David Starkey dropped by publisher and university positions after racist remarks
HarperCollins has dropped David Starkey as an author, saying that the racist views the bestselling historian expressed in a recent interview were “abhorrent”.
On Thursday, Starkey told the rightwing commentator Darren Grimes that “slavery was not genocide, otherwise there wouldn’t be so many damn blacks in Africa or in Britain would there? You know, an awful lot of them survived.”
Following widespread condemnation – former chancellor Sajid Javid described the comments as racist and “a reminder of the appalling views that still exist” in Britain, while the historian David Olusoga said they were “truly disgusting” – HarperCollins UK said it would not be publishing any further books by Starkey.
“The views expressed by David Starkey in his recent interview are abhorrent and we unreservedly condemn them,” said the publisher. “Our last book with the author was in 2010, and we will not be publishing further books with him. We are reviewing his existing backlist in light of his comments and views.”
Starkey was signed by HarperCollins in a four-book deal in 2006, publishing titles including Monarchy: Behind the Royal Mask from the Tudors to the Present, and Henry: Virtuous Prince, the first in a planned two-part biography of Henry VIII. It is understood that the other two titles in the deal, which included the second part of Starkey’s biography, will no longer be published by HarperCollins. The book is currently listed online as coming out in September.
On Friday, Starkey also resigned from his honorary fellowship at Fitzwilliam College at Cambridge.
A statement from the college said: “The Master has accepted Dr David Starkey’s resignation of his honorary fellowship with immediate effect.
“Fitzwilliam prides itself in leading the way in Cambridge in opening access to higher education for under-represented groups. Our student and academic bodies are diverse and welcoming to all. We do not tolerate racism.”
They added: “Honorary fellows have the same responsibility as all members of our college to uphold our values.”
Canterbury Christ Church University also terminated Starkey’s role as visiting professor, saying his comments were “completely unacceptable”.
Prof Rama Thirunamachandran, vice-chancellor of Canterbury Christ Church University, apologised to staff and students at the university in Kent who have been offended and upset by the “appalling” comments.
He said: “Widely reported comments by historian David Starkey during a recent online interview are, in our view, completely unacceptable and do not reflect the values of our university and community.”
This is not the first time Starkey has been criticised for his remarks on race. Following the summer riots in 2011, he told BBC Newsnight that “a substantial amount of the chavs have become black. The whites have become black; a particular sort of violent destructive, nihilistic gangster culture has become the fashion.”
