‘Do black people read?’ What my years in publishing have taught me about diversity in books | Natalie Jerome

Malorie Blackman laments the lack of BAME children’s characters. I know – it’s a real battle to get writers of colour publishedMy daughter, like me, is of mixed heritage. She has wildly curly hair, as have I. When she was born four years ago I was given five copies of the same kids’ picture book by well-meaning friends and relatives. It was called Guess How Much I Love You. This book, whose lead characters are rabbits, was a bestseller in the 1990s. Back then it flew off the shelves. What I did not expect when I was pregnant with my daughter was that it would be far easier to find her a rabbit picture book than one featuring a child like her with brown skin and curls.This week Malorie Blackman, author of Noughts and Crosses, told Channel 4 News that of the many books she read as a child “not one of them featured a black child like me”, adding that “it made me feel invisible in the world of literature”. And when, in her mid-20s, she noticed in a children’s bookshop that little had changed, “that’s when I decided that I wanted to write for children ... for the child in me, really, for all the books I wish I could have read as a child”.If we feel disconnected from each other, perhaps it starts in this skewed, unrepresentative vision of the world that begins in our books when we are at knee height Related: Whatever happened to author Dorothy West? Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2019-08-17 07:00:41 UTC ]
News tagged with: #black child #bame children #lead characters #bookshop #picture book

Other Publishing stories related to: '‘Do black people read?’ What my years in publishing have taught me about diversity in books | Natalie Jerome'


10 Recent Works of Black History That Everyone Should Read

Reviews editor David Adams recommends 10 excellent works of Black history recently starred by PW. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-16 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #black history


Beyond Rosa and Harriet: Black History Picture Book Biographies

There is more to Black history than trauma, and these picture book biographies celebrate Black joy, ingenuity, talent, and magnificence — like Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed and Stasia Burrington. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-02-15 11:36:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #black history #picture book


Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy will be publishing a book about his 50 favorite songs.

Beloved dad-rocker Jeff Tweedy is no stranger to publishing: he has two previous titles under his belt about his life in music, one a memoir of his time with Wilco, the other about the art of songwriting. (Perhaps my favorite bit of Tweedy literalia, though, is his appearance as a character in... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-02-09 16:20:44 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #jeff tweedy #previous titles #nick offerman #memoir


Laura Warrell on Publishing While Black

The young Black woman giggles behind her hands as she sits in the furthest corner of the lecture hall at the DC public library where I’m launching Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm, my debut novel about a cast of women, of all ages and backgrounds, who become entangled with a freedom-loving jazz... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-02-06 09:55:20 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #laura warrell #plenty rhythm #debut novel


At Cairo Book Fair, Publishers Expand Rights Trade and Marketing

Publishers are building up their rights and digital business at Cairo International Book Fair this year, despite regional economic challenges. The post At Cairo Book Fair, Publishers Expand Rights Trade and Marketing appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-02-02 17:35:34 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #marketing appeared #digital business


Penguin Random House’s All Ways Black Collective Battles Book Bans

A community of Black writers and readers, the group is partnering with Little Free Library to bring more free libraries to Black communities across the country. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-02 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #black writers #free library #free libraries #black communities #libraries


10 books to add to your reading list in February

Bethanne Patrick's February picks include new work from Salman Rushdie and Zadie Smith, plus fresh insights into friendship, Silicon Valley and wolves. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-01-31 14:18:02 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bethanne patrick #salman rushdie #zadie smith #silicon valley


The book world needs practical dreamers. Enter publisher-novelist Martin Riker

Micro-publisher Martin Riker has just published a novel of his own, 'The Guest Lecture,' that proves fiction can be experimental and rigorous at once. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-01-26 14:00:20 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book world


Poland Tells Publishers: VAT on Books Must Stay

Hobbled, as are other markets, by high production and shipping costs, Poland's book business learns that its taxation won't be eased. The post Poland Tells Publishers: VAT on Books Must Stay appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-01-26 05:09:26 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book business


“Phenomenal” woman Meena Harris makes the leap from t-shirt branding to book publishing

Phenomenal Media, a company launched by Kamala Harris’ niece that celebrates underrepresented women, is debuting a new partnership with Hachette Books. In 2016, Meena Harris started designing statement t-shirts that quite literally made a statement. Her most famous one read “Phenomenal Woman,”... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2023-01-24 08:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kamala harris #book publishing #company launched #hachette books #literally made #amazon prime #hachette


Book Bans are Driving Kids Away from Libraries and Reading

As recent laws restrict school librarians from bringing in new books, they're seeing a drop off of students using the library at all. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-01-23 17:38:56 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book bans #libraries


More Than Books: Indigenous Voices in Publishing

Readers find community and a wealth of perspectives at Indigenous-owned bookstores. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-01-20 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #indigenous voices


A Banned Book Club Reading Guide for NEW KID by Jerry Craft

Banned books are some of the best to discuss in book clubs. This reading guide to frequently banned book New Kid will help you get started! Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-01-17 11:37:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #jerry craft #banned books #book clubs #reading guide #banned book


25 of The Best Kindle Unlimited Books to Read in 2023

Looking for your next great read? Want to take advantage of Kindle Unlimited? Here are 25 of the best Kindle Unlimited books of 2023, including The Last Final Girl by Stephen Graham Jones, Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby, and Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-01-16 11:36:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #great read #kindle unlimited #razorblade tears #ninth house #leigh bardugo #kindle


It turns out that people don’t want a coloring book based on a novel about domestic abuse.

There’s no denying that Colleen Hoover has had an incredible year. Still, despite the relentless appetite for her novels, it seems that the people do not, in fact, want a coloring book based on her number-one bestselling book It Ends With Us, which centers on an abusive relationship faced by... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-01-12 17:27:54 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #people don #domestic abuse #colleen hoover #coloring book


New Year, New You: Major Book Biz Job Changes This Week

A series of notable position changes in the industry this week at Anime NYC, Chicago Distribution Center, Henry Holt, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-01-10 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #henry holt #major book


Past Winners of the Baillie Gifford Prize Reflect on Their Year in Reading

The Baillie Gifford Prize is the most prestigious nonfiction literary award in the world. We checked in with some past winners about their year in reading. * Craig Brown, 2020 Baillie Gifford Prize-winner for 150 Glimpses of the Beatles, recommends: Geoff Dyer is the funniest and most original... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-01-01 14:20:48 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #past winners #geoff dyer #literary award


10 books to add to your reading list in January

Bethanne Patrick's picks for January 2023 include an Indian gangster tale, a dystopian epic and musings from Amy Sherald and Mario Vargas Llosa. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-12-29 17:31:23 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bethanne patrick


By the Book: Rick Rubin Wants You to Read Sherlock Holmes Before You’re 21

“The earlier the better,” says the record producer and author of the forthcoming book “The Creative Act: A Way of Being.” “The stories are engaging and they train readers to look deeply into all they see. A great primer for awareness practice.” Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2022-12-29 10:00:20 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #record producer


10 Science Fiction Books by Black Women Writers

This past summer, an auntie of mine dusted off an old cardboard box of books from a cluttered storage unit, and handed me a slim blue and gold paperback with soft, slightly frayed corners and a creased spine by Octavia E. Butler. I had never read science fiction that featured a Black girl being... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2022-12-28 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #past summer #black girl #electric literature #science fiction