Hashtag BLAK – surfacing new British talent
Abiola Bello and Helen Lewis talk to us about their new imprint, Hashtag BLAK, and why actions speak louder than words.
ABIOLA and Helen have different routes into the publishing business, but share the same passion for books. Helen came from a PR and marketing background and Abiola is the author of the Emily Knight series of books. They worked together on the Author School in 2015 – providing advice on how to get published to aspiring authors, and launched Hashtag Press the following year.
Their new imprint, Hashtag BLAK, is a response to the woeful lack of diversity and representation in the publishing industry. The Black Lives Matter demonstrations have brought the issue of continued, long-lasting and systemic racism into sharp focus – reinforcing the need for initiatives that begin to redress the imbalance.
Helen says: “We heard a lot of talk about diversity and inclusion in publishing. We read the reports and discussed the statistics. We saw a lot of talk but not much action. And we realised that unless we did something, despite the fact we’re a small indie press and it’s just the two of us, we knew we would be just the same as all those people doing all the talking and none of the work! So we decided to step up.”
The idea is simple – Hashtag BLAK will provide a “publishing platform to under- represented voices in the UK”.
18 PEN&INC.
The Black Lives Matter movement is not new, and the fight for equality has been going on for centuries. And yet, the inequalities that have been built into the system remain – providing advantage for one group of people at the expense of others. The growing support for the aims of Black Lives Matter, and countless others who have been fighting racism over years is a positive sign, but there needs to be real change.
Abiola says: “I am a black author and publisher in an industry that is dominated by white people. Black Lives Matter is not a hashtag. It is a movement that will carry on until we have seen real change. It is being said time and time again but there is not enough representation in the publishing industry. It is frustrating to walk into a room and I am the only Black person there. It is frustrating being in a meeting and being compared to another Black publisher as if there are only two of us. It’s annoying going into a bookshop and just seeing one Black author like that represents all of us. “We are here and our voices deserve to be heard. The #PublishingPaidMe hashtag actually made me feel sick. It never crossed my mind that was even a thing – to pay Black authors less than White authors. I was disgusted. I had to call out several publishers, booksellers, and editors on their silence. They should all feel embarrassed for not speaking up sooner.
“I love that I am connecting with more
Abiola Bello.
Black and Asian women who are speaking out just as much as me. Our voices together will create real change. And on that note can we stop with BAME and POC? I am Black and I would like to be called Black please. Please stop grouping us into one non-white category.”
Helen adds that she was shocked by the pay differences exposed by the #PublishingPaidMe hashtag, and
Spring-Summer 2020
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