Children's Writers Are Mad at Keira Knightley

Everyone's mad at Keira Knightley because she's written and illustrated a children's book. The anger is disproportionate, but it's just because she is the latest in a long line of celebrity dabblers who think it's easy to write a high quality children's book. This not only pushes more talented but lesser known writers to the back of the line, but it also helps perpetuate publishing trends that make children's books little more than disposable content instead of high quality literature.

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[mpb]

Are fellow authors going to start gatekeeping who may or may not write a book? It’s always been up to the consumers to determine the success or failure of a book. It’s even mentioned in this video that a number of famous people’s books have tanked in spite of the supposed draw of their name. So why begrudge KK the chance to flex her writing muscles or prove the lack thereof?

[merla]

Here's a question though, has anyone actually read Kiera Knightley's book?

[Glutiam]

As a child a had two Madonna’a books, ‘The Adventures of Abdi’ and ‘Mr Peabody's apples’, and these were maybe not my favorite books, but very close to that. I reread them several times, I just LOVED them, probably bc of amazing illustrations, especially in ‘The Adventures of Abdi’. So I don’t really see what’s the problem here. Celebrities do sometimes wright bad books, but It doesn’t necessarily mean that the book will be bad only bc it’s written by a celebrity.
I mean I get that it’s not very fair towards less known authors, but still

[NelsonStJames]

Man, somebody seems to be assuming a whole lot about the thought process of another individual. I mean in no interview I've seen or read has Knightley said that writing a book was "easy". She did say that it was personal and based on her own experience which is what the majority of writers do. I guess I'd better try to get a book published before I make my first film so nobody thinks I'm dabbling and not a "serious" writer. But I would like to know is it the fact that she wrote a book, or the fact that she found a publisher, because if her book is actually good, none of that should matter, and even if not, it still shouldn't matter because lots of bad books get published all the time -- the majority of them not written by celebrities and some by actual "writers".

[seanmurphy]

So one actor with no background in writing is okay, but not another. Might want to put down those sour grapes.

[headerahelix]

Whatever gets the kids reading is good in my book.

[traveljournal]

I haven't seen a single person mad that Keira Knightly wrote a children's book. Frustrated because she had an easier time getting published than someone unknown, sure. I think you need to step out of your echo chamber for a minute. You make a lot of assumptions in this video. You assume it will be bad because she is an actress. You don't know if maybe she's been writing her whole life or taking formal literature classes on the side. You also seem upset that she illustrated it herself. Why? Is this rage bait? How dare she write for children when she acts in roles as an adult! Never mind that she is a mother. Like I'm not even a Keira Knightly fan I just think you went way to hard into her...for nothing. The book isn't even out yet. What if her illustrations are beautiful? What if the story is touching? And what if it's bad? It's a picture book. Nobody will take it out of the store if they don't like it. I understand the frustration that celebrities have an easier time getting published, but so do influencer aspiring authors. Who is allowed to write a book? Who is worthy? Please, let us know.

[matcha.cinnamon]

oh, i clicked on this video because i was curious about the context but this video is just hateful? im a childrens book specialist at my local bookstore & this is just such a bad faith video. while there should be more accessibility for indie authors to be able to create their stories (absolutely, of course! ) saying actors (or anyone regardless of their job or educational background) cant write a childrens book is just such an odd thing to say & be upset about. there are MANY books i dont like but that doesnt mean that *my opinion* means someone else shouldn't write or pursue the career or art they want to make. this video just assumes that it knows the intent of every actors creative endeavors AND blames them for issues within the publishing industry. in this case, this whole video is basically saying keira knightlys book will be a trashy crash grab with nothing to offer, which is ironic because this video is basically a nothing burger of hateful clickbait content that doesnt even address the real issues within publishing that make is so much harder for indie authors or creatives without online platforms to be able to make the art they want to make. i hope people can think a little more about the things they say smh.

[williampalmer]

If you're going to disparage someone over some petty pretentious objection to their not being a "real" author, you might consider making an effort to spell their name correctly. The very idea that anyone should gatekeep who is allowed to write books, or assert that there is some fictitious "line" that other writers are being pushed back along, is worthy only of mockery and scorn. If a book like this encourages even one more person to read, it will be well worth it. Or perhaps you prefer to live in some delusional world where this book is somehow depriving more worthy authors of their due, since people are apparently only allowed to buy one book, and every purchase of this one means one fewer sale for all those other brilliant "actual" authors. What utter nonsense.

[chashubokchoy]

sound like you’re mad at keira knightley

[ElizabethNicoleSchwartz]

I mean.... Her book might be good. Automatically being like it'll go in the mediocre celebrity book section is disingenuous.

[YELG_]

lol any "authors" that actually ran their mouth on this? it's just sad. A professional writer is expected to outcompete dabblers and first timers. They're also expected to understand that their publisher is a business that pays them with money they (not you) have to earn, that celeb books sell even if they don't become classics -- that celeb books make the publishers the money they can gamble with & invest into no-name authors. Publishing is a business, not a participation awards organization
From what I've seen of the articles, there are a whole lot of journalists that have tried their hand in publishing books to not much success... a lot of journalists that are "our of their lane" according to their own logic

[fannisland]

Okay, so you are pressed about somebody releasing a children's book and cherry-picking who you think can be a writer and what they can write. Actually you might want to change title to this.

[giuliatrantonelli]

Also, her mother's a writer. she has been around books and writing her whole life. let's maybe, eh, give her the benefit of the doubt until we read it?

[future.ex.stepdad]

I am still watching but omg I cannot believe this isn't satire. my bf and I actually stopped this video multiple times already to laugh about how close this feels to an Onion News video. This is HILARIOUS. Nobody can possibly care this much or find this so important to be so livid. I was a classically trained musician and studied American contemporary literature BY FORCE- high brow media and materials were shoved down my throat at all instances and the constant stress of being FORCED to consume media simply because I understood it led me to reject all honed skill as elitist snobbery. Anything boasting intelligence is classist and not genuine to me anymore.

Now I am a folk/noise artist who only works in abstract and surrealist genres. I despise things that take themselves seriously and wish someone had let me read a fucking celeb money grab instead of insisting on constantly provoking thought IN A CHILD. Children also need to relax and unwind to process information. They can't be expected to learn and progress at a constant rate. Boredom and dullness is necessary to developing a stable sense of self.

Children are stupid, that is the most important thing I ever learned. I felt a lot of pressure to be intelligent as a child and that was unfair to me. Children are stupid and they deserve to be stupid and enjoy whatever they enjoy without adults hyper-criticizing and over contextualizing all of their media for them.

it's literally not that serious.

the insecurity behind this commentary, if genuine (I will admit I have not yet finished the video and will edit if I am wrong) screams of insecurity over the fact that privilege exists at all. which is a very disposition to maintain.
not all social advantages are societal issues and just because someone has a leg up over YOU doesn't mean anyone else SHOULD give a single fuck. that's just a fact of life. we can change systemic racism, but honey- get off the fucking internet if you want humans to stop caring about popularity.

and have you ever considered that a rich white woman with little problems who has all of the time and money she could ever wish for- just genuinely wrote a book because it made her feel something? she's not "pretending" to be anything? I'm pretty sure if you write a children's book, then you are a children's book author. there is no pretending.

that sounds like something that was not only a healing experience for her and her family as they navigated such a drastic change to the familial structure, but something that also enabled her children to understand their own emotions in a way she saw important to other families? I didn't know I admired this part of this celeb until you brought attention to it. that is a kind and human reaction to experiencing something you didn't know happened.

You are envious and it's cringe.

[joshuawhere]

I'm just gonna drop the name Charles Ashton here; the Dragon Fire trilogy and Time Ghost are both amazing stories

[JullyJullyet]

About this quote: "I really don't understand why they would bother paying for a big celebrity like Emma Thompson in the first place. I don't think a 3 year old cares that much when wanting you to read Christman's Tale of Peter Rabbit for the 17th time. In April." Simple: Nanny McPhee. Those books were published after Emma Thompson adapted (yes, she wrote the screenplay and not her first time either!) and played the titular character in the famous children movie. So you can say to your kid "Hey! Gess who wrote that book? Nanny McPhee!"

[ILikeBirds]

Doesn't Walliams have ghostwriters?

[ehdrake]

Ellie Maureen's Forbidden is a fantastic Young Adult adventure with light fantasy elements and beautiful (not preaching) themes

[YasminJFoster]

0:16 A bit pretentious to call it a "modern classic" before its even published. But then the whole celebrity "author" fad is pretentious.