Diversity in Publishing Network - promoting black and minority ethnicity in publishing

NEWSLETTER: October 2006

In May 2006 The Bookseller in conjunction with decibel published a follow up to the 2004 In Full Colour survey, Books For All. Focusing on how effectively the book industry reflects the UK's ethnic make-up, its findings proved what many suspected: while most respondents felt that there was more diversity on publisher's lists, it was still the case that black and minority ethnic interests were hugely under-represented. Last year more than two thirds of retailers spent money on campaigns targeting BME customers, and only 1% of the current top 5000 selling titles were by a BME author.

Against this backdrop, 2006 has seen some significant achievements for DipNet. Our mentoring activity has proven successful, with all of the 2005/6 trainees now installed in permanent publishing roles. We have raised our profile with key policy makers in the industry, not least through the vital market research we have commissioned, and this has enabled us to establish strong links with other diversity-focused organisations. However, Books For All shows that DipNet has its work cut out for the rest of 2006, into 2007 and beyond. The industry is waking up to the need for, and potential of, a wider diversity; it is DipNet's aim to keep up the pressure and drive the change.

Of course our members are integral to our success in making this change. If you have any ideas, suggestions or even news that you'd like to share across the network, let us know. September 2006 saw the appointment of Sean Merrigan as DipNet Administrator and he will welcome your feedback and be happy to help with any enquiries. Contact him at:

The Diversity in Publishing Network
Book House
45 East Hill
London SW18 2QZ

Tel: 020 8871 1106
email: seandipnet@aol.com

BECOME A DIPNET MEMBER
DipNet membership is open to anyone in publishing or a related trade, or who is seeking to enter the industry. All members agree to support the aims and objectives of this organisation. There is a one-off membership / joining fee only.
Membership fees are 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
Last year The Arts Council England awarded DipNet a grant to undertake vital and timely research into the state of diversity in publishing. This year a report entitled Ethnic Diversity in Publishing: A research study has been conducted by BML (Book Marketing Ltd.) for DipNet. Its objective is to establish a comprehensive and statistically accurate picture of cultural diversity within the UK book publishing industry. The research is currently in its final stages, and the findings will be announced in January 2007.

RECOMMENDED READS
We are still adding to the Recommended Reads section of the website. This month's hot tip for fiction is The Book Of Not by acclaimed Zimbabwean author Tsitsi Dangarembga, who will be touring the UK in November. Visit the following section of our website for more details:
http://www.diversityinpublishing.com/Recommended-Reads

MENTORING
Following the success of the 2005/6 intake, we'd just like to welcome Rebecca Oku who is at Foyles, Puffin and Curtis Brown, and Sammia Rafique at LCC and Serpent's Tail, and wish them all the best. Random House Children's are still recruiting so we'll announce the third trainee in the next newsletter.

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

EVENT REPORT

Diversity Matters: Growing Markets in Children's Publishing
One of the key findings in the Books For All report showed that the fastest growing section of the UK's ethnic demographic is the BME under-16. Coming from more minority ethic groups than in any previous generation, BME kids represent huge challenges, but also great opportunities, for the UK publishing industry.

The Diversity Matters Conference was set up by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education and funded by Arts Council England. The event was held at the Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre on the 24th and 25th June 2006. DipNet was represented at the conference by co-chair Alison Morrison. Other key speakers included Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty, Trevor Phillips, Chair of the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights, and Malorie Blackman, who really got to the centre of the argument in relating the following personal experience:

"I was in my mid-twenties before I read my first book which featured black characters, The Color Purple by Alice Walker. That's one hell of an age to be before you see yourself even remotely reflected in a book […] I'm determined that won't happen to my daughter."

For more information about this event, visit:
http://www.diversityinpublishing.com/Events/Diversity-Matters-Conference-Event-Summary

NOTICEBOARD

decibel events at The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival

The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival will take place between the 6th and the 15th of October, and this year decibel have organised appearances by a very exciting line up of African, Asian and Caribbean writers. The Pathways series, programmed in conjunction with decibel, will see authors including Diran Adebayo, Bernardine Evaristo and Malorie Blackman explore the complex nature of literary identity.

Also watch out for Whose Story which will be published in the Times on October 7th.
This is a chain story plotted by Kate Mosse. Nine other authors have contributed chapters to the story (including Diran Adebayo, David Baddiel, Tracy Chevalier, Patrick Neate and Courttia Newland). The identity of who has written each chapter will be kept under wraps until the reveal event at Cheltenham, on Sunday 15th. The purpose of this collaboration is to confound expectations and challenge Assumptions about cultural identity in fiction writing.

For more information about the festival, visit: http://www.cheltenhamfestivals.com

African priest's fiction debut

Dipnet co-chair and Commissioning Editor at Little, Brown Book Group Elise Dillsworth has bought for Abacus a debut collection of stories by Uwem Akpan, a Nigerian Jesuit priest. Akpan's stories centre on African conflicts as seen through the eyes of children, describing "their resilience and endurance in heartbreaking detail", Dillsworth says. Abacus will publish in January 2008.

Speak the Plain Truth About Racism: National Book Tour with Duwayne Brooks October 2006 - September 2007

On the night of 22nd April 1993, on a street in Eltham, south-east London, an 18-year old black student, Stephen Lawrence, was murdered in a vicious and unprovoked racist attack. This event and the notorious police mishandling of the investigation mobilized the anger of the black community and anti-racists behind the demand for justice. It led, four years later, to the historic Stephen Lawrence Public Inquiry, which confirmed to the whole country the truth about the black and Asian experience of police racism, and sent shockwaves through British society.

Using his own funds, Mr. Brooks has just republished his record of these events: Steve and Me - My friendship with Stephen Lawrence and the search for justice. The book will be accompanied by a tour supported by the Movement for Justice, and will cover the period from October 2006 "Black History Month" and throughout 2007 - the 200th anniversary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade by the UK Parliament on 25th March, 1807.

Tour coordinator Alex Owolade from the Movement For Justice is looking for assistance in setting up a series of events. If you can help, get in touch at The Movement For Justice, telephone: 0208 674 4051 or 07985 403 781. For book orders email: steveandmebook@yahoo.co.uk

Passionet in association with The National Literacy Trust brings you Star Reads

To mark Black History Month Passionet, the multicultural online bookstore, have teamed up some of the UK's finest urban stars to celebrate and promote reading. Star Reads is a new and exciting campaign dedicated to promoting literacy by introducing fresh and engaging authors to an audience who can relate to their interesting and vibrant stories. As well as a series of events, Passionet have put together an inspiring collection of posters featuring celebrities such as So Solid Crew's Harvey, Chucky Venice from Footballer's Wives and BBC presenter and DJ Reggie Yates - all of whom suggest their own recommended reads. The Star Reads posters will also be accompanied by a reading list reflecting our emerging multicultural society with bilingual books from Arabic to Spanish and diverse authors from Monica Ali to Courttia Newland.

For further information contact a member of staff at: info@starreads.org

BLACK HISTORY MONTH: LITERARY AND THEATRE LISTINGS

Want to find out about BHM events? Sable Literary Magazine have created a handy selection of Black History Month literary and theatre listings. Visit: http://www.sablelitmag.org/readingseries.html to find details of regional events, tours and readings