DECIBEL INVESTIGATION Time for change


Minority ethnic communities may be better represented on the bookshelves, but they are pitifully under-represented in UK publishing houses. Danuta Kean investigates why, and looks at ways to make the industry more culturally diverse


P


ublishing is, to coin a phrase, hideously white. That is the harsh conclusion of the first industry-wide survey into cul- tural diversity. It is also the opinion of the vast majority of respondents to the decibel survey. “A sea of white faces prevails, with occasional Asian ones and rare Black ones,” writes one. “Book publishing is probably the least culturally diverse sector of the leisure/entertainment industry,”writes another. But if publishers are angst-ridden about the lack of diversity,


why does the business remain so white? Why are minority ethnic communities under-represented in the workforce? Could UK publishing be institutionally racist? “Racism” is an emotive word, which conjures up violent


images of abuse. But it manifests itself in more subtle ways than the boot in the face or the verbal assault. It is present in the unthinking sins of omission as well as commission. It infects the seemingly innocuous, such as asking your only Black editor to pitch for a book by a Black author, even though the editor will not work on the book; or inviting an Indian accounts executive to boardroom drinks only when an Indian publisher visits town; or responding defensively when Black or Asian colleagues raise the subject of ethnic diversity. It is present in generalisations about minority ethnic communi-


ties. “There are some innate barriers to full cultural diversity in publishing,as we rely heavily on good language and literary skills within our chosen fields,” wrote one editorial director in response to the decibel survey. “Not all ethnic and cultural groups can offer these skills.” It is doubtful he would regard his remarks as racist, but they are.


Subtle racism


Open racism is rare in publishing. Few Black and Asian publishers regard the business as racist. But many feel that prevailing attitudes, while not intentionally racist, compound a sense of being in a minority. Ellah Allfrey, editor at Random House, says: “The one thing that I have experienced, which is hard to categorise, is people being surprised at my race when they meet me. They don’t say anything, they just have this look of surprise which they don’t know how to mask.” It is a familiar picture says Elise Dillsworth, an editor at Virago. “It is very subtle. People have looked surprised when they meet me because I’m Black.” More pernicious, according to Andrea Henry, who worked in publishing before moving to the Daily Mirror as books editor, is the way employers use minority ethnic employees to present a


8 IN FULL COLOUR 12 MARCH 2004


Photographs by Giles Tobin


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16