‘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'


A Book-Sharing Startup in Mexico: ‘Publishers Love Us Because We Buy Books’

Little Bookmates, a Mexican startup, offers a children's book lending and home delivery—an approach inspired by the sharing economy trend. The post A Book-Sharing Startup in Mexico: ‘Publishers Love Us Because We Buy Books’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-06-19 05:30:11 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #buy books #children's book


African publishers should publish more books in African languages, says Ngugi wa Thing’o

African publishers should publish more books in indigenous languages to stop their disappearance and to increase the awareness of African writers in their own countries, the celebrated Kenyan writer and activist Ngugi wa Thing’o told delegates at the second International Publishers Association... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-06-13 23:53:47 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #african publishers #african languages #indigenous languages #african writers #told delegates #african publishing #international publisher


Los Angeles Times Book Club reads 'The Library Book'

Just in time for summer reading, the Los Angeles Times Book Club has chosen "The Library Book" as our first community read and will host a June 25 forum with bestselling author Susan Orlean. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-06-06 10:00:06 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #library book #summer reading #community read #bestselling author #times book


Los Angeles Times Book Club reads ‘The Library Book’

Just in time for summer reading, the Los Angeles Times Book Club has chosen “The Library Book” as our first community read and will host a June 25 forum with bestselling author Susan Orlean. Join us as we explore Orlean’s bestseller, a whodunit about the mysterious 1986 fire that gutted Los... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-06-06 10:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #library book #summer reading #community read


Last Year's Books Top This Year's First Quarter Sales

Michelle's Obama's 'Becoming,' released in early November, was the biggest title, selling 629,000 copies through outlets that report to BookScan in the period ended March 30. Only three books released in 2019 made the top 20 list in the quarter. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-04-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #quarter sales #books top #early november #biggest title


The British Book Awards: 2019 Books of the Year Shortlists

The British Book Awards, or 'Nibbies'–which comprise both industry and book honors–today announce their books of the year shortlists. The post The British Book Awards: 2019 Books of the Year Shortlists appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #year shortlists


The British Book Awards Books of the Year shortlists revealed

All eight shortlists for the British Book Awards Books of the Year have been announced, with a strong focus on international writers including Michelle Obama, Michael Wolff, Sally Rooney and Leila Slimani. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #michael wolff #sally rooney #leila slimani


Children’s Books in China 2019: Everafter Books Publishing House

A great deal of investment, not to mention a wide network of contacts and plenty of chutzpah, was required to launch 'Within Pictures and Beyond Texts,' a quarterly publication that is the first of its kind in China. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-03-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #great deal


London Book Fair: Publishers, Book Aid International Champion Rebuilding Iraqi Library

Since the destruction of the University of Mosul's library, momentum is building for Book Aid International's efforts to coordinate and enable publishers' contributions to rebuilding. The post London Book Fair: Publishers, Book Aid International Champion Rebuilding Iraqi Library appeared first... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #enable publishers


LBF UK Book Blog Awards introduces Book Podcast of the Year category

The UK Book Blog Awards at the London Book Fair will introduce a new category for 2019 - Book Podcast of the Year.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-01-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #year category


PRH Bolsters We Need Diverse Books for Banned Books Week

Penguin Random House has partnered with the publishing diversity group on a social media campaign as a part of its support for Banned Books Week, held this year September 23-29. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-09-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #diverse books


Books: The trouble with publishing accused harassers; Ernie, Bert and authorial intent; the Brown family dynasty; and more book news

Welcome! It’s sunny here in El Segundo. I’m Carolyn Kellogg with not one but two essays from Critics at Large this week, because it has been a big week for cultural questions in the world of books. Let’s get started. THE FIRST BIG ESSAY Critic at Large Laila Lalami looks at two big recent essays... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #big week #book news #el segundo #carolyn kellogg


Black Girls' Book Club talks brunch, booze and books

We spoke to Melissa Cummings-Quarry, co-founder of the Black Girls Book Club, about the club's plans for the future and thoughts on diversity in the publishing industry. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-09-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #black girls #publishing industry


Canadian Publishing 2018: Is Diverse, Data-Driven Wattpad Publishing's Future?

The Canadian digital platform is using machine learning to discover what readers want. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-09-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #machine learning


Books: An indie publisher with a vision, Halloween in August and more book news

Welcome readers! I’m L.A. Times books editor Carolyn Kellogg with this week’s newsletter. THE BIG STORY It’s not easy starting a publishing house; it’s even harder if you try to do it outside typical distribution channels, including Amazon. But that’s what J.C. Gabel has done with his L.A.-based... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #indie publisher #book news #big story #including amazon


Black Sands Entertainment Focuses on Books, Comics for Black Families

Founded by Manuel Godoy and his wife, Geiszel Godoy, this startup publisher focused on releasing comics, chapter books, and picture books aimed at black parents and their children. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-08-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #chapter books


BookCon 2018: We Need Diverse Books: Beyond Diversity 101

We Need Diverse Books has grown alongside BookCon, working for greater inclusiveness in publishing. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #diverse books


Black Lives Matter-inspired book wins children's book prize

Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give is this year's recipient of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2018-03-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book prize #angie thomas #waterstones children


Publishing in the Baltic Region 2018: A Publisher's View of the Lithuanian Book Business

The director of Tyto Alba describes what her house and other publishers are up to. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Children’s Books in China 2018: Everafter Books Publishing House

When it comes to partnering with major overseas publishing houses, few people are more knowledgeable than founder and publisher Huang Xiaoyan of Everafter Books. After all, she was involved in the high-profile joint ventures of Macmillan Century and Hachette-Phoenix. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #macmillan century