Outrage, offence and indignation are rife these days, particularly over the internet. People loudly claim their right not to be offended, effectively shutting arguments down. But are we too sensitive to outrage? Are editors so nervous of fallout that they are censoring writers? Richard King’s book, On Offence, described by one reviewer as ‘sensible, philosophically robust and aggressively stated’, tackles such issues head on, examining everything from Koran burning to Twitter outrage. He talks with publisher and commentator Finlay Macdonald.

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.