Novelists take on supermarket giant over ‘chilling’ tactics

Two of Britain's best-selling novelists, Nick Hornby (pictured) and Mark Haddon, have rounded on the high-street grocery chain Tesco, accusing them of using "deeply chilling" tactics to silence a man who spoke out against the supermarket’s expansion into the Far East.

In a letter in today’s Times, Hornby and Haddon condemn the supermarket for prosecuting a Thai business leader for making a speech that decried Tesco's expansion. If successful the man in question, Jit Siratranont, could be jailed.

Hornby and Haddon - together with Marina Lewycka, the author of A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian - have also put their names to a longer open letter - organised by English PEN, a campaign group for freedom of expression - arguing that a criminal libel prosecution represents a breach of their human rights. (Continued below)

The letter states that Tesco Lotus, the supermarket's Thai operation, acted with disproportionate vigour by accusing Jit, a former Thai MP, of criminal libel, which can carry a sentence of two years in prison. Jit, who is vice-general secretary of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, made a speech accusing Tesco Lotus of expanding aggressively at the expense of small retailers.

The protest by Hornby et al is not without risk. According to The Bookseller magazine combined sales of their books through Tesco are estimated at £2.5m.