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A blog by Kaitlin Lopez
BLOGS
Created: 5th November, 2020

When the CLPE published its first Reflecting Realities report in July of 2018, the results of the survey it conducted were disheartening. In 2017, only 4% of children’s books published in the UK featured BAME characters and a mere 1% contained a BAME main character. While the publication of the second Reflecting Realities report last fall revealed that the publishing industry has begun to make shifts in the right direction, there is still a long way to go before the numbers match up to UK demographics or make up for years of underrepresentation. For advocates and supporters of equity in publishing, the process of creating a literary landscape for children as magnificently vivid and varied as they deserve can feel much like chasing a castle in the air. If children of all ethnic backgrounds are to have a wide variety of quality literature to fill up their bookshelves (and their imaginations) much more work must be done. And while there are no magic spells one can say and no rare artifacts one can acquire to instantly convey us all to the metaphorical castle representing equity, there are steps the industry can take now to speed up the journey.

Last summer, I wrote a dissertation on the techniques publishers in the UK and the US have employed with the specific aim of increasing BAME/POC representation [i] in children’s and YA fiction as part of my MSc studies at Edinburgh Napier University. During the course of my research, I ended up recruiting a few authors from marginalised backgrounds actively writing titles for children and young adults and asked them to complete a questionnaire. Based on their responses and the research I conducted for my literature review, I then formulated a series of recommendations for the Anglo-American publishing industry. A slightly modified version can be seen in the infographic below. 

Just as an airship captain requires navigational instruments for a journey skyward, the publishing industry sorely needs guidance on the path to equity. A set of tools to point the way toward better behaviour and better practices. Ideals and beliefs that it values and places above the bottom line.

A steady compass and a detailed map. A true north.

So how do we as an industry find our true north? One potential place to start is with an industry-wide ethos and the rest of the actions listed below.

Action #1: Adopt an industry-wide ethos championing equity and anti-racism

This goes beyond issuing public statements and creating inclusion policies. It requires continuous and consistent action every day to combat the structural racism of the industry and the fundamental inequities it produces. For us to learn and unlearn as needed, to be honest and accountable for our mistakes. As much as we love words in this industry, children who do not see themselves in what they read can do nothing with our promises or pledges—we need to give them actual books.

Action #2: Hire/recruit more inclusively

Hire people of colour often and at all levels in the industry, not just for internships or entry-level positions. Pay a living wage. Be transparent about wages. Get rid of unpaid internships. Offer remote positions and create jobs outside of high-cost cities like London and New York City. Gatekeeping has prevented many capable and passionate people from joining or staying in the industry. Let’s lower the gates.

Action #3: Value the Opinions & Experiences of People of Colour

Listen, truly and well. Do not ignore, minimise, talk over, or invalidate the lived experiences of people of colour. Read their work and amplify it.

Action #4: Foster/Create Support for Marginalised Staff & Authors

Buy books from authors of colour in a wide variety of genres. Promote them. Give authors of colour advances and marketing budgets equivalent to their white peers. Provide opportunities for pay raises and vertical movement in publishing careers. Call out racism in the workplace. Support authors and publishing professionals who come forward about racist or toxic environments. Do not retain, rehire, or defend people unapologetically contributing to racist or toxic environments, especially if they are in positions of power and privilege; it can and it does negatively affect the quantity and quality of representation in books, as well as employee retention rates.

Action #5: Utilise More Ethos-Driven Business Practices

I spent a whole section of my dissertation defining ethos-driven business practices (EDBPs), but in essence they are actions or schemes driven by a company’s chosen values and causes (i.e. their ethos). In addition to being purposeful, they must also have impact. Half measures and temporary initiatives do not count. If you need an example, publishers like Knights Of and Jacaranda Books are EDBPs in company form. Watch what they do and learn from them.

Action #6: Swap Entrenched Ideas for Imagination

What we imagine, for ourselves and the publishing industry, has considerable power. If we don’t believe we can change the systems or structures in place, if we simply accept what is and don’t fight for what could be, meaningful and lasting change will not come. If we choose to move forward with an open mind, however, we can and we will eventually reach our destination.

So let’s do the work and venture toward a place where all children can see their realities reflected and their dreams expanded.

Let’s fly, full speed ahead, to the castle in the air.

[i] It’s important to note that the current terminology for these discussions is deeply flawed. When discussing issues that affect an individual community or person, it is best to be specific rather than use a broad term like BAME or POC.

 

If you would like to download Kaitlin López’s MSc dissertation or the infographic featured in this article for non-commercial use, please visit her personal website here.

 

Biography: 

Kaitlin López is a recent graduate of Edinburgh Napier University’s doubly-accredited publishing programme in Scotland. Her MSc dissertation earned a distinction and explored the history of BAME/POC representation in books for children and young adults from 1965 to the present in the UK and US, as well as the techniques the Anglo-American publishing industry utilises in the quest for equity and inclusion. She currently resides in Los Angeles, California.

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