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04.11.16 Issue No 5733. Established 1858 Incorporating Bent’s Literary Advertiser, established 1802


People just like me A


LEADER THIS WEEK


05


s a British Pakistani Muslim, it can be jarring to walk off a street and into the offices of a publisher, particularly in London, where much of UK publishing is based. You go from seeing a street full of diverse


people—black, white, in headscarves and yarmulkes, speaking in the Queen’s English or talking about how Beyoncé “slayed” at a red carpet event the night before—to what can be a monocultural world, one that is predominantly white. To paraphrase what has been said before: I meet more people called Emma than people who look like me. No offence, Emmas. You will read similar comments from the many and varied publishers from BAME backgrounds that have contributed to an issue of The Bookseller that both celebrates BAME endeavour in publishing and also laments that more hasn’t changed. In the week when the BBC ran a documentary on the feminist publishing house Virago, much lauded now within the trade, we may ask where the equivalent for a UK BAME publishing business or list is. If the business is to reflect the society around it, its publishing must also


become representative. But compiling figures on how many books by British BAME authors were published this year has been a long and difficult task and, to be fair to those not willing to contribute figures, likely fraught with error. That said, I can’t say that I was shocked to discover how low the number was (see pp06– 07), even if 2017 is already looking better. Change is happening—the industry is in “the


‘‘


If the business is to reflect the society around it, its publishing must also become representative


process of a very dramatic transition”, said one publisher—with diversity talk moving to action. Recent initiatives include Penguin Random House removing degree requirements for new jobs and launching a scheme to reach underrepresented writers, and HarperCollins running a graduate scheme targeted at black,


Asian and minority ethnic people. And it’s not just publishers. Literary agent Isobel Dixon this week revealed a new initiative in honour of the late Carole Blake, kicking off in 2017, that will look for interns from diverse backgrounds. All this is good, but it is also necessary. This is the last issue of The Bookseller


before the US election next Tuesday. If we wake up on Wednesday to find the world’s biggest democracy now in the hands of someone who has shown disregard towards many different minority groups then, as with Brexit, the onus is on us to counter messages of hate and division. And what better way to do this than to read books


by and about people from different cultures and backgrounds, agented and commissioned by a group of people that are representative of the people on the streets outside our doors?


SARAH SHAFFI, ONLINE EDITOR AND PRODUCER


THIS WEEK...


As part of an in-depth look into the diversity of the book trade, BAME staff reveal their experiences and tips to improve


LEAD STORY 06–15 Definitely Mabey


In the wake of a second Man Booker win, Juliet Mabey reflects on Oneworld’s remarkable run


THE INDEPENDENTS 26 TOTAL CONSUMER MARKET £31.8m BOOKSCAN TCM UP 0.8% ON LAST WEEK’S FIGURES BIG CHANGE FOR LISSA


The third children’s book from former TV producer Lissa Evans has been hailed as “a future classic”


AUTHOR PROFILE 30 CHARTS 18 BOOKS 28 CAREERS 40


THIS WEEK’S PREVIEWS NEW TITLES: FICTION (FEBRUARY) 32


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