The author of Noughts & Crosses has defended her story against allegations that she is feeding racial division in Britain.

‘For casting purposes I was born in the wrong skin’ – Noughts and Crosses star Paterson Joseph Read more

Malorie Blackman took to Twitter to explain her position this weekend in the wake of some negative reaction to Thursday evening’s broadcast of the first of six episodes of a new BBC dramatisation of her 2001 novel for young adults.

Her book examines life in an alternative Britain where black people dominate national life and have most of the money, the imagined legacy of an African colonial powerbase in “Albion”.

Writing in the Daily Mail, Calvin Robinson argued that “it was less a TV show than a political statement”. He added: “In places, at its worst, Noughts & Crosses stoops to naked race-baiting, stirring up antipathy under the pretence of attacking racist attitudes.”

Robinson’s comments have been supported by online commentators and on Saturday Blackman responded. “To those accusing me of being anti-white or stating I must hate white people to create such a story as Noughts & Crosses, I’m not even going to dignify your absurd nonsense with a response. Go take a seat waaaay over there in the cold, dark and bitter haters’ corner,” she wrote.

Aunty Malorie Blackman (@malorieblackman) Btw, to those accusing me of being anti-white or stating I must hate white people to create such a story as Noughts and Crosses, I'm not even going to dignify your absurd nonsense with a response. Go take a seat waaaay over there in the cold, dark and bitter haters' corner.

Her comment was retweeted by the actor Jack Rowan, who plays one of the drama’s star-crossed young lovers. “You tell ’em!” he encouraged the author, whose defence was supported and retweeted by a long line of fans.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Malorie Blackman. Photograph: Roberto Ricciuti/Getty Images

Blackman had already responded on Friday to the many viewers who told her they had enjoyed the first episode. She tweeted: “THANK YOU to all those who have sent me lovely messages … So many talented, wonderful people involved in bringing it to the screen – producers, scriptwriters, cast and crew. I see you. I appreciate you.”

Robinson, who describes himself as mixed race, focused his attack on what he regarded as an exaggeration of the problem.

“Of course there are serious issues in this country, stemming from multiculturalism, immigration and nationalism. I know a lot about them. But I didn’t see any of these real problems reflected in Noughts & Crosses … All this will do is polarise viewers, encourage divisiveness and drown out the real debate.”

The actor Paterson Joseph, who stars in the series, last month predicted the drama would stir up strong feelings: “When you’re shooting, you know it’s significant because you know it’s going to upset some people, maybe a lot of people, on both sides of the ethnic lines.”