Who am I, and what's the story?

My name is Ursula Doyle, and I have worked in book publishing for more than thirty years. Since 2008 I have worked at Hachette UK, one of the UK’s leading publishing groups, first at its Virago imprint (a sub-brand of the publisher) before setting up my own imprint, Fleet, in 2016. Fleet publishes a wide range of fiction and nonfiction, and Fleet authors have between them won numerous awards, including four Pulitzers.

In 2021 I published Kathleen Stock’s influential book on sex and gender, Material Girls. Since then, I have been a target for abuse by colleagues in the book industry, who have used social media to accuse me of - among other things - bigotry, prejudice, transphobia and hatred, often tagging in my employer, Hachette, and Hachette’s Pride network. 

Hachette have done nothing to protect me, and have created a hostile working environment for me and anyone else who shares my views. When two of Fleet's authors complained that my views were transphobic, the company agreed to move paperback editions of the authors' books away from the imprint to another part of the business, damaging my reputation both inside and outside the company. I became ill with stress and associated conditions, and finally resigned. I am bringing a claim of discrimination on the grounds of my gender-critical belief (sometimes known as 'sex realism'), and of sex discrimination.

Why should my case matter to anyone but me? 

I was effectively punished for having published Kathleen Stock’s book Material Girls. Numerous gender-critical authors, including Helen Joyce (Trans) and Abigail Shrier (Irreversible Damage), have struggled to find publishers for their books, and the careers of children’s writers Rachel Rooney and Gillian Philip were ended because of their gender-critical views.

When you consider the impact these books have had on the conversations around sex and gender, it is easy to understand why publishing has been a key strategic target for gender identity activists. Their attempts to suppress all dissent at source have made the sector a hostile environment for anyone who dares to stand up for reality and freedom of expression. These tactics mean it is difficult for gender-critical books to find a publisher, and almost impossible for any authors who want to sell books on other topics to speak up on this subject. 

Hachette also discriminated against me (and all women working for them) by introducing a trans-inclusion policy which explicitly allows men who say they are women to use women’s toilets and shower facilities. I am challenging this policy and hope to show that this is not compliant with the law. 

This is the first case that takes on the culture of fear in publishing, an industry which has largely capitulated to activists who loudly proclaim a set of beliefs as fact. 

How strong is my case? 

My lawyers say it is strong. It is clear on the face of the contemporaneous documents that the authors were allowed to move imprints because they objected to the fact that my imprint had published Kathleen Stock. If Hachette had let an author move imprints because they had learned that its publisher was gay, or Jewish, or black, that would be obviously unlawful. It makes no difference that the protected characteristic that caused the treatment was belief: all protected characteristics are equal under the law. 

My legal team 

I am represented by Richard Linskell of Gunnercooke LLP and Naomi Cunningham of Outer Temple Chambers. 

What do I need the money for? 

I need to raise the initial target to cover my legal fees for preparing for and attending the procedural hearing in August, preparing documents for disclosure, reviewing the other side's documents, and preparing a trial bundle. If I can raise this sum, I will then be able to fundraise for the rest of the case which will include all the steps before and up to the hearing, which is likely to be some time in 2025. 

What am I doing to keep costs down? 

I know times are tough, and money is tight. I have already nearly exhausted my savings, so if I am to continue with the case, I need your help. But I don’t take your generosity for granted, and neither do my lawyers. They have agreed to act on the basis of a 'conditional fee agreement' under which they will bill me at a heavily discounted rate for all work on the case unless it is successful. If I win (or settle advantageously), I will pay their 'success fee' out of any compensation, not out of the crowdfunder. 

Talking of settlement… 

I don’t think my case is likely to settle, and having come this far I would be very reluctant to settle except on terms that will strike a public blow for freedom of speech in publishing. I can’t promise that there are no circumstances under which I might feel I have to accept a confidential settlement, but I do promise that I will keep it well in mind that people who have donated will want to know that their money has affected more than my bank balance. 

Thank you! 

Many thanks for reading this far, and if you can donate, I am extremely grateful. If you can’t afford to donate, please don’t – but you can still help a lot by sharing this link with all your networks.