A sensitivity reader is someone who reads a literary work, looking for perceived offensive content, stereotypes and bias, creating a report for an author or publisher with suggested changes.
[1] Helen Wicks, managing director for children's trade at Bonnier, defended the practice by stating that "we believe sensitivity reads can play an important role in inclusive, forward-thinking publishing.
[4][5] Cases where sensitivity readers were brought in after pre-publication controversy included those of Laura Moriarty, whose book American Heart had its prestigious Kirkus Reviews star removed prior to publication in 2017,[6] and Blood Heir by Amélie Wen Zhao.
In 2022 Clanchy wrote an essay expressing her concerns that her sensitivity readers seemed 'to concur that the past should match an idealised present', and to imply that writing, 'should represent the world as it ought to be, not as it is.'
[27] The decision was met with criticism from groups and public figures including the CEO of PEN America, Salman Rushdie, Brian Cox, Rishi Sunak, and Kemi Badenoch.