The backlash against Alice Munro’s legacy continues to intensify. Recent revelations came to light when Andrea Skinner, Munro’s daughter, published an essay detailing her experiences of sexual abuse by her stepfather and the lack of action taken by Munro.
This news has prompted a broader reevaluation of Munro’s legacy. In response, Western University, a large post-secondary institute in London, Ontario, located near Munro’s hometown of Wingham, has decided to pause its Alice Munro Chair in Creativity program. Additionally, some professors at the university are considering incorporating Skinner’s essay into their coursework on Munro’s literature.
In a separate development, Canada’s largest bookseller, Indigo, will be removing images of Alice Munro from its stores. Despite this, a spokeswoman confirmed that Munro’s books will remain available on the shelves. Madison Downey, representing Indigo, emphasized the store’s support for Skinner and noted that Munro’s books still meet the store’s content policy. Downey explained that the decision to remove Munro’s images was made to appropriately reflect the current situation.
Alice Munro, a renowned Canadian short story writer who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013, passed away on May 13, 2024.
An avid book reader and proud library card holder, Angela is new to the world of e-Readers. She has a background in education, emergency response, fitness, loves to be in nature, traveling and exploring. With an honours science degree in anthropology, Angela also studied writing after graduation. She has contributed work to The London Free Press, The Gazette, The Londoner, Best Version Media, Lifeliner, and Citymedia.ca.