An email arrives from the Society of Author's Children's Writers And Illustrators Group. Apparently, a well-established, enormous publishing house has decided to insert the following clause into its standard contract for children's books: "If you act or behave in a way which damages your reputation as a person suitable to work with or be associated with children, and consequently the market for or value of the work is seriously diminished, and we may (at our option) take any of the following actions: Delay publication / Renegotiate advance / Terminate the agreement."

The publisher's name? Ooh, that would be giving it away. Really? Oh go on then: Random House.

This is not to say anyone will stand for it - the SoA advises affected authors to ask for it to be removed - and that Random House will suddenly realise that it's not very good PR and cease this rot immediately. But even to have instigated such an outrageous demand is both paranoid and threatening.