Geraldine Bedell is a British novelist and writer for The Observer.

She drew wide public attention when she claimed she had been disinvited from a planned appearance at the first International Festival of Literature in Dubai, because her novel The Gulf Between Us featured a homosexual sheikh.[1][2] Writer Margaret Atwood cancelled her scheduled appearance but later retracted when she found out that Bedell had never been invited to the Festival nor had her book been banned.[3] Atwood subsequently made two virtual appearances at the Festival and appeared in person at the 2011 Festival.[4][5][6]

Family

She is married to Charles Leadbeater and is the sister of Elaine Bedell,[7] CEO of the Southbank Centre.

Bedell's first marriage was to banker Jon Norton, with whom she has two children.

Books

References

  1. ^ Caroline Gammell "British author Geraldine Bedell banned from Dubai book festival British author Geraldine Bedell has been banned from a book festival in Dubai because one of the characters in her new book is gay", Daily Telegraph, 16 February 2009.
  2. ^ Geraldine Bedell "The only offensive thing about my novel is that it's been banned", The Guardian (blog), 17 February 2009.
  3. ^ "Bedell never answered the letter of invitation in the first place". The Guardian.
  4. ^ "Palin, Atwood to headline Dubai literary fest". Emirates 24/7.
  5. ^ "Atwood wrongfully led to believe that a book by Geraldine Bedell had been banned both from the festival and the Emirates themselves". The Guardian.
  6. ^ Alison Flood "Atwood pulls out of Dubai festival in censorship protest", The Guardian, 18 February 2009.
  7. ^ "Media families 20: The Bedells", The Independent, 30 June 1997
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