In the West we pride ourselves on being free to express our creativity. But some claim this core principle is in jeopardy.  There was widespread outrage when Salman Rushdie was stabbed on stage having lived with a death threat for thirty years. Jay Z is fighting rappers' lyrics being used to convict them in court. Authors like Roald Dahl and works from the past face the prospect of passages being airbrushed. While every publishing house now has 'sensitivity readers' to identify and remove problematic content.   

Should writers and artists be able to publish work free from the threat of retribution or vilification even if their views are offensive to some? Or, must some forms of expression be outlawed if we are to combat prejudice and privilege? Is it time to reassert traditional western liberal values, or should we see liberalism as carrying a form of authority that needs to be challenged?   


Novelist Joanna Kavenna, prominent barrister and political activist, Jolyon Maugham, and journalist and filmmaker Myriam François, debate the role of creativity and the limits of free expression. Hosted by Philip Collins.