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A very Happy New Year to all our members!
2007 sees the Diversity in Publishing Network (DipNet) gearing up for what promises to be a very busy year indeed. March 25th will mark 200 years to the day since the Act that precipitated the abolition of slavery was passed by parliament, and initiatives and activities nationwide will ensure that diversity remains a key focus. Already this year debates about the promotion of BME authors and racial equality are emerging, as are discussions about the future of diversity in society. With these discourses in mind, it is DipNet's stated aim to pursue its goals in promoting diversity in publishing, to raise awareness about the ethnic make-up of the industry and to support people entering or currently working in the field.
In 2006 we implemented a broad range of strategies, mainly focusing on research, training and support, to achieve these objectives. Between March and June Book Marketing Ltd. conducted research on our behalf to establish the current state of ethnic diversity in the publishing industry. In October we celebrated our fourth intake of trainees into our mentoring programme, which has to date seen all trainees successfully employed in full-time publishing roles. We've also concentrated on forging links with key decision makers in the publishing fields and other diversity-focused organisations.
In 2007 we need to capitalise on this work in order to keep diversity at the top of the publishing agenda, and for this we need your help. As DipNet enters its third year of operations we'd like to thank both the committee and our members for their unflagging enthusiasm and support. Our success relies on your participation, so if you have any ideas, suggestions or even news that you'd like to share across the network, let us know.
The Diversity in Publishing Network
Book House
45 East Hill
London SW18 2QZ
Tel: 020 8871 1106
email: seandipnet@aol.com
DIPNET MEMBERSHIP
Whether you work in publishing or are seeking to enter the industry, DipNet membership is open to you. Membership benefits include unlimited access to the website, an archive of advice and articles relating to jobs in publishing, information about diversity events and invitations to quarterly `open' meetings.
There is a one-off membership / joining fee which is currently set at £5 for part-time employees, £10 for full-time employees and free for students. For further details about membership benefits please visit:
http://www.diversityinpublishing.com/Membership
MARKET RESEARCH
In 2005 The Arts Council England awarded DipNet a grant to undertake some unprecedented research to establish a comprehensive and statistically accurate picture of cultural diversity within the UK book publishing industry. Between March and June 2006, Book Marketing Ltd. (BML) collated data with a target list of 60 publishers and the results are now in. We're looking to publish Ethnic Diversity in Publishing: a research study this spring, so watch this space!
RECOMMENDED READS
We are still adding to the Recommended Reads section of the website. This month check out Kiran Desai's The Inheritance of Loss, which took on favourites Sarah Waters and Edward St Aubyn to win the 2006 Man Booker Prize. Visit the following section of our website for more details:
http://www.diversityinpublishing.com/Recommended-Reads
MENTORING
The DipNet mentoring programme continues to grow apace. We're very happy to be able to formally welcome Sally Gritten at Harper Collins and Helen Conford at Penguin, who have both agreed to take on mentoring roles and use their specialist knowledge to help us develop the programme. We'd also like to take this opportunity to welcome, and congratulate, Harpreet Purewal who has been awarded a traineeship at Random House Children's division. Harpreet will be mentored by Helen Conford, Commissioning Editor at Penguin.
We are always looking for more people to be involved in the mentoring scheme, so if you are a senior manager at a publishing house and would like to be involved, please let us know at: info@diversityinpublishing.com
MEETINGS
DipNet is pleased to announce a schedule for quarterly open meetings. These meetings are to be held in London and are open to all DipNet members. In order that we can effectively plan the meetings, please forward any issues to be raised to the DipNet administrator at info@diversityinpublishing.com You can view the meeting schedule here:
http://www.diversityinpublishing.com/Events
EVENT REPORT
ETHNIC MEDIA CONFERENCE 2006
Aimed at marketers, advertisers, media executives and public bodies, the Ethnic Media Conference in partnership with MediaGuardian presents a unique opportunity to learn about the latest trends in this section of the media and network with organisations at the forefront of BME marketing.
The 2006 conference saw speakers including David Cameron MP, Leader of the Conservative Party; David Lammy, Minister for Culture; and Dawn Airey, Managing Director for Sky Networks. The programme topics covered the rise of BME media, changing consumption patterns and the future of BME-focused branding. This year DipNet offered a sponsored place at the EMC to one of its members. Jane Smith (MD, Jane Smith Literary Agent Ltd) attended on behalf of DipNet, and produced a report on the event which you can read here.
http://www.diversityinpublishing.com/Events/Ethnic-Media-Conference-2006
NOTICEBOARD
NEWS: CRE claims literary prize is unlawful
Arts Council England has reviewed the entry criteria for its Decibel Penguin Prize - awarded annually for the best short stories by Asian, African or Caribbean authors - following a ruling by the Commission for Racial Equality that the award breaches the 1976 Race Relations Act. This year's award will have no ethnic entry requirements, and will instead focus on "personal stories of immigrants to the UK."
ACE - which receives National Lottery funding - set up the prize in conjunction with Penguin Books in 2005 in order to promote new BME talent. ACE has spent £8,000 a year on the prize, whose judges include former winner Hari Kunzru, and the ten best entrants see their work published in a Penguin Anthology.
However, following the CRE's investigation, spokesperson Agnes Namoh stated: "Should the same competition run again, it is highly likely the Commission would commence legal proceedings against Penguin Books and the Arts Council."
The decision has prompted media speculation that the future of the Decibel Writer of the Year Award, presented as part of the British Book Awards could also be in jeopardy.
Read more and follow the blog here:
OUT AND ABOUT: Shot From The Lip: Spoken word events in London.
28 February - 27 April 2007 - various venues
Shot From The Lip is a season of Spoken Word events from 28 February - 27 April 2007 put together by a group of the art form's leading artists and promoters to help new and existing fans navigate their way through this burgeoning scene. Challenging outdated notions of what Spoken Word nights are all about, the season reflects the exuberance and diversity of events filling bars, clubs, theatres, galleries and dedicated poetry venues throughout the capital. Featured artists include Patience Agbabi, Brendan Cleary, Crisis, Kat Francois, John Hegley, Gautam Malkami, Simon Munnery, Lemn Sissay and many more.
Check out their site for listings: http://www.shotfromthelip.org/
....and why not get involved? London Libraries have got involved and are offering you the chance to hear your work on stage as part of the Shot from the Lip programme. Simply send them your words (poems, short monologues, prose are accepted) and enter the competition. Two winning pieces will be performed as part of the Shot from the Lip season. Further information and entry forms can be found here: http://www.londonlibraries.org/servlets/shotfromthelip.jsp
CAREERS: National African Caribbean Society Conference: 17 February 2007
Warwick University campus, Coventry.
For students looking to brush up their job application skills, the NACS at Warwick University is hosting this careers-orientated conference at Warwick University. This event has previously concentrated on Law and Finance, but this year will extend its remit to include media, and will attract representatives of the African-Caribbean Societies of the Universities of Birmingham, Nottingham and Essex. The day will consist of skills sessions and CV workshops where students will be split into teams based on their field of interests followed by breakout sessions for general discussions and networking. The unique quality of this event is that it will be quite an intimate affair; students will be in small groups which will allow for greater interaction and will be far more productive than larger scale events where it is harder for candidates to make any sort of impression and hard for the firms to get a feel for the candidate.
For further information please contact NACS Publicity Officer Kazvare Shire at warwickacs@hotmail.com
CAREERS: Job Opportunity at The Literary Consultancy
TLC is a thriving literary company offering manuscript assessment and editorial advice to developing writers. They are seeking a highly efficient, thoughtful and proactive assistant to help with the day to day running of the office, currently based in central London. Exciting prospects available with a short time-frame for the right candidate.
This is a part-time role of 3 days per week starting at 18k. Please apply (including a CV and covering letter) to Caroline McCarthy via email on caroline@literaryconsultancy.co.uk or in writing to Caroline McCarthy, The Literary Consultancy, Diorama Arts, 1 Euston Centre, London NW1 3JG.
Closing date for applications 16th of February. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.