says that her original complaint about the professional harm she suffered was not accurate.

In an interview with the Guardian, Davis said she was “encouraged” by the administration of Romance Writers of America (RWA), a trade association for romance writers, to file a formal complaint against Milan, an influential former board member and diversity advocate. She now feels she had been “used” to secure a political outcome that she had never intended.

Related: Fifty shades of white: the long fight against racism in romance novels

I did not agree with what [Milan] was saying and to apologize for something I did not agree with didn’t make sense to me

Continue reading...