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Dear Mr Johnson,

I write to you respectfully and as a loyal customer, and indeed former employee, of Waterstone’s. I have been following the story of Patrick Jones’ event cancellation with interest. I have got my information from the New Humanist and Christian Voice websites.

I was embarrassed and disappointed to read that Waterstone’s had cancelled an author event after pressure from Christian Voice. Christian Voice have already ruined the success of Jerry Springer the Opera, financially at least, and it saddens me to think this could have a similar effect on Mr Jones. To be honest, I was not familiar with Patrick Jones’ work until this story, so some may argue that there is no such thing as bad publicity, but Waterstone’s siding with what is essentially a fundamentalist Christian group suggests they too find the work unacceptable despite keeping the book in stock. Not that it is relevant, but I have since looked at the offending poetry and agree that it is indeed blasphemous. So? Didn’t we get rid of the blasphemy law this year? So what right do Waterstone’s have to seemingly enforce a view that even Parliament see as outdated?

I understand that Waterstone’s staff wanted to avoid violent protest, but quick research would reveal that Christian Voice picket with nothing more than hymn-singing and leaflets, as is their right. They certainly have the right to protest, but that protest should not take away the right of Patrick Jones to perform his poetry.

In your email to New Humanist, you pointed out that Waterstone’s do not act as censor and would still stock the book, which I thank you for. But I would offer that cancelling the event after prompts by Christian Voice (who get a lot of press) would speak out loudly that Waterstones does not approve of it. That is certainly how it appears to me.

I would like to see an apology from Waterstone’s to Mr Jones, and an attempt to reschedule the event.

Yours faithfully,

Sophie Johnson.