Trigger warnings should be put on EVERY book to make readers feel 'safe', Chocolat author Joanne Harris says

The use of trigger warnings has become one of the most divisive issues to rock the publishing industry.

But one author who is firmly on board with their inclusion is Joanne Harris, who has said she will make sure they are added to all of her future books in a bid to make readers feel 'safe.'

The Chocolat author, 59, has suggested that all books could include trigger warnings 'as standard' in the copyright page so that readers know what to look out for before they start reading.

She has said introducing a new policy would 'make a lot of sense' as trigger warnings are like 'wheelchair ramps' in that they exist 'because some people need them.'

'So far, I haven't included trigger warnings in my books. From now on, I will,' she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

'I'm currently updating my website to show content warnings for all my backlist, and I'm going to insist that my publishers do this for all my books moving on. As authors, we can do this.'

Ms Harris, whose prequel to her best-selling novel will be released next year, ran a social media poll to ask her followers if they agreed with placing trigger warnings in the copyright pages.

She said: 'I think it makes a lot of sense. It might be more complicated for audiobooks, though.

'And obviously people can be triggered by different things, so we might have to decide which are the most likely ones.'

She added that she didn't believe the warnings should be for 'things people might disapprove of (eg: swearing, etc)', rather thing that 'make them feel unsafe'.

She said: 'To me, trigger warnings are like wheelchair ramps. They exist because some people need them.

'The people who don't can either use them anyway, or take the stairs. Their choice.

'The fact that some people don't take the stairs does not detract in any way from my experience, nor do I hang around the wheelchair ramp mocking those who use it, or tell them how much better it would be for them to be exposed to the climb.'

Classic books by authors such as Virgina Woolf, Roald Dahl, Ian Fleming and PG Wodehouse have all had re-issued copies of their books slapped with trigger warnings in recent years.

A number of universities have also decided to include their own content warnings in copies of books given out to students.

West End productions of Shakespeare's plays have also been advertised with warnings of potentially offensive content, which has been denounced by stars such as Ralph Fiennes and Matt Smith.