Ursula Doyle has quit her job as editor at Fleet, Little, Brown publishing house, claiming she was “stalked”.
Doyle has worked at Hachette since 2008, first at the feminist press Virago, before launching the literary imprint Fleet eight years ago, where she has published authors including Colson Whitehead and Ronan Farrow.
Doyle has since launched a crowdfunding campaign to sue her former employer, claiming he failed to protect her after publishing Kathleen Stock’s book. Materialistic girlsand then damaged her reputation by withdrawing paperback editions of two authors’ books from Fleet publishing after both writers complained that her views were transphobic. “I am bringing a claim for discrimination based on my critical gender beliefs (sometimes referred to as ‘sexual realism’) and for sex discrimination.” The fund has surpassed its initial target of £30,000, and she will now be represented by Richard Linskell of Gunnercooke LLP and Naomi Cunningham of Outer Temple Chambers. Doyle said a procedural hearing will take place in August.
Before launching the crowdfunding, Doyle said The bookstore: “I have nothing to add regarding my departure from Little, Brown to what I posted on X earlier this week.” A spokesperson for Little, Brown said The bookstore that he would not comment on his departure.
Doyle spearheaded the launch of Fleet in May 2016. Over the course of his career, Doyle has published a wide range of bestselling novels, including Alice Sebold’s. The beautiful bones (Picador), Paula McLain The woman from Paris (Virago) and Claire Messud The woman upstairs (Virago). She has also published bestselling nonfiction works, including Jon Ronson’s first book, Them: Adventures with extremists (Picador) and the memoirs of Dave Eggers A moving work of astonishing genius (Picador).
Before launching Fleet, she left Pan Macmillan as deputy editor of Picador in 2008 to join Virago, where she was promoted to associate editor in 2011.
