direct responses to the survey findings. We have


had countless people and


organisations reach out to us to share the amazing work they are doing to redress the imbalance. Alongside our work, colleagues at BookTrust, CILIP, Pop Up and many more have developed initiatives that will help to redress the


opportunities for authors, and creators of children’s


balance, promoting illustrators that


literature


will move us all forward as an industry. Publishers and promoters of children’s literature were already working to improve and develop things in this area and we have been heartened to see the enormous range of projects supporting efforts to increase representation. Things will only improve through collective efforts and the survey has galvanised many to move forward together.


This year, and in years to come, we hope to contribute to an ongoing conversation that supports the producers of literature to be critically reflective and considered about the choices that are made in the book making process. The core purpose of CLPE’s work is not solely to redress the imbalance and encourage an increase in the volume of books featuring BAME characters, we also want to encourage quality portrayals and presence. Quantity alone will not suffice, particularly if the quality is poor or, worse still, problematic. The value of reflecting realities, individuals, identities, cultures and communities is rooted in the importance of elevating all lived experiences and recognising them as worthy of note and exploration. To understand and be understood is at the heart of the human experience. The call for more inclusive books is as much about quality as it is about volume. Better representation means just that, better in all regards, because all young readers deserve the best that the literary world has to offer.


So as we move towards the publication of the latest survey we are feeling hopeful. The first year of this work set a benchmark. The American equivalent produced by the Co- operative Children’s Book Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has been established for over 35 years and during that time there has been a steady positive trajectory. Whilst the imbalance hasn’t been totally redressed and there is still much work to be done, this model of an annual cycle means that the importance of representation in children’s literature is kept in the public


consciousness rather than being reduced to a conversational trend that arises once every few years. This we hope will, over time, amount to meaningful and long-standing change.


We are heartened by the overwhelming commitment and support of this work across all stakeholders and we look forward to a continued investment in making the highest quality inclusive and representative literature for the benefit of all young readers.


The latest report will be published on the 19th September 2019 and available from www. clpe.org.uk


Louise Johns-Shepherd is CEO, Centre for Literacy in Primary Education.


Books for Keeps No.238 September 2019 5


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