A lively and passionate defence of reasoned debate
Richard King was born in 1971 in England, and now lives in Fremantle, Western Australia. He is a freelance writer and has a master's degree in literary history. Richard writes and reviews books for The Australian and the Sydney Morning Herald, as well as for numerous journals and magazines, including Australian Book Review, Meanjin, Poetry London, PN Review, and The London Magazine.
‘A ripper of a book ... Fantastic.’
*ABC Radio Brisbane*
'Fired me up'
*Andrea Goldsmith, author of The Memory Trap*
‘Fascinating ... This book is an invitation to rip off the muzzle
and start talking.’
*Good Reading*
‘An excellent insight into the growing culture of intolerance ...
On Offence should be required reading for all journalists, members
of Parliament and anyone who gets offended on a regular basis.’
*New Zealand Listener*
‘One of the books of the year ... an intellectual map for our
times’
*Saturday Age*
‘Lively ... a bright and magnanimous reminder.’
*Sunday Age*
‘An extended essay of uncommon eloquence and brio.’
*The Australian*
‘King shows how mantras of political correctness, via a lengthy
process of ideological entrenchment to rival that of the divine
right of kings, have given rise to constant pronouncements of
outrage threatening freedom of speech.’
*The Australian*
‘A coolly thoughtful analysis ... This is a book about right now.
The question of what is sayable, and what should be, has seldom
been such a live one.’
*The Guardian (UK)*
‘Magnificent’
*The Observer (UK)*
‘One of the many pleasures of reading Richard King’s On Offence is
it allows you to sift the old from the new. It appears to be an
attack on political correctness. But King, an Australian author,
who deserves to be better read here, is from the Left and
understands that the great issues of any time are as likely to be
fought out within the Left and the Right as between the Left and
the Right.’
*The Spectator (UK)*
'It is clear King is a fan of Clive James’ style and obvious
delight in playing with language. Despite dealing with some serious
topics, On Offence is filled with humour and beautifully turned
phrases.'
*Weekend Press, Christchurch*
‘For King, a freethinking democracy provides expression for all
opinions, even unpalatable ones. Exposing the hypocrisy of the
current climate of overactive sensibilities, King provides examples
of how the insidious infiltration of what is “acceptable” and
politically correct often results in reactionary backlashes that
damage the very causes they promote.’
*West Australian*
‘Richard King is one of the most interesting of the new generation
of Australian journalist/critics.’
*Clive James*
‘I dare say a great many people will be offended by Richard King's
On Offence. Good. They can take a deep breath, count to ten, pull
themselves together, and come to terms with what King convincingly
demonstrates is integral to the functioning of civil society. This
is a calm, clever, and lucid book.’
*Gideon Haigh*
Superb ... I read [King's article 'Offence Goes Viral'] on the
train, furiously underlining and stifling myself from yelling out,
"That's so true!"’
*Stephen Romei*
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